Digital Commons Network^™

Selling The Self: Personal Branding And Impression Management On Linkedin, Matthew A. Gilbert

AMTP Proceedings 2026

Drawing on Erving Goffman's self-presentation theory, this study examines how professionals construct personal brands on LinkedIn through strategic identity performance. Using qualitative content analysis, the research analyzes 250 publicly available posts from 50 professionals across five occupational categories. The analysis employs deductive coding guided by Goffman's concepts of front-stage performance and impression management, examining visual elements, linguistic strategies, content themes, and engagement tactics. Data is analyzed using NVivo software. This study contributes to marketing theory by conceptualizing personal branding as both a communication practice and economic behavior, illuminating how professionals balance authenticity, visibility, and strategic positioning on career-focused platforms where …

Does The Form Of Conflict Termination Shape The Scale, Timing, And Selectivity Of External Refugee Return? Comparative Evidence From 30 Countries, And Three Selected Cases (Bosnia, Liberia, And Sri Lanka), Ibrahim Alkaseer

Araneum: Richmond Journal of American & Global Affairs

This study investigates how the form of conflict termination can shape the scale, timing, and selectivity of refugee return. While civil war literature is exhaustive on how the form of conflict termination may influence post-war stability, there is little to no research on how it can impact refugee return. Using a dataset of thirty post-conflict cases and spatial analysis of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sri Lanka, and Liberia, the paper tests whether government victories, rebel victories, or negotiated settlements predict return patterns. Ordinary least squares and Cox hazard models reveal that termination type alone reveals little variation once the models are …

Face-Work In Frontier Models: Benchmarking Sycophantic Behavior In Llm-Based Educational Tutoring, Nick Chen

IPHS 300: AI for Humanity

Since OpenAI’s famous rollback of GPT-4o for being “overflattering” in April 2025, sycophancy in large language models, which reflects the tendency to prioritize user satisfaction over truthfulness, has become a major concern in AI alignment. Sycophancy is widely recognized as a byproduct of Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback (RLHF) and deserves attention in educational contexts where such responses to student errors will reinforce misconceptions. This project builds on the social sycophancy framework introduced by Cheng et al. (2025) in ELEPHANT, which applies sociologist Goffman's classical theory of face work to LLM behavior, extends it to educational settings, and raises the …

Resonant Cracks In The Music Curriculum: Integrating Social And Emotional Learning In The Secondary Music Classroom, Margaret E. Lerch

Education Doctorate Dissertations

Music education has long been recognized as a subject that encourages student learning beyond the walls of the music classroom. While elementary music programs often foster language development and social awareness, secondary music instruction tends to emphasize performance skills and technical development. The explicit secondary orchestra curriculum for this middle school includes only instrument skill-development standards and learning-target descriptions. In this fourth-marking-period sixth-grade orchestra class, coursework—including students’ journal reflections, classroom dialogue, and comparison soundscape projects—operated intentionally “within the cracks” of the formal curriculum to create opportunities for the students to express and engage with emotions, identity, belonging, empathy, perspective-taking, and …

Young Life: A Philosophy Of Incarnational Youth Ministry In Grant County, Indiana, Symon Cater

Christian Ministries Senior Capstone

This paper presents a vision for Young Life ministry in Grant County, Indiana, framed around William K. Francena’s model of moral education, with the unifying theme that adolescents are transformed from the inside out when they encounter the reality of being known and loved. Box A establishes the ultimate purpose of human existence as being known by God, knowing God, and being with God — a purpose that anchors every subsequent section of the paper. Box B builds upon this foundation by articulating five theological and sociological premises touching on prayer, Scripture, human relationality, adolescent cultural formation, and identity development, …

Rooted Families: A Whole Family Ministry, Aubree Nelson

Christian Ministries Senior Capstone

Rooted Families is set in the context of a family dynamic: a mother, a father, and children. Parents often drop their kids off at church on Sunday, yet many feel unqualified to disciple their children at home. This paper is the philosophy of ministry for Rooted Families, which is located at First Missionary Church in Fort Wayne Indiana. The goal is to provide a framework for churches to enable them to create spaces for parents to learn and be equipped to disciple their children. This paper describes the theological, anthropological, and sociological premises that affect parents and their influence over …

