Digital Commons Network^™

Otherness And The Trinity: Toward A Critical Reimagining Of Christian Divinity From A Postcolonial Ethos, Taylor Muma

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, I address the Trinity’s potential as an emancipatory relational archetype in the philosophy of religion, while at the same time recognizing the complicity of Christian doctrine in colonial conquest. My dissertation will be a reimagining of trinitarian theology as an ecotonal paradigm of multiplicity and alterity that provides a generative means of moving beyond the enmeshment of divinity with constructs of mastery.

The post-structuralist and postcolonial methodologies in this project emerge from the work of such scholars as Homi Bhabha, Jacques Derrida, Emmanuel Levinas and Gloria Anzaldúa. They foreground critical ideations of otherness and multiplicity in ways …

The Permanent Emergency: The Anti-Fascist And Anti-Colonial Intersections Of James Joyce’S Ulysses And Roberto Bolaño’S 2666, Lily V. Mcmanamy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

My thesis is going to explore the (Irish) Anti-Colonial and (Spanish) Anti-Fascist parallels between James Joyce’s Ulysses (1922) and Roberto Bolaño’s 2666 (2004). Using the major epic novels of two exiled authors, I hope to explore the intersections of poetic fiction and political resistance. I read these texts as bookends spanning the pre- and post-war periods, highlighting the continuities of colonialism, totalitarianism, and fascism, and the way these authors develop a post/modernist narrative that nods towards these themes. I plan to draw on Alberto Toscano’s LateFascism (2023) as a means of situating these authors’ novels with our own political moment …

Evaluation And Distillation Of Source Code Generation Tasks By Large Language Models, Danny Brahman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Large Language Models (LLMs) are predominantly assessed based on their common sense reasoning, language comprehension, and logical reasoning abilities. While models trained in specialized domains like mathematics or coding have demonstrated remarkable advancements in logical reasoning, there remains a significant gap in evaluating their code generation capabilities. Existing benchmark datasets fall short in pinpointing specific strengths and weaknesses, impeding targeted enhancements in models’ reasoning abilities to synthesize code.

To bridge this gap, this thesis introduces two novel contributions: CodeEval and CodeQual. CodeEval is an innovative, pedagogical benchmarking method that mirrors the evaluation processes encountered in academic programming courses. It comprises …

The Organizational Experience Of Next Gen Learning Through Portrait Of A Graduate, Kathleen J. Campbell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative single-case study investigates the organizational journey of navigating the complexities of systemic transformation. In 2021, Silver Peak School District (SPSD; a pseudonym), a rural educational organization in the western United States, implemented a graduate competency framework known as Portrait of a Graduate. This study analyzed the experiences of teachers, instructional coaches, and principals with the explicit Portrait policies, practices, and resource flows of five learning structures—graduate competencies (in SPSD, this is analogous to Portrait), deeper learning, agency, performance assessment, and teaching culture—in a district in the messy middle of Portrait adoption. By focusing on a district situated in …

She Believed She Could, So She Did: A Lifecycle Approach To Understanding Leadership And Self-Efficacy Development In Women Astronauts, Savanah Faith Sellars Bray

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines how women leaders develop and sustain self-efficacy, and develop as leaders, throughout their lives. Although decades of research document the barriers women face navigating leadership journeys, including the challenges described in the Women’s Leadership Labyrinth of prejudice, discrimination, and childcare issues, existing literature offers limited insight into how women actively build belief in their capacity to lead and accomplish their goals. Further, research consistently shows that women report lower leadership self-efficacy than men, even with comparable experience, yet the developmental processes that shape this gap, beginning in childhood, remain underexplored. Guided by self-efficacy research and its four …

Testing Potential Correlations Between Childhood Lead Exposure And Authoritarianism In Adulthood, Kragen Anderson

University Honors Theses

A significant body of research links lead exposure during childhood to negative effects ranging from increased impulsivity to societal level effects such as an increased likelihood of committing violent crime in adulthood. Due to exposure vectors such as lead water pipes, lead solder, lead based paints, and leaded gasoline there was significant lead exposure during childhood for large portions of the American population. This paper tested and found a statistically significant association between average population level lead exposure in childhood and likelihood of voting for candidate Trump later in life.

Healthcare Access Challenges Among Asian Americans, Phyo Theingi

University Honors Theses

Asian Americans are the fastest growing racial ethnic group in the U.S. According to the 2023 U.S. Census Bureau population estimate, Asian Americans account for 25.2 million (or 7.4%) of the nation's population. Asian Americans are not a monolith and represent a diversity of rich histories, cultures, languages and ethnicities. According to research conducted by the Pew Research Center, most Asian Americans face discrimination of some kind, including being treated as a foreigner in the U.S and being stereotyped as a model minority. They also experience health care access barriers. Research found that Asian Americans face barriers related to language …

Becoming The Phoenix: Black Women’S Experiences And Leadership Growth Through Humanized Black Feminist Action Learning, Jovan Keith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the workplace learning experiences of Black women professionals in corporate leadership contexts. Leadership development programs often rely on standardized models that overlook the lived realities shaping Black women’s professional experiences. In response, this study introduced Humanized Black Feminist Action Learning, a leadership development intervention that integrates Black feminist scholarship, humanizing pedagogy, and critical action learning.

