Digital Commons Network^™

The Impact Of The Application Of Disability Ministry And Discipleship Within The Southern Baptist Churches Of Virginia, Minsoo Kim

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative phenomenological study examined how individuals with disabilities serving as church leaders and congregants experienced belonging within Southern Baptist churches in Virginia. The researcher framed the study using Baumeister and Leary’s (2017; 1995) need to belong theory, which posits that human beings possess an innate drive to form and maintain meaningful interpersonal relationships. The researcher examined how belonging was expressed through physical, emotional, and spiritual dimensions within congregations engaged in disability ministry and contributing to fulfillment of the Great Commission. The researcher employed purposive sampling to recruit 11 participants from Southern Baptist congregations in Virginia who self-identified as individuals …

Life Lessons In Goodbye: Exploring Family Communication And End-Of-Life Depictions And Messages In Disney And Pixar Films Through A Content Analysis, Vanessa A. Gordon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Death is a friend of ours said Francis Bacon, and Hargarten stated that death has an inevitable arrival. This research aimed to explore the depictions and messages of death in Disney and Pixar films. The qualitative content analysis research methodology coded 267 deaths in Disney films (1937–2003) and Disney and Pixar Films (2003–2024). The study centers on replicating the scholarship of three prior works, while extending the research by incorporating more recent films into the analysis. Additionally, this current study applies a new theoretical framework, family communication patterns, to all films, including those previously reviewed solely for depictions of death, …

The Effect Of A Mass Casualty Incident Adult Hyper-Realistic Simulation On Nurse Confidence Levels And Satisfaction Of Nurses: A Quasi-Experimental Study, Melodie Ann Nutter

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative quasi-experimental study was to examine registered nurses (RNs) satisfaction and confidence levels after experiencing hyper-realistic simulations using a mass casualty incident (MCI) simulation method. With the world seeing a rise in MCI events, nurses often become one of the first professional medical providers to interact with the affected individuals. To fill this gap in education, the introduction of intensive hyper-realistic simulation training plays a vital role and provides an advanced perspective on the ever-increasing MCIs in today’s healthcare environment. This quasi-experimental study, using the Wilcoxon rank test and paired, assessed the satisfaction and confidence levels …

Distraction Or Tool? Exploring The Relationship Between Social Media And Practice Habits Of Collegiate Music Students With Adhd, Marianne Nicole Mills

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative phenomenological study examined the relationship between social media use and the practice habits of collegiate music students with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). While social media platforms inspire collaboration, creativity, and educational resources, they also introduce potential distractions and barriers to initiating practice sessions, especially for students with executive functioning challenges. Using an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) framework, five applied music students at a small, private college in Florida participated in semi-structured interviews and kept reflective practice journals for six weeks. Findings indicated that social media served as a dual-purpose influence, supporting learning and community while also increasing procrastination, …

Structural Corruption And Political Development In Arizona: Growth, Governance, And Accountability, 1912-1980, Kaitlin D'Amico

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation argues that corruption in twentieth-century Arizona flourished because the regulatory structures created during the Progressive era contained foundational vulnerabilities that were exposed and exploited by Sunbelt-era economic growth. While scholars have tended to treat Arizona’s corruption scandals as episodic, this study demonstrates that they were the predictable outcome of institutional weaknesses embedded at statehood. Covering Arizona’s political structures and identity from statehood in 1912 through the post-Bolles reform era ending in 1980, the dissertation focuses on institutional development while using Don Bolles’s investigations and 1976 assassination as a focal point. This study draws primarily on contemporary newspaper reporting, …

Understanding Public School Montessori Teachers Who Align Their Methods Of Teaching Reading To The Texas Reading Academies: A Phenomenological Study, Christian T. Mcglory

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of the phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of K-3 public Montessori teachers who must align their methods of teaching reading to the Texas Reading Academies. To advance reading achievement for students, teachers must implement evidence-based instructional practices. The theory guiding this study was Lev Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory of cognitive development. The central question for this study was, “What are the experiences of public Montessori teachers who provide reading instruction to students and incorporate reading comprehension strategies through the implementation of Texas Reading Academies?” The data collection process included interviews with 16 teachers who provided reading …