Nbc Peacock North Spring 2026 Newsletter, Peacock North Staff

NBC Peacock North Newsletter

Highlights include: NBC Through the Years -- A Year-Long Celebration as NBC Turns 100 -- SNL’s U.K. News -- Peter Alexander Joins MS NOW -- Mike Noseworthy Salutes Danny Miller’s Retirement -- Legendary Late-Night TV Director Hal Gurnee Turns 101 -- Silent Microphones

Careers In A Box: A Promising Career Exploration Curriculum For Rural Youth, Kristine M. Ramsay-Seaner, Amber Letcher, Elizabeth Koob, Meagan Scott Hoffman, Laura Hasselquist

The Rural Educator

This article highlights a career exploration curriculum that was developed to support the vocational guidance needs of school counselors working in six rural, high-need communities in North Dakota and South Dakota. Based on social cognitive career theory, Careers in a Box was created to bridge existing gaps in career exploration curricula for rural middle school youth. This grab-and-go curriculum introduces participants to specific careers across the spectrum of food, agriculture, natural resources, and human sciences and provides them with hands-on activities associated with these careers. While program evaluation is ongoing, preliminary results indicate an associated increase in personal resilience in …

Ai Mcat Tutor: Personalized Study Planning, Daily Check-Ins, & Slideshow Generator For Pre-Medical Students, Luke Latterman

IPHS 300: AI for Humanity

Preparing for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) is among the most demanding academic challenges facing pre-medical students, yet access to professional tutoring remains prohibitively expensive for many. This paper describes the design, implementation, and iterative evaluation of an AI-powered tutoring system built using Claude Code, Anthropic’s command-line interface for the Claude large language model, intended to serve pre-medical students directly, whether or not they have access to a professional tutor. The system integrates three components: a personalized multi-phase study schedule generator, a daily check-in assistant, and an AI-driven instructional slideshow generator for targeted content review. Each component was designed …

Computational Analysis Of Immigration Discourse And Political Polarization: Evidence From U.S. Political Podcasts During The 2024 Presidential Election, Reishiro Kawakami , ‘26

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

This study examines how immigration is discussed across the U.S. political podcast ecosystem during the 2024 presidential election cycle, with a focus on differences across the political spectrum. While prior research on immigration attitudes has relied heavily on survey data, this study shifts attention to naturally occurring political communication by analyzing large-scale podcast transcripts. Drawing on a novel dataset of over 48,500 episodes (approximately 40,000 hours of audio) from the top 100 political podcasts ranked on Election Day, this paper combines keyword search, topic modeling, and sentiment analysis to investigate both the thematic structure and emotional tone of immigration discourse. …

Disputing Geographies Of Sanctuaries: Legal Manifestations And Re-Imagined Practices In Adverse State Conditions For Migrants In Philadelphia County And Miami Dade County, Clara Ximena Villalba , ‘26

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

No abstract provided.

Mathematics In Crisis: Predictors Of Achievement For Black And Latino High School Students Post-Covid-19, David Mikel Etheridge

Dissertations

This quantitative study examines systemic factors predicting math achievement for Black and Latino high school students in Chicagoland's 2025 graduating class, using public Illinois School Report Card data. It identifies teacher qualifications, chronic absenteeism, and school ratings as statistically significant predictors, confirming systemic inequities. The study advocates for structural policy reform, targeted teacher investment, and culturally responsive pedagogy to achieve equity and disrupt barriers for marginalized students.