Using a qualitative case study design, the research examined a cohort of midcareer Black women professionals who participated in four facilitated learning sessions structured around workplace dilemmas. During these sessions, participants engaged in reflection, dialogue, and action as they examined workplace dynamics …

Educator Perceptions Of Human-Ai Co-Creativity: A Mixed Methods Study, Wendy L. Jensen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Educators play a critical role in navigating the intersection of creativity and artificial intelligence in the work of teaching and learning. As frontline implementers of daily instruction and decision-makers around the use of technology tools, teachers determine, in practice, how creativity and artificial intelligence converge in learning environments. Because teachers play this central role, examining their perceptions is critical for fostering the effective use of AI in educational contexts in ways that preserve and advance creative teaching and learning. In this convergent mixed methods study, I investigated educators’ perceptions of human-AI co-creativity, with particular attention to how these perceptions inform …

Defying Impossibility: Critical Qualitative Reorientations To Black Lgbtqia+ Sense Of Belonging, Olivia H. Hunte

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Belonging is a human need central to survival and can be cultivated within all spheres of life. Social environments are vital for experiencing a sense of belonging. In some social environments, Black LGBTQIA+ people encounter greater impediments to their daily lives with consequences for survival, including threatening their belonging needs. Within the United States, systems of oppression create and inform conditions within social environments that can potentially thwart pathways to belonging for Black LGBTQIA+ people. Thus, fulfillment of belonging needs for Black LGBTQIA+ people is one of nuance, pain, resilience, hope, harm, trauma, resistance, and healing; scant research is available …

Don't Self-Opt Out Of Career Opportunities: Proceed With Confidence, Valerie Mendoza

Faculty Publications

While reflecting on your career in the past, have you ever stepped back from an opportunity that you wanted because you doubted yourself? In the workplace, confidence often gets mistaken for competence, and that means talented employees can be overlooked simply because they hesitate. The truth is that confidence isn’t something you’re born with. It’s a skill you can build. This session will get you started on building that skill.

We’ll explore practical strategies to strengthen your confidence starting today. We’ll also break down the key differences between how confident individuals act compared to those who aren’t, so you can …

Staff Education To Improve Knowledge On Delirium Assessment, Prevention, And Treatment, Michelle Lee Coll

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Improving Strategic Planning In Faith-Based Transitional Housing For Women And Children, Cheryl Lee Burrall

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Explainable Multi-Agent Llm Framework For Phishing Email Detection Via Role-Specialized Evidence Decomposition, Tanya Yadav, Mohammad Masum

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Phishing email remains a persistent and operationally critical cybersecurity threat, yet existing detection approaches, including traditional machine learning and single-pass large language model systems, either lack native interpretability or provide explanations that are difficult to standardize and audit. This paper introduces an explainable multi-agent LLM framework that decomposes phishing evidence across three role-specialized agents focused on linguistic patterns, psychological manipulation, and sender identity consistency. The framework then aggregates specialist outputs through schema-governed synthesis, enabling each intermediate and final decision to be structured, comparable, and auditable. The central contribution is the treatment of role-specialized evidence decomposition and explanation structure as first-class …

Lost In Loss: A Supportive Handbook For Teens Grieving The Suicide Of A Loved One, Gabriella Potter

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

Adolescence is a complex developmental time. For adolescents grieving a suicide death, there can be added layers of complexity in navigating this developmental period, due to unique challenges and stigma, family disruption, trauma, unanswerable questions, feelings of rejection, abandonment, responsibility, and anger that can result from a suicide death loss. Through a literature review of the available research on adolescent suicide bereavement, this doctoral paper examines models of grief, adolescent development, and suicide loss, aiming to bridge the literature in all these domains. Despite the high prevalence of bereavement in young people, there are limited, tailored resources designed to support …

Heroes At Home: Developing And Evaluating A Comprehensive Parenting Program For Expectant Parents And Parents Of Young Children, Olivia Adams

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

Parental preparedness plays a critical role in parental wellbeing, relationship functioning, and early child development; however, many parents report feeling unprepared for the emotional, relational, and developmental demands of parenthood. Although psychoeducational parenting programs have demonstrated positive effects on parental mental health and child outcomes, access to comprehensive and time-efficient interventions remains limited. This pilot program evaluation assessed the feasibility and preliminary outcomes of a brief, online psychoeducational parenting program designed to reduce parenting stress and enhance parental self-efficacy. A quasi-experimental pre–post design was used to examine changes in parenting stress and parental self-efficacy following participation in a single 120-minute …