Literacy Nonprofits And Social Media: Advancing An Understanding Of Message Functions And Communication Flows In Online Stakeholder Engagement, Diane M. Goodman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Countless nonprofit organizations in the United States have worked diligently to increase adequate access to literature and to improve child literacy rates through supplemental programming. Revenue growth in a nonprofit depends largely on the relationships between the organization and the public, yet nonprofits face additional obstacles to achieving strategic organizational goals in comparison with their for-profit counterparts (McGee & Donoghue, 2009). Although the majority of nonprofit organizations have been addressing societal issues at a grassroots level (Carter et al., 2019), most community-based nonprofits have faced challenges expanding to other communities and difficulties in replicating effective stakeholder engagement strategies (Nardini et …

Spiritual Mentoring In Action: Empowering Younger Women In Spiritual Growth Through The Wisdom And Guidance Of Spiritually Mature Women, Elwanda C. Richardson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This researcher presents an action thesis project that examines generational spiritual mentoring among women who are current or former members of Corinthian Missionary Baptist Church of Jesus Christ, with a focus on how structured mentoring can integrate biblical, theological, and apologetic principles into discipleship practices. While mentoring is widely used in academic and professional settings to transfer knowledge, develop skills, and foster personal growth across generations, this study adopts that model to a faith-based context. It emphasized the intentional sharing of Scripture, lived experiences, and a Christ-centered worldview to nurture spiritual maturity. The research investigates the effectiveness of a structured, …

Quantitative Study Of The Predictive Correlational Relationship Between Passenger Knowledge, Attitudes, And Behaviors In Aviation Ground Safety Events, Nikkolas Howard Kraay

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined the relationships between passenger cabin safety knowledge, attitude, and behavior using the Knowledge-Attitude-Behavior (KAB) framework as the guiding theoretical model. Although prior aviation safety research has demonstrated a linear progression from knowledge to attitudes to behaviors, these studies were conducted primarily in Asian cultural contexts. The present study investigated whether this linear sequence would hold within a larger cultural passenger population. A predictive correlational design was used, and data was collected through an online survey completed by 194 adult airline passengers. The instrument measured cabin safety knowledge, attitudes, and behavioral intent, along with demographic characteristics.

Data was …

Exploring The Relationship Between Telework Intensity And The Voluntary Or Involuntary Nature Of Physical Work Arrangements Related To Work-Related Rumination, Savannah R. Schwartz

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Work-related rumination occurs when an individual thinks about work during non-work hours. Following the emergence of COVID-19, more employers adopt flexible models of physical working arrangements for their employees that extend beyond traditional on-site (working from a designated business office location) models, such as hybrid (working part of the time from home and part of the time at a designated business office location) and fully remote (working from home all of the time) models. The present non-experimental quantitative, cross-sectional survey study explored the relationship between telework intensity (i.e., the amount of time one spends working remotely), as well as the …

A Qualitative Content Analysis Of The Rhetorical Situation In Aviation Communication, Paris Ernesto-Jason Brown

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Using qualitative content analysis to organize the thematic elements of Bitzer’s (1968) rhetorical situations, the researcher provides actionable insights into reducing errors and improving aviation communication. The problem lies in the gap between aviation communication and rhetorical situations to determine if this theory impacts pilot errors and affects flight safety. Strategies in this area must be improved to ensure effective communication among pilots and between them, control towers, and other contributors in the aviation industry. This dissertation aims to apply rhetorical situations to enhance communication strategies and improve flight safety by analyzing NTSB reports, while using the software, MAXQDA, to …

Positive Behaviors And Traits In Clinical Supervision: A Qualitative Study, Katelyn Jakubovic

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative study explored the individual lived experiences of mental health counselors undergoing clinical supervision, focusing on their perceptions of the supervisory relationship, supervisory process, and outcomes by identifying specific traits and behaviors across various domains. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with the sample of 20 participants across professional developmental stages and practice settings. Narrative and thematic analysis of the data revealed a nuanced portrayal of the supervisory relationship. Overall, participants characterized their supervision experiences as being predominantly positive and growth-facilitating. Participants identified key supportive factors, such as communication, resources, and scheduling flexibility. Analyses also uncovered significant areas for improvement, …

A Phenomenological Study On The Experiences Of Educators As Mentors For Homeless And Highly Mobile Students In A Rural Community, Tracy Dawn Mcpheron

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study is to explore how educators perceive an implemented mentoring program in which they will serve as mentors of homeless and highly mobile students in a rural school district. The mentoring program will include educators working as mentors to students coded as homeless through the McKinney-Vento Act for Homeless Education. The educators participating in the mentoring program will be the participants in this study. The participants will include middle school (6th-8th grade) through high school (12th grade), teachers, counselors, librarians, the district’s homeless liaison, and the federal programs coordinator for an East Tennessee school …

James And Paul: Conflict Or Continuity, Brian Allan Elensky

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation investigates whether the Epistle of James presents a fundamentally different gospel from Pauline theology, a claim advanced by Robert Eisenman and other scholars who portray James as the leader of a rigorist, non-resurrectional, sectarian movement. The study employs a forensic investigative model shaped by the researcher’s experience as a police officer, combining historical-grammatical exegesis of James with analysis of key New Testament texts, early Christian witnesses such as Eusebius and Hegesippus, and modern scholarship on James, Paul, and the Dead Sea Scrolls.

The research concludes that James does not oppose Paul but complements him. James 2:14–26 rejects a …

Health Behaviors Of First-Generation College Students Affected By Acculturation, Angel Camacho Castro

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative narrative ethnographic study was to understand how acculturation affects health behaviors and wellness of first-generation college students at a state university on the West Coast of the United States. The theory guiding this study was social constructivism theory, proposed by Lev Vygotsky, who claimed behaviors are constructed by social interactions around social settings. This research focused on how students navigated the changes in inherited cultural values of health behaviors and wellness practices affected by mainstream and college cultures. The dissertation investigated challenges first-generation college students faced in an environment that often conflicted with family values …

Leading Like Christ: A Phenomenological Study Of The Biblical Shepherd Motif In Christian Parachurch Executive Leadership, Alex Sefton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of Christian nonprofit parachurch organization executive leaders in southeastern Indiana (i.e., Decatur County and its adjacent counties). For the purpose of this study, executive leaders was defined as those who hold a top-level leadership position at an organization, and Christian nonprofit parachurch organization was defined as an organization designated under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) that advances biblical principles and social welfare. Shepherd-like leadership was generally defined as a leadership style that demonstrates relational care, personal guidance, and protection of well-being, as seen in Psalm …

Building Human-Aware Ai: Learning From And Assisting Human Decision-Makers, Saumik Narayanan

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

As artificial intelligence systems become more capable, they are increasingly used not only as standalone problem-solvers, but as systems that learn from and interact with humans. In these settings, success depends not only on the strength of the model in isolation, but also on how well it fits the humans it is trained on or deployed alongside. This dissertation argues that human heterogeneity is a central ingredient in the design of effective human-aware machine learning systems. Rather than treating differences between people as noise to be averaged away, I show that variation in human expertise and preferences can provide useful …

Assessing Hyperlocal And Local Air Quality Through Passive Samplers And Low-Cost Monitors, Yan He

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Air pollution is a major environmental health concern and has been associated with respiratory disease, cardiovascular morbidity, metabolic disorders, premature mortality, and additional adverse health outcomes. Air pollution often exhibits substantial variability at fine spatial scales, yet conventional regulatory monitoring networks are too sparse to resolve neighborhood-level exposure gradients that may exist in many urban and rural communities. Hyperlocal differences in pollutant concentrations—driven by local emission sources, land use characteristics, atmospheric chemistry, and meteorological conditions—can lead to systematic differences in long-term exposure among populations living only short distances apart. Improving exposure characterization therefore requires dense monitoring strategies and spatial modeling …

Lateral Habenula And Dorsal Raphe Neurons Signal Value Computations In Multi-Attribute Decision-Making, Yang-Yang Feng

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Decision-making is a fundamental part of adaptive behavior and can be compromised in psychiatric illness. Humans and animals are continuously presented with objects and opportunities as options to decide between. One challenge is that these options may independently vary along multiple dimensions or attributes that we care about. This can include attributes of physical reward, such as amount, delay, or uncertainty. When these attributes are present, the possibility of an abstract, cognitive reward, advance information to resolve uncertainty, may also motivate our decisions. It is unclear how the brain makes these subjective decisions, trading off between these multiple attributes based …

Revisiting Visualization Literacy: What Standardized Assessments Reveal And Conceal Across Instruments, Cultures, And Ai Systems, Saugat Pandey

