Digital Commons Network^™

Lay-Led Crisis Intervention Strategies In The Adult 3 Ministry Of First Baptist Dallas, Jeffrey Adams

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This DMIN action research project focused on the care, counsel, and advocacy lay leaders can provide to church members who experience a crisis. Due to the growing member-to-minister ratio at First Baptist Dallas, lay leaders can supplement the work of the ministers by providing frontline support. The problem is that most lay leaders within the church have limited training in crisis management outside their own life experiences. If lay leaders are equipped in biblical crisis management and intervention responses, then they will be able to provide guidance to church members in crisis. The qualitative research for this project was completed …

Linguistic, Academic, And Cultural Experiences Of High School English Language Learners And Sustaining Cultural Pedagogies: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Tina G. Wyatt

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the linguistic, academic, and cultural challenges faced by English language learners at a suburban high school in Texas. At this stage in the research, English language learners were defined as students enrolled in a Texas public high school in a suburban town living in America for no more than four years with little to no English language proficiency, no access to multicultural classrooms, limited instruction from culturally and linguistically trained teachers, and a foreign school environment. The theory guiding this study was Byram’s critical cultural awareness theory, as it aided …

Law Enforcement Officer Perceptions In The Current Socio-Political And Cultural Environment: How Psychological Stress Impacts Overall Job Satisfaction, Mitzie L. Forrest

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore police officer perceptions of job stress and satisfaction within the occupational environment at a mid-sized police agency in the Southern United States in the five years immediately following the George Floyd incident. Using Grounded Theory (GT), six major socio-political and cultural factors were investigated to determine the effects on police officer wellbeing and overall job satisfaction. The factors explored were defund the police, Black Lives Matter, social unrest, media impact, cancel culture, and woke culture. The data collection process involved the triangulation of data obtained through an agency-wide anonymous survey to …

The Lived Experiences Of School Administrators Addressing School Violence Prevention Strategies And Safety Policies In Tennessee: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Trinka Hicks

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of urban high school administrators addressing school violence prevention policies and strategies in academic settings in an urban school district in Tennessee. The central research question used to lead this study is, what are the experiences of school administrators addressing school violence prevention strategies and safety policies in the academic setting? The theory that guided this study is Bandura’s social cognitive theory. Social cognitive theory emphasizes observation, imitation, and modeling, and the relative connection between behavior and the social environment was applied in this study to evaluate …

Exploring The Influence Of A Faith-Based Ngo On The Causal Agency Of Children With Disabilities Living In Informal Settlements Outside Nairobi: A Case Study, Amy M. Silvas

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this case study was to explore the influence of a faith-based non-governmental organization’s (NGO’s) special needs supports on the causal agency of children with disabilities living in an urban settlement outside Nairobi, Kenya. The theory guiding this study was Shogren et al.’s causal agency theory as it looks at the fundamentals of self-determination in interaction with the demands and support available within a specific context. The central research question was: How does interaction with a faith-based NGO’s special education supports influence the ability of children with disabilities and living in an urban informal settlement to be active …

Clinical Practice Guideline On Reducing Catheter -Associated Urinary Tract Infections (Cautis), Nkechi Christiana Udah

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The project was a clinical practice guideline (CPG) for early catheter removal to prevent catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs). At the project site, the practice gap was the surgical nurses’ nonadherence to clinical guidelines for reducing CAUTIs. This gap resulted in inconsistent catheter care practices and delays in catheter removal. The purpose of this CPG was to enhance surgical nurses’ knowledge and adherence to clinical guidelines for reducing CAUTI rates. The following practice-focused question guided the project: In hospitalized patients in acute care settings, does early removal of the urinary catheter compared to leaving the catheter until discharge reduce the …

Developing Outreach Strategies To Sustain Diversity And Inclusion In Interfaith Partnerships With Local Government, Dora Muhammad

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Local government has been hindered by a lack of sustained interfaith engagement. Faith leaders have not been consistent stakeholders in policymaking decisions. This gap in practice stemmed from a lack of research of self-transcendence within public administrative settings. Grounded in a review of 70 years of research into the conceptual framework of government needs analysis, this study’s purpose was to explore principles and concepts of civic engagement and partnership shared among faiths. Qualitative research was designed to answer, “How do faith leaders describe the current civic participation, partnership, diversity, and inclusive strategies within their faith communities as they relate to …