Front Matter, Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

Front Matter for Volume 124, Issue 6 of Michigan Law Review

A Real Account Of Deep Fakes, Benjamin L.W Sobel

Michigan Law Review

Laws regulating pornographic deepfakes are written to prohibit “digital forgeries,” “false” images, or media “indistinguishable” from “authentic” recordings. Yet the typical anti-deepfake law covers materials that aren’t forgeries, aren’t false, and that reasonable observers can easily distinguish from authentic recordings. Though drafted as if they regulate statements of fact, anti-deepfake laws actually target certain outrageous depictions per se—and rightly so, because pornographic deepfakes cause harm irrespective of their truth or falsity. However, the inapposite language of facts results in statutes with crucial ambiguities. Moreover, because anti-deepfake laws ban outrageous depictions irrespective of the factual assertions they make, they differ fundamentally …

Ready To Serve, Spencer Hillier

The Diana McDonald Writer's Challenge

In this thorough analysis of the U.S. military’s ban on transgender personnel, Spencer Hillier describes the great sense of pride he felt when he initially joined the Army National Guard, as well as his subsequent emotional struggle, not to mention loss of GI benefits, health and dental insurance, and retirement benefits due to the 2017 ban on transgender service members. Hillier takes a careful look at the arguments against transgender personnel, developing thoughtful, logical explanations of why they lack validity. He argues that what matters is not a person’s identity, but whether one can fulfill the seven Army values—loyalty, duty, …

Collecting Dust (Jackets): Regarding The Life And Ephemerality Of Dust-Jackets Through The Early To Mid-Twentieth Century, Kelsey Clodfelter

Munn Scholars Awards

Collecting Dust (Jackets): Regarding the Life and Ephemerality of Dust-Jackets through the Early to Mid-Twentieth Century examines the dust-jacket as a liminal form of printed ephemera, tracing its evolution between disposable packaging to a culturally significant archival object. Using theories of paratext, archival practice, and book history by Gerard Genette, Jacque Derrida, and G.T. Tanselle, and through three cases within the West Virginia & Regional History Center, the paper argues that the increasing incorporation of aesthetics, information, and advertising transformed dust-jackets into cultural artifacts with value beyond their protective function. Their preservation challenges conventional distinctions between ephemera and archival material.

Wooster Magazine: Spring 2026, Caitlin Paynich Stanowick

Wooster Magazine: 2021-2030

The spring 2026 issue of Wooster magazine showcases the enduring value of a liberal arts education in moments of change. Alumni Bill Colvin ’79, Scott Bloom ’94, and Hannah Samuell ’09 share how their Wooster education prepared them to navigate unexpected career paths and professional pivots. Additional features examine the College’s approach to artificial intelligence with an emphasis on learning and ethics, revisit a historic campus debate over teaching evolutionary theory and evidence-based scholarship, and there’s also a Q&A with President Anne McCall on the role of academic freedom in society. Oak Grove features “Why I Play” with baseball infielder …

Resurrecting Natures With Charlotte Smith And Ebony G. Patterson, Leila Walker

Publications and Research

Recent scholarship on the botanically influenced poetry of the early Romantic period, particularly that of Charlotte Smith, has emphasized the genre’s formal engagement with the herbarium, treating botanical poetry as a non-extractive alternative to the violence of specimen collection. Yet such readings isolate the act of specimen collection and poetic return from the larger systems of extraction, translocation, and violence in which they participate. In this article, I read Smith’s Beachy Head alongside Ebony G. Patterson’s recent installation at the New York Botanical Garden, which artistically resurrected extinct species from herbarium specimens and “planted” them among living flora, in order …

Regional Inequalities In Healthcare Access And Capacity In Brazil, Elena Kossler

Posters - 2026

The Brazilian health system is one of the largest and most comprehensive universal public health systems, fully funded by the government.

The Childhood Beyond The Border, Joshua Marroquin, Cheyenne Ruiz, Evelyn Adela Perez

Posters - 2026

• In 2024, there were approximately 18.3 million immigrant-origin children (1st, 2nd or 3rd generation; unauthorized; or international) which represented 26% of all 69.1 million children in the United states (Batalova, 2026). • There are many factors in immigrant-origin children’s childhoods that influence their early education, wellbeing and sense of identity as they grow up, but also in higher education. • Research Question: How do immigrant-origin students' experiences affect their current standing in U.S. universities?

Economic Security & Older Adults In The United States: Infographic, Center For Social And Demographic Research On Aging, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

The Elder Index measures the income older adults need to meet their daily living costs while staying in their own homes. This fact sheet presents overview data of economic security of Older Adults in the United States based on the 2025 Elder Index data.