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Data visualizations are now a primary medium for public communication, scientific reasoning, and decision-making. By transforming complex data into accessible graphical forms, visualizations are widely assumed to make information comprehensible to broad audiences. Yet the ability to accurately read, interpret, and critically evaluate a visualization, what researchers call visualization literacy, is neither uniform nor universal. It is a learned, multidimensional skill shaped by prior exposure, educational opportunity, and context. While the field has developed standardized instruments to measure visualization literacy, these tools were built under narrow assumptions: participants are typically paid, English-speaking, and recruited from Western online panels. When any …

Smart Kitchen: Towards Real-Time Ai Systems For Cognitive Support In Daily Activities, Ruiqi Wang

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

The rapid growth of the aging population and the rising prevalence of Subjective Cognitive Decline (SCD) highlight the need for continuous, unobtrusive assessment of functional cognition during everyday activities. Vision-based smart home systems offer a promising pathway for monitoring behavior and supporting independent living. However, enabling real-time cognitive assistance remains challenging. It requires not only accurately interpreting complex human behaviors to detect cognitive errors, but also supporting real-time deployment on resource-constrained edge devices and under dynamic wireless network conditions. This dissertation presents Smart Kitchen, an AI-driven system for real-time cognitive error detection through the monitoring of daily cooking activities. Under …

An Autism-Centered Analysis Of The Aesthetics And Narrative Of Gene Wolfe’S Book Of The New Sun, Sebastian Peterson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Much of the recent work published within the literary neurodiversity studies field focuses on how certain writing techniques can be viewed as representing the experience of being autistic by influencing the reader so that they experience distinctly autistic patterns of cognition. Likewise, the Book of the New Sun series employs many such techniques within the narrative and prose. This is in addition to the fact that the plot contains elements that mirror the relationship and conflict between those with autism and neuronormative hegemony (that being the ways in which societies oppress, mistreat, and belittle those not deemed “neurotypical”). The goal …

2026-04-29 Albers Executive Speaker Series Discusses Economic Impact Of Sports In Washington, Maddie Rodriguez

The Spectator Online

No abstract provided.

2026-04-29 Gen Z Is Bringing Moviegoing Back To Life, Maya Deguzman

The Spectator Online

No abstract provided.

2026-04-29 Crisis Care Center Coming To Capitol Hill, Kean Mathis

The Spectator Online

No abstract provided.

Isu University Band: April 29, 2026, Lauren N. Bobarsky, Wesley Anderson, Madison Mueller-Howell, Colby Powers, Alexandra Karafotias, Michael Hammon, Sam Kapus, Gunnar Tejes, Jessica Wenc

School of Music Programs

This is the two hundred and fifth program of the 2025-2026 season.

Center for the Performing Arts

April 29. 2026

Wednesday Evening

8:00 p.m.

Cooperation And Conflict: Oswald Veblen And Abraham Flexner, Juan Carvajalino, Della Dumbaugh

Department of Math & Statistics Faculty Publications

In 1929, Caroline Bamberger Fuld and her brother, Louis Bamberger, sold their department stores, Bamberger & Co., at a particularly timely moment. They invested their sizeable fortune in a new academic initiative in America, an institute devoted to research that would go by the name of the Institute for Advanced Study. This paper introduces two colleagues, Abraham Flexner and Oswald Veblen, and explores the cooperation and conflict between them as they worked alongside one another to shape the Institute for Advanced Study and the School of Mathematics within it.

All-Inside Endoscopic Zone 1 Flexor Hallucis Longus Transfer: A Cadaveric Feasibility Study., Kevin D Martin, Yi Wei, Adam G F Smith, Franco Piscitani, Luke M Martin, Brian Steginsky, Brian Tscholl, Nathaniel A Bates

Surgery Articles

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic flexor hallucis longus (FHL) tendon transfer addresses chronic Achilles tendon ruptures. Traditional percutaneous plantar incisions gain FHL length but risk neurovascular injury. This study evaluated the feasibility of an all-inside endoscopic FHL zone 1 tenotomy and transfer technique, which avoids plantar incisions by using zone 1 of the FHL tendon. We hypothesized that this technique would (1) provide sufficient tendon length, (2) avoid neurovascular damage, and (3) securely anchor the FHL tendon without tunnel blowout.

METHODS: Ten cadaveric all-inside endoscopic zone 1 FHL tendon transfers were performed without fluoroscopic guidance. Specimens were independently assessed post hoc by 2 …

Newsletter 2026.04.29, Fcrh Honors Program

What's Going On, Honors? (2025-26)

No abstract provided.

Spartan Daily, April 29, 2026, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2026

Volume 166, Issue 39