Laboratory Monitoring In Patients With Moderate To Severe Plaque Psoriasis, Jonathan M. Fenkel, John A. Osborne, April W. Armstrong, Bruce Strober, Linda Stein Gold, Michael Cameron, Mark Lebwohl

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVES: Plaque psoriasis is a common immune-mediated disease associated with various comorbidities, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, psoriatic arthritis, liver disease, and mood disorders. Biologic and small-molecule therapies are efficacious and well tolerated in adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. However, dermatologists may be uncertain about appropriate laboratory monitoring in patients treated with these therapies, especially those with comorbidities.

METHODS: This review summarizes prescribing information and provides expert recommendations based on real-world experience in the monitoring of concerning laboratory values in patients with psoriasis.

RESULTS: Individualized monitoring is essential for maximizing the benefits and minimizing the risks associated with biologic …

Prevalence And Factors Associated With Alcohol And Illicit Drug Use Among Brazilian Youth: A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study, Emerson Brito, Marina Bessel, Natalia Luiza Kops, Lucas Albrechet-Souza, Flavia Moreno, Alexis Koskan, Thayane Martins Dornelles, Ben Hur Graboski Pinheiro, Suelen Basgalupp, Eliana Wendland

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

This study examined alcohol and illicit drug use among Brazilian youth aged 16 to 25 during the transition to adulthood. A multicenter, cross-sectional survey was conducted between Sep-2016 and Dec-2017 across all 26 Brazilian state capitals and the Federal District. A total of 8,581 participants completed structured interviews on substance use and sociodemographic characteristics. Lifetime prevalence was 71.6% for alcohol and 30% for illicit drugs. Frequent alcohol use was more common among males, while the most used illicit substances were cannabis (27.4%) and cocaine (9.9%). Participants without a partner had higher rates of alcohol and hallucinogen use, while those with …

From Shame To Self-Compassion: Understanding The Experiences And Characteristics Of Self-Identified White Anti-Racist Clinical Counselors In Maine, Rachel B. Wells

Counseling and Psychology Dissertations

Following the rise of the cultural competence movement, clinical counselors demonstrate a fundamental paradox of perpetuating and mitigating racial oppression within the mental health field. There is a growing need for accountability and systemic change as demographic and sociopolitical shifts occur across Maine and the nation. Grounded in Critical Race and Critical Feminist theories, this critical narrative qualitative study explored the experiences, characteristics, and interests served by seven White, self-identified anti-racist clinical counselors in Maine. Clinicians participated in semi-structured interviews, which were then analyzed using a feminist voice-centered relational method, the Listening Guide. Findings revealed the significance of witnessing the …

Facility Usage On The International Space Station, Justin St. P. Walsh, Rao Hamza Ali, Ryan Shihabi, Erik Linstead

Art Faculty Articles and Research

Science experiments on the International Space Station (ISS) and in future space habitats require “facilities,” as they are known to space agencies, as the core building blocks of the research capabilities they provide. Facilities are experimental apparatus that enable research, often (but not always) used for more than one experiment, such as centrifuges, furnaces, gloveboxes, freezers, and more. The US Orbital Segment of the ISS has been home to 191 such facilities, belonging to four of the five ISS international partner agencies as well as private companies, in its 25 years of continuous operation. Until now, there has been no …

A Quality Improvement Project: Faculty Education On Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion Principles, Ashley Mcdoulett

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

According to the literature, social injustices, inequities, and implicit bias influence health outcomes in marginalized populations. To eliminate health disparities, nurses should be prepared to provide care that addresses these issues, and faculty should be able to effectively integrate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) principles into the nursing curriculum. A literature review suggests the integration of DEI into nursing education is lacking, and by offering an educational session for faculty on best practices for curriculum incorporation, this project aimed to address that gap. The Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, Maintenance (RE-AIM) model guided this project. RE-AIM emphasizes targeting a population to …

Wmu Board Of Trustee Board Meeting, Thursday December 4, 2025, Wmu Board Of Trustees