Reclaiming The Listening Pastor: A Pastoral Introduction To Spiritual Direction And Its Implications For A Recovery Of Pastoral Identity, Formation, And Sustainability In The Pentecostal Tradition, Hannah E.R. Sims

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

American Pentecostalism has long been marked by spiritual vitality, yet its theology of pastoral identity remains comparatively underdeveloped. Pentecostal pastors are often recognized as Spirit-led leaders and compelling communicators, but many now find themselves functioning primarily as organizational executives or cultural personalities—roles shaped more by business strategy and therapeutic expectation than by historic practices of spiritual care. In this quiet shift, something sacred has thinned. Pastors frequently experience role confusion, spiritual fatigue, and a subtle distancing from the relational and formational heart of their vocation. This dissertation explores what has been diminished within Pentecostal pastoral identity and what might yet …

Haitian Protestant Leaders’ Perceptions Of Social Media Use For Discipleship, Cherubin Dorcil

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

This qualitative descriptive study explores how Haitian Protestant church leaders in a large urban area of the northeastern United States describe the influence of their use of social media on promoting discipleship. The study addresses a gap in understanding how digital ministry practices are interpreted within Haitian Protestant diaspora contexts and how these practices inform both theory and ministry application. Using a qualitative descriptive design, data was collected through semi-structured interviews with 12 Haitian Protestant church leaders selected through convenience sampling. The data was analyzed using thematic analysis, which resulted in the identification of five primary themes: social media as …

Do Not Sit Or Quit: From Marginalized To Mobilized In The Third Stage Of Life: A Theological And Pastoral Response To The Rebirth Of Purpose, Dignity, And Calling Among Aging Believers, Brent M. Nordan

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

This project examines how senior citizens can rediscover purpose, productivity, and spiritual vitality in the third stage of life through intentional pastoral engagement and church-based ministry models. The study addresses the growing demographic of aging adults who often face social marginalization and spiritual neglect within local congregations. Using a qualitative research approach, this project incorporates biblical and theological reflection, case study analysis, and ministry fieldwork conducted within an active church context. Grounded in the biblical doctrine of the imago Dei, the research affirms that senior adults retain divine purpose and value regardless of age. Key passages of Scripture form the …

Reshaping Church Culture To Reflect The Imago Dei: A Genesis-Rooted Case Study Of Female Identity And Leadership In The Pacific Northwest, Cassandra Wilson

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

Many Evangelical churches in the Pacific Northwest minister within a cultural environment marked by high individualism, religious disaffiliation, and contested narratives of gender and identity. This project explores how one Free Methodist congregation, Sage Hills Church in Wenatchee, Washington, has sought to embody a Genesis-anchored theological anthropology of imago Dei and ezer kenegdo in its leadership culture and congregational life. Using a qualitative case study design, the research examines how a single congregation navigates the tension between conservative church habits that restrict women’s roles and secular narratives that dissolve stable categories of gender. The study draws on an anonymous online …

Digital Discipleship And Whole-Person Flourishing: A Mixed-Methods Study At Celebration Church, John W. Wyatt

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

This study examines how digital participation influences whole-person flourishing within the context of Celebration Church, a contemporary American megachurch, addressing a critical gap in empirical research on digital discipleship and its theological implications. Using a convergent mixed-methods design, quantitative data from the Barna ChurchPulse survey compared in-person and online participants, while qualitative data from semi-structured interviews with leaders from eighteen American megachurches were analyzed thematically. Findings indicate that flourishing outcomes are largely comparable across digital and in-person cohorts, challenging assumptions that embodied participation is inherently superior for spiritual formation; however, statistically significant differences emerged in leadership involvement, serving, and engagement …

Developing 'A Guide To Agricultural Education Advisory Committees: Development, Uses, And Transitions', Christine Schuler

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This project developed a practical guide to support agricultural education advisory committees in their development, use, and long-term sustainability. Strong school-community partnerships are essential to effective agricultural education programs, particularly in small, rural communities where programs serve as connections between the school and local industry. Advisory committees play a critical role in maