Digital Commons Network^™

Honoring Philip Zimbardo: Personal Reflections On A Legacy In Heroism Studies, Zeno Franco, Scott T. Allison, Brian R. Riches

Heroism Science

This article concludes our Special Issue of Heroism Science devoted to honoring the legacy of Philip Zimbardo. Across the preceding contributions, scholars have offered personal reflections, examined his influence on psychology and heroism studies, and discussed the applied interventions of the Heroic Imagination Project. In this closing essay, we situate Zimbardo’s distinctive contributions to psychology and reflect on the cumulative insights of the Special Issue. We then shift to a more personal register, as each of the three authors describes how Zimbardo’s mentorship, vision, personality, and scholarship have shaped our own lives and research trajectories. In doing so, we underscore …

Adverse Childhood Experiences And Academic Achievement, Leah A. Brehmer

Graduate Teacher Education

The paper examines the impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on student success. Through the literature review, three themes emerge: the first is the impact of ACEs on learning, the second is the usage of trauma-informed practices, and the third is how resilience plays a role in student success. Awareness regarding how ACEs impact students and academics, changes can be made to prioritize the student and their success in schools. The review incorporates statistics from studies primarily conducted in the United States, supplemented by a few international studies that support the research findings. Nearly half of the students in the …

Impact Of Small Group Literacy Instruction For English Language Learners, Olivia R. Freehauf Kirchoffner

Graduate Teacher Education

This literature review examined the impacts of small group literacy instruction for English Language Learners (ELL). ELL students often face challenges in developing literacy skills due to language barriers and limited exposure to English, making targeted instructional strategies crucial for academic success. Peer-reviewed studies published between 2008 and 2024 were analyzed to identify trends in effective literacy practices. Studies were selected from academic databases based on relevance, publication date, and focus on elementary-level ELL students. The review included quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods studies, focusing on learning approaches, instructional strategies, and outcomes of small group instruction. Findings indicate that structured routines, …

Pediatric Anesthesia And Virtual Reality: Managing Perioperative Pain And Anxiety– A Scoping Review, Moneer Sharafi, Mason Pham, Alec Wiscombe

Doctoral Projects

Pediatric surgery is common, but it often causes considerable anxiety and pain. A staggering percentage of children experience preoperative anxiety, which can heighten pain, delay recovery, and contribute to complications such as emergence delirium and longer-term behavioral issues (Fortier & Kain, 2015). Virtual reality (VR), which immerses users in computer-generated environments, has been proposed as a distraction technique to reduce these challenges. This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project conducted a scoping review to examine the effectiveness of VR in reducing perioperative pain and anxiety in pediatric patients. The review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses …

The Role Of Multimodal Analgesia In Spine Surgery: A Scoping Review Of Its Impact On Opioid Consumption And Surgical Outcomes, Madison Milam, Kristie Mullins, Tatum Trent

Doctoral Projects

The ongoing opioid epidemic emphasizes the need for alternative perioperative pain management strategies, particularly in high-risk surgical populations such as spine surgery patients. This project proposes a scoping review to examine the role of multimodal analgesia (MMA) in reducing opioid consumption and improving surgical outcomes in adult neurosurgical patients. MMA analgesia involves the use of multiple pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic approaches that target different pain pathways in the human body, aiming to enhance patient comfort while minimizing reliance on opioids.

This review synthesizes current literature on MMA strategies used in spinal surgeries, evaluates reported outcomes such as pain control, postoperative complications, …

The Hidden World Of Evil: Documenting Serial Killers Through The Centuries, An Evolution., Semieca Wilson

Master of Arts in Human Services

The following is an analysis of the phenomenon of serial killers from their development over time, and why it mattered due to how they operated on society. Cases reported from the past to present century were read and analyzed in search of recurring psychological patterns, changes in methods of inspecting cases and the effects of cultural, technological transformation on both felons as well as those who trailed them. The site is a product of my professional interest in the area of criminal psychology and forensic analysis and reflects my objective to provide myself and other interested professionals, academics, law enforcement …

Behind The Badge: Effects Of Stress And Trauma In Policing -- Understanding The Importance Of Evidence-Based Prevention, Early Intervention, And Wellness Programs, Jessica Rolshouse

Master of Arts in Human Services

Law enforcement officers are exposed to occupational stress and trauma routinely and at rates that far exceed the general population. This chronic exposure places them at risk for physical and psychological injury and negative outcomes to include mental health disorders including burnout, anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Prolonged exposure to occupational stress and trauma also increases the risk of suicidal ideation and dying by suicide, the most tragic outcome of the stress law enforcement officers face. This literature review focuses on individual risk factors, occupational stress, and trauma, and the development of mental health disorders in law enforcement officers. It also …

The Sexual Assault And Violence Experiences Questionnaire: Community-Developed Items For Gathering Sexual Violence Histories With Displaced Women, Meredith A. Blackwell

Psychology ETDs

Improving measurement of sexual violence has contributed to major policy changes in the United States. However, research on sexual violence largely overlooks those exposed to conflict and displacement: a population especially at risk. Assessment measures often ignore contextual features and use phrasing that is vulnerable to underreporting. This community-based participatory research project collaborated with cultural experts from Mexico/Central America and Afghanistan to develop a preliminary item list for a self-report measure of prior sexual violence. Analysis of focus group data from 30 women revealed a range of sexual violence experiences, and provided critical phrasing used to form an item list …

Investigating Teacher Perceptions Of Strategies That Led To Success Of Long-Term English Learners Passing English Assessment Exams, Whitney Hodges

Ed.D. Dissertations

Long term English learners are those who have been enrolled in United States public schools for at least five to seven years yet have not exited language services via passing scores on language assessments. Those students have less opportunity to take preferred elective courses in middle and high school, and less opportunity to take higher level course work. This impacted the students, teachers, and instructional leaders when it came to scheduling, fulfilling graduation requirements, and meeting schoolwide and statewide growth and achievement goals. Previous researchers provided strategies for helping newcomers learn a language, and move from basic interpersonal communication skills …

Nurses' Comfort Toward Caring For The Dying: A Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study, Candies Warren

ATU Theses and Dissertations 2021 - Present

The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional descriptive research study was to explore nurses’ comfort levels toward caring for dying patients and what factors influence the bedside nurses’ comfort levels in providing end-of-life care in an acute care hospital setting. A convenience sample (N=63) of RNs voluntarily participated in an online survey from January 2025 to March 2025 that provided direct patient care. Data was collected through Question Pro. Data collected included sociodemographic questions, questions about current comfort level, factors that influence nurses’ comfort level, and selected items from the Frommelt Attitude Toward Care of the Dying Patient (FATCOD) scale. Institutional …

How To Talk To A Seahorse: Communication In Transmasculine Gestational Experiences As Told Through Narrative, Emerson Armstrong

Communication ETDs

Transmasculine experiences before, during, and after pregnancy were evaluated using focus groups and autoethnographic research. As transgender people are more likely to experience inequality in healthcare encounters, this project aims to shed light on, and counter sensationalized accounts of male pregnancy, as transmasculine gestational individuals sought normalization in their experiences of pregnancy. Seven focus groups consisted of 90 minute sessions, with a total of 15 participants. Transcripts were analyzed using a trans narrative approach to find a greater understanding about identity construction, challenges, and changes around trans pregnancy. Asking about communities and healthcare experiences worked to create a complete picture …

2025 Fall - Commencement Program, Office Of The Registrar, East Tennessee State University

ETSU Commencement Ceremonies and Programs

No abstract provided.

The Incorporation Of Salivary Diagnostic Testing In Dental Hygiene Program Curriculum; A Pilot Study Using A Self-Reported Questionnaire, Carrie B. Palmer-Hawkins

Dental Hygiene ETDs

This study evaluated the incorporation of salivary diagnostic testing in dental hygiene program curricula. A recruitment email and survey link were sent to a convenience sample of 296 CODA-accredited program directors in the United States. Using a descriptive research approach, the survey gathered quantitative and qualitative data exploring directors’ perspectives on the role of salivary testing in dental hygiene education. Thirty-seven responses were gathered over three weeks, and 34 participants were included in the study, resulting in a response rate of 13%. Thirty-eight percent (n=13) reported incorporating salivary testing into their dental hygiene program curriculum through didactic or clinical coursework. …

176th Commencement, Fall

Commencement Programs

Commencement program (graduate and undergraduate exercises) for fall 2025

2025 Fall Commencement, Harding University

Commencement Programs

Program for the Harding University Commencement on December 13. 
Commencement Speaker: Dr. Susan Kehl

From Public To Private: Understanding Parental Perceptions On Middle School Transitions, Joseph P. Peeden