WMU Board of Trustees Meetings

• Acceptance of the Agenda
• Approval of the Minutes (October 30, 2025)
• Remarks by the Chair of the Board
• Remarks by the President
• Updates by the Faculty Senate President
• Updates by the Western Student Association President
• Updates by the Graduate Student Association President
• Presentation: The Voice of Bronco Success
• Public Comments Regarding Action Items

Action Items

Student Housing and Meal Rates 2026/27

Consent Items

Curriculum Proposals

Personnel Report

• General Public Comments

The Effects Of Resilience Enhancing Nursing Program Among Pregnant Teenagers, Thailand, Ampaiwan Boonkaewwan, Umaporn Kuasit, Nantiya Khoynueng, Ratchneewan Ross

Biennial Convention (CONV)

The situation of teenage pregnancy in Chawang district, Thailand has become a significant problem and of social concern. Teenage pregnant women who lack resilience are more likely to face adversity, including the risks and complications associated with physical and mental health.

A quasi-experimental one group pre-post test repeated measures design was used to test the effects of a resilience enhancing nursing program on resilience, knowledge of contraception, and the decision-making of contraceptive use during the postpartum among pregnant teenagers, Chawang district, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand. Purposive sampling was used to select 20 adolescent pregnancies based on the inclusion criteria. The …

Asian College Students' Well-Being During A Period Of Rising Anti-Asian Sentiment, Kyuhan Choi, Ying Shi, Maria Zhu

Center for Policy Research

We use a large survey of students in U.S. colleges to study the distinct ways in which the COVID-19 pandemic and accompanying anti-Asian rhetoric shaped the experiences of Asian and Pacific Islanders (APIs). Using a difference-in-differences approach, we find that the pandemic led to Asian students experiencing more discrimination, feeling less safe during the day, and using fewer mental health services compared to White peers. The increase in discrimination and the perceived lower safety are concentrated among East and Southeast Asians, while South Asians were not affected. Despite these effects, we detect no relative deterioration in severe psychological distress or …

Edward Lowe - Part 1, Mark Naison, Steven Payne

Oral Histories

In 1960, Lowe’s parents moved to Paulding Avenue, and they lived right next to the Fordham Rose Hill campus and the Bronx Zoo. At this time, Lowe’s mother had recently graduated from Brooklyn Law School in 1954, and was now getting her Masters in law at Columbia University. When he wasn’t bothering his mother studying, Lowe and his friends would often play around Paulding Avenue, visiting the Rose Hill campus and the Bronx Zoo. He also had a sister named Leslie and they both went to PS 59 on 183rd and Bathgate together. His family then moved to Teaneck, New …

Frederick Collins - Part 2, Mark Naison, Steven Payne

Oral Histories

No abstract provided.

Bryson Peter - Part 1, Mark Naison, Steven Payne

Oral Histories

No abstract provided.

Denise Oliver Vélez - Part 1, Mark Naison, Steven Payne

Oral Histories

Describing both the connection and discipline of the YLP, Oliver-Vélez remembers “detention” being held in the Bronx, where a member would read and recite their wrongs in writing before returning to Manhattan to pick up children for free breakfast programs, take them to school, pick up papers, and distribute them for the remainder of the day. She remembers this discipline and the art of the Palante newspaper (1970–76) as quintessential parts of most grassroots organizations of the time. Her commitment to the YLP was significant. Members lived collectively and created ingenious solutions to systemic medical, food scarcity, and education issues …

Frederick Collins - Part 1, Mark Naison, Steven Payne

Oral Histories

Dr. Collins tells the story of 1520 Sedgwick as a place of loss and morality, where tragic events happened “few and far between,” but the community always looked out for each other and was primarily peaceful and safe. It was this environment, of eager youth and supportive adults, that helped the culture that hip hop would blossom from. The sounds that would subsequently be created were a product of this safe space. Also prevalent in the interview is the accurate account of this development from Collins’ perspective, as one of the first three children to live in the building. He …

Bryson Peter - Part 1 (Addendum), Mark Naison, Steven Payne

Oral Histories

No abstract provided.

Bryson Peter - Part 2, Mark Naison, Steven Payne

Oral Histories

No abstract provided.

Bryson Peter - Part 3, Mark Naison, Steven Payne

Oral Histories

No abstract provided.

Charles Latta, Mark Naison, Steven Payne

Oral Histories

Due to Latta’s initiatives, the BAC has won many awards for community service and social action. He works to make BAC visible to the borough president, congressmen, and councilmen in order to stay involved. In his fifth year as President, BAC hosted the conference for the Northeast Province and the Metro Founders Day, assisting with Atlantic hurricane relief initiatives. Though the COVID-19 pandemic made these initiatives difficult, they still try to persist in their message of outreach that they have held for decades. Latta’s goal is to see the Chapter bring in more people and to develop the ideals and …

Cheryl Simmons Oliver, Mark Naison, Steven Payne

Oral Histories

Simmons-Oliver’s education reflected those same values. Attending Catholic institutions—St. Anthony of Padua School, Cathedral High School, and Marymount Manhattan College—she encountered racial and ethnic diversity that deepened her awareness of inequality and strengthened her commitment to inclusion and justice. Her studies continued beyond college: she earned a Master of Science, a Juris Doctor, and an M.B.A. from various institutions throughout her career, a rare feat for any woman of her generation, and especially for a Black woman in mid-century Americas. For Simmons-Oliver, education was more than achievement; it was a means of self-definition and a way to honor her family’s …

Impact Of The 23andme Bankruptcy On Preserving The Public Benefit Of Scientific Data, Jonathan E. Lotempio Jr., Chistopher R. Donohue, Jonatahan D. Moreno, Ana Santos Rutschman, Joshua Sarnoff, Michael S. Sinha, Thomas Stoeger, Jorge L. Contreras

Faculty Publications

The bankruptcy of 23andMe was an inflection point for the direct-to-consumer genetics market. Although the privacy of consumer data has been highlighted by many as a concern, we discuss another key tension in this case: the corporate enclosure of scientific data that has considerable potential value for biomedical research and public health.

December 4, 2025, The Daily Mississippian

Daily Mississippian (all digitized issues)

No abstract provided.

Universal School Meal Policies And Perceived Stigma: Quantitative Evidence From Eight Us States, Dania Orta-Aleman, Monica D. Zuercher, Leah Chapman, Marlene B. Schwartz, Caitlin D. French, Anisha I. Patel, Lorrene D. Ritchie, Juliana Cohen, Wendi Gosliner

Health Sciences Faculty Publications

Background

Universal school meals (USMs) policies, which provide free meals to all students regardless of income, have the potential to improve child nutrition and reduce stigma. Quantitative evidence on the association between USM and stigma is limited.

Methods

Leveraging a natural policy variation in state‐level USM implementation, we surveyed 1066 middle and high school students from eight US states (four with USM, four without) during the 2022–2023 school year. Stigma was measured as self‐reported embarrassment about eating school lunch. We used generalized estimating equations to examine the associations between USM, embarrassment, and lunch participation.

Results

Overall about one in nine …

Hawk's Herald -- December 4, 2025, Roger Williams University

Hawk's Herald

No abstract provided.

Enhancing Intergenerational Health In Nigeria: Peripartum As Critical Life Stage For Cardiovascular Health (Enhance-Cvh) Study: Findings From Pre-Implementation Using The Updated Consolidated Framework For Implementation Research (Cfir 2.0), Julia D López, Cecilia Nartey, Debra Haire-Joshu, Victor G Dávila-Román, Mark D Huffman, Clementina E Okoro, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Pregnancy is a crucial period to improve cardiovascular health (CVH) for mothers and their families. The current study emphasizes framework-guided factors that influence the adaptation of an evidence-based intervention (Parents as Teachers and Healthy Eating Active Living Taught at Home [PAT + HEALTH]) to support healthy gestational weight gain and postpartum weight management among pregnant women with obesity and their infants in Nigeria.

METHODS: From May to June 2023, 43 in-depth interviews were conducted with 11 parents, 15 community health extension workers (CHEWs)/health educators, and 17 policymakers/ healthcare supervisors in the Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria. Additionally, nine focus groups …