A Narrative Study Of The “Religious Dones” And Their Religious Identity, Relationship To God, And Social Connections, Michelle Suh

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

This qualitative study aims to learn about how religious dones — those who were formerly religious but no longer identify as religious — have constructed their life narratives in light of their religious deidentification, with particular attention on the evolution of religious identity, perceived relationship with God, and social connections across the lifespan. A narrative methodology was employed to capture participants’ experiences in a story format to understand the subjective meaning-making process of their lived experiences, and six young adults between the ages of 23-29 participated in the study. Data collection consisted of a life-story portion of the interview with …

Motherwise In Nicaragua: The Implementation Of Culturally Adapted Relationship Education For Women During Pregnancy And Postpartum, Amanda Key Correa Love

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a concerning public health issue of global proportions, particularly within rural and under-resourced settings. Communities in these settings face elevated risk for relationship abuse, further compounded by barriers to access culturally responsive preventive intervention programming. This qualitative study investigated participant experiences, cultural adaptation, and implementation of the MotherWise program, a healthy relationship education intervention in rural Leon, Nicaragua. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with former and current program participants as well as the program facilitator following the initial program implementation. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify patterns related to participant experiences, the types of …

Navigating Filipino-American Identity Through Philippine Foodways, Jenelle Kirsten De Leon

University Honors Theses

This thesis examines the complexity of Filipino-American identity and investigates how Philippine foodways can function as a meaningful pathway for cultural understanding, identity formation, and intergenerational connection. Shaped by colonization, cultural hybridity, generational divides, and limited representation in Western education and media, Filipino-American identity is often difficult to define and navigate, leaving many individuals without accessible entry points to explore their culture, history, traditions, and more.

Through an analysis of existing literature, primary research, and a survey of Filipino-American youth, this study finds that Filipino cuisine operates as a powerful site of cultural and historical knowledge. The narratives embedded within …

The Impact Of Slow Tourism On The Psychological Well-Being Of Urban Recreational Tourists In Jakarta, Ahmad Ghazy Dananjaya

Journal of Indonesian Tourism and Policy Studies

This study addresses the urgent need for psychological escape among Jakarta's population due to high life pressure, noise pollution, and density. While slow tourism offers tranquility and deep connection, its application in fast-paced metropolitan settings remains under-researched. This study analyzes the impact of Tranquility and Physical Activity Involvement on the Psychological Well-being of urban recreational tourists. Adopting a sequential explanatory mixed-method design, quantitative data were collected from 200 purposively selected domestic tourists and analyzed using Multiple Linear Regression, followed by in-depth interviews. Surprisingly, statistical results indicate that neither tranquility nor physical activity significantly influences psychological well-being, either simultaneously or partially. …

Enough With The White Lie-Ability: Decreasing Frivolous Health Care Liability Actions In Tennessee With Time And Transparency, Mary Katherine Smith

University of Memphis Law Review

No abstract provided.

Picturing Africa: Critical Reflections On The Importance Of Imagery In Textbooks, Amber R. Reed, Bailey A. Brown

Essays in Education

While many social studies teachers in the Atlanta metro area are working to combat stereotypical and racist images of Africa, our analysis of three commonly used textbooks demonstrate these are exactly the types of images that tend to get reproduced. This essay draws on an analysis of three commonly used textbooks in Georgia as well as interviews with teachers in the area. We show how stereotypes of Africa as filled with wild animals, primitive, and poverty-stricken are often upheld in publications despite teachers’ fervent desire to dismantle them. Because these images are often decontextualized, it is difficult for teachers and …

Whose Game Is It? Re-Centering Athlete Voice In Interscholastic Sports: A Literature Review, Nick Pocius

Essays in Education

Interscholastic athletics have long been positioned as educational spaces that support the holistic development of young people. However, an increasing emphasis on outcomes such as winning, advancement, and visibility has shifted the experience away from its intended purpose. This article examines the growing disconnect between what athletes report valuing in their sport experience and the expectations imposed by adults and broader societal pressures. Drawing on motivational frameworks such as Self-Determination Theory and achievement goal theory, alongside practitioner experience, the article identifies four key elements that athletes consistently prioritize: belonging, growth, autonomy, and meaningful engagement. It then explores how external influences, …

In Work But Out Of Rights: Migration Governance And The Production Of Precarity Among Third-Country Nationals In Cyprus’ Hotel Sector, Petros Giannoulis, Petros Kosmas, Maria Panagopoulou

Irish Journal of Tourism, Hospitality, Leisure and Event Research

This study aims to examine how migration and labour governance in Cyprus produces and manages precarity among Third-Country Nationals (TCNs) employed in the hotel sector. For the purposes of the present study this category encompasses various groups of people, including Non-EU migrant workers, international students and asylum seekers. Drawing on critical scholarship on migration governance, differential inclusion, and institutional racism, the study analyses key policy instruments regulating the recruitment, employment and residence of migrant workers through qualitative content analysis. The findings demonstrate that precarity is not an unintended by-product of labour market regulation or administrative failure, but a structurally embedded …

Granular Phenotyping Of Neuromuscular And Cortical Adaptation In Elite Judo Athletes: A Three-Group Experimental Analysis Using Eeg And Emg Markers, Magdalena Prończuk, Dariusz Tadeusz Skalski, Wirginia Likus, Łukasz Jaworski, Adam Maszczyk, Kinga Łosińska

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Background: Inter-individual variability in neuromuscular and cortical adaptation presents a significant challenge for the personalization of neurofeedback protocols in elite sports, particularly in judo. Objective: This study aimed to identify distinct adaptation phenotypes in elite Polish judo athletes by integrating electrophysiological and performance-based measures following an EEG biofeedback intervention. Materials and methods: Twenty-four male athletes from the Polish national judo team completed a 15-session EEG biofeedback protocol targeting frontal alpha asymmetry. Post-intervention assessments included surface EMG amplitude (RMS), median frequency (MF), percentage EMG change, composite EEG indices (EEG_SUM), and normalized lower-limb strength. A composite Global Adaptation Index (GAI) was used …

The Impact Of The Relationship Between Gross Tonnage And Accommodation Area On Seafarers' Satisfaction And Spatial Evaluations In Cargo Ships, Dilara Kılıç, Ayşen Özkan

Seatific Journal

This study investigated seafarer satisfaction and perceptual evaluations regarding cabins, recreation, and social areas on cargo ships over 10,000 GT, and also examined the relationship between gross tonnage (GT), accommodation area size, and floor area per person on cargo ships. In the preliminary stage, the floor areas of the accommodation area were calculated using the plans of 20 cargo ships grouped according to MLC-defined GT categories. In the main study, a survey was conducted with 179 Turkish seafarers working onboard cargo ships over 10,000 GT. One-way ANOVA and chi-square tests were applied to measure differences among rank groups. According to …

Bringing Behavioral Health Into The Pediatric Clinic, Bob Underwood, Rebekah O'Donnell

Pediatrics in Practice: A CME Podcast

A clear, practical look at integrated behavioral health in pediatric primary care — what it looks like day-to-day, who benefits and how to get started in your practice. Rebekah O'Donnell, LCSW from Children's Mercy, walks listeners through real examples of warm handoffs, care coordination and screening workflows to improve outcomes for children and families.

Click here to stream the podcast episode.

Differentiation Of Self As A Therapist Effect In Couple Therapy, Nathan D. Knebel

Theses and Dissertations

Murray Bowen proposed that a therapist's level of differentiation of self influences therapeutic effectiveness, particularly in clinically distressed relational systems. Although existing literature has demonstrated that therapist effects account for a meaningful portion of variance in couple therapy outcomes, differentiation of self has received limited empirical attention as a therapist-level predictor. The present article proposes a framework for empirically examining Bowen's hypothesis by investigating whether therapist differentiation predicts trajectories of couple relationship quality across treatment. Additionally, the article explores theoretical pathways through which therapists may increase their level of differentiation, assuming Bowen's hypothesis is supported.

The Gender Complex: A Survey Of Choral Educators, Anna Milton

Lawrence University Honors Projects

For this pilot study, I created a survey that was shared with choral directors around Wisconsin. The survey was filled out by 10 choral directors that have experience with single-sex choirs and that teach within Wisconsin. Participants that took the survey are from varying backgrounds, choral education experiences, and identities. This pilot study looks at how previous research lines up and does not line up with teachers in Wisconsin. The survey results explore the common denominators and disagreements found within the answers. This research and resulting paper examines current research, identifies what aligns with the practices of choral educators, who …

The Multimodal Video Evaluator (Mve): Codifying Decades Of Empirical Research Into A Systematic Multimedia Design & Evaluation Framework, Koichi Sato

Teaching & Learning with AI

Online higher education relies heavily on instructional videos, yet many faculty-produced media assets inadvertently induce high extraneous cognitive load. Instructional designers frequently face an “expert bottleneck,” lacking the operational bandwidth required to conduct manual, frame-by-frame pedagogical audits across expanding institutional media catalogs. To bridge this research-practice gap, this paper presents an operational blueprint for the Multimodal Video Evaluator (MVE), an open-access, AI-driven workflow designed to automate multimedia quality assurance. Built on a native multimodal artificial intelligence architecture, the MVE concurrently processes visual, auditory, and textual streams to evaluate media assets against 127 research-derived design guidelines rooted in the Cognitive Theory …