Ed.D. Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore parents/guardians’ perceptions of their children’s transition from elementary to middle school, focusing on transitions to private middle schools and differences based on prior schooling (private versus public elementary) and gender. In this study, I addressed the lack of understanding regarding how private education transitions impacted students academically, socially, and culturally, including challenges related to social-emotional learning and cultural adjustment. I collected data from 75 parents/guardians using questionnaires and conducted 20 follow-up interviews in the Southeast United States to examine their experiences. I found that students transitioning from public schools to private …

Rogue Artificial Intelligence, Science Fiction, And The Law, Kerry L. Macintosh

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Neurobehavioral Mechanisms Of Psychotic-Like Experiences And Cannabis Use, Ethan Campbell

Psychology ETDs

As cannabis use has increased steadily over the past decade, there is critical need to evaluate early cannabis use as a potential risk factor for the development of psychosis. Neurobehavioral mechanisms underlying novelty salience could clarify how cannabis exposure may influence subclinical psychotic-like experiences (PLEs). The present study leveraged dynamic functional connectivity and task-fMRI to assess the role of novelty processing in cannabis use and PLEs. A group of brain regions dynamically tied to the salience network while viewing short films were found to increase their activation as a function of stimulus novelty during a novelty bandit task. PLEs were …

Testing Tocqueville’S Troops: American Democracy At War In Mexico, Corbin V. Cali

History Theses

This thesis explores Alexis de Tocqueville's theory of democratic armies through the lens of the Mexican-American War (1846-1848), testing his predictions about how democratic social conditions influence military institutions and performance. Tocqueville argued that armies in democratic societies would face tensions between egalitarian ideals and military discipline, with citizen-soldiers resisting hierarchy while professional officers, often isolated from civil society, grew dangerously ambitious for war. He predicted that democratic armies would show energetic initiative but struggle with weak formal discipline, and that equality would fundamentally change the relationship between the military and the broader society. The Mexican-American War serves as an …

When Two Worlds Collide: A Narrative Inquiry Into The Teacher Identity Development Of Graduate Students Of Additional Languages, Hannah L. Garver

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

This study explores a population that has been understudied in teacher identity research: native English-speaking graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) of additional languages who assumed this role with no prior teaching experience. Influenced by my own experience as a GTA, the purpose of this study is to gain insight into how this population’s experiences shape their identities as teachers and later careers. This qualitative study uses narrative inquiry as a method by which to examine their experiences through the stories told by participants: six former GTAs of French and German.

Using data in the form of semi-structured interviews and some participants’ …

Guillaume Dustan's Ethico-Politics Of The Body, Noah Mertz

Foreign Languages & Literatures ETDs

In this MA Thesis, I lay out a synthetic overview of polemical French writer Guillaume Dustan's (1965-2005) political philosophy. He is criticized first as irresponsible and dangerous for his defense of barebacking (sex without condoms) in the midst of the AIDS epidemic, and then, after his death, as a neoliberal/anarcho-capitalist for his focus on individual liberty. My overview touches on Dustan's Freudian belief that repression is the root of all social ills, his functional ethics of self-responsibility, the revaluation of heteronormative Judeo-Christian morality towards 'virtusex,' and his social contract that minimizes repression. Dustan’s goal is for you to autonomously subjectify …

Instrumental Music Educator Strategies To Reduce Or Remove Participation Barriers For Middle School Students, Rachel A. Gorden Mercer Ed.D

Doctorate in Education

Scholars have found that students who participate in instrumental music programs achieve higher academic levels, have better attendance, and build stronger community connections than students who do not participate. This dissertation examines successful strategies for increasing participation in instrumental music programs by reducing socioeconomic barriers, enhancing instrument access, creating ensemble opportunities, and fostering a positive culture within the instrumental program for students during the middle school years. Music educators have found successful strategies to recruit and retain students despite the barriers they encounter.

Researchers have investigated the benefits of participating in instrumental music and the reasons why students discontinue their …

Fake News Y Redes Sociales: Cómo El Algoritmo En Torno A La Migración Afecta La Salud Mental, Maria F. Alarcon

Capstones

Las redes sociales son la principal fuente de información para migrantes latinos en Estados Unidos, pero también son un terreno fértil para fake-news que afectan la salud mental y desinforman.

Halt Under Threat Why Legislators Must Demand Compliance Before Change A Playbook For Action, Vanda Seward

Capstones

This playbook examines the implementation of New York State’s Humane Alternatives to Long-Term Solitary Confinement (HALT) Act and presents evidence demonstrating that the law has not been fully or consistently enforced by the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (NYSDOCCS). Drawing on findings from the New York State Inspector General, the Correctional Association of New York, the Justice Center, court rulings, and community testimony, the analysis documents persistent violations, including excessive and illegal use of solitary confinement, inadequate documentation, failures to protect vulnerable populations, and insufficient accountability for staff misconduct. The playbook critically evaluates the recommendations of …

Stress During Adolescence: A Characterization Of Anxiety-Like Behavior, And The Mrna Expression Of Neuroimmune Factors, Clock And Stress Genes In Corticolimbic Areas., Annette Fernandez Oropeza, Annette K. Fernandez Oropeza

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Adolescence represents a critical window of frontal cortex (FC) maturation and corticolimbic circuit refinement that supports stress and emotion regulation. Disruption of these processes by early-life insults such as prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) or adolescent stress increases vulnerability to anxiety and mood disorders, in part through circadian–immune dysregulation. The circadian transcription factor Bmal1 and the proinflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα) have emerged as key regulators of neuroimmune signaling and synaptic communication, yet their interactions across developmental risk contexts remain poorly understood. This dissertation examined the effects of mild adolescent isolation stress, with and without PAE, on anxiety-like behaviors and …

Praise With Pipes And Strings: An Exploration Of American Protestant Hymnody Through New Arrangements For Flute And Piano, Dominic J. Baldoni

Dissertations, 2020-current

This project presents five hymn tunes from the American Protestant (A.P.) tradition arranged for flute and piano, accompanied by a scholarly analysis of the historical, liturgical, and practical aspects of A.P. hymnody and congregational song. The accompanying document explores the development of A.P. hymnody, the background of each selected tune, the role of instruments, primarily the flute, in worship, and the challenges faced by church musicians in the twenty-first century. By examining both vocal and instrumental iterations of these melodies throughout history, the analysis aims to inform performers and program planners about stylistic and contextual considerations for contemporary services and …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Lived Experiences Of Implementing An Education Model From School Leaders’ Perspectives, Jackie Marie Cusimano Phd

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

A high school science teacher asked the question, “Why not make every class an elective?” He noticed that when his high school students were required to take a course, such as biology, the attendance and participation lacked when compared to his elective course of forensic biology. Both classes covered the same science standards. This question led him to applying for a public charter license and ultimately opening the first Choice Charter School in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 2014. Choice Charter Schools follow the created Choice Charter Education Model, which is based on William Glasser’s Choice Theory (Glasser, 1998). Since the …

Knowledge Production As Identity Expression: A Third-Space Perspective On Sustainable Careers, Alicja Syska

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences

This conceptual paper advances our understanding of sustainable careers by focusing on the knowledge creation activities of third-space practitioners in higher education. Specifically, we apply and extend the Process Model of Sustainable Careers to examine how different forms of knowledge production in three different institutional and national contexts – writing for publication, practice-based expertise, and curriculum development – contribute to career sustainability at the intersection of academic and professional/administrative roles and domains. The critical element of this extension is ‘identity expression’ in the form of knowledge production, which acts as an integrating mechanism that flows through and connects the original …

Recreating Fiber Recruitment With Fiber Recruitment Using Additive Manufacturing, Natalia D. Mciver

Biomedical Engineering ETDs

Injured ligaments are often repaired with tendon grafts which may over or under constrain the joint; there is a need for an artificial graft option with the mechanical properties of a native ligament. Crimped fibers within ligaments allow for recruitment which means the viscoelastic properties of stress relaxation and creep are not inversely related. A feasibility study using ACLs and large-scale crimp models to study viscoelasticity, led to an in-depth analysis of the scapholunate interosseous ligament. Using the Modified Kelvin spring-dashpot model, for describing viscoelasticity with a variable stiffness property (time dependent fiber recruitment), we defined the relationship between creep …

Pen And Punishment: Revenge And Role Reversal In Edith Wharton’S World. A Rewriting Of Gender Roles And The Subversion Of Patriarchy., Shelly Ann Justin

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION Pen and Punishment: Revenge and Role Reversal in Edith Wharton’s World. A Rewriting of Gender Roles and the Subversion of Patriarchy. by Shelly Ann Justin An unlikely feminist writer sometimes becomes one of the greatest advocates for the feminine movement, and that is exactly what American novelist, Edith Wharton (1862-1937) has done for over 120 years through her essays, short stories, and more specifically, her novels. She is best known for her vivid novels that explore the complexities of American society, especially the upper class which examines the constraints and social expectations of New York’s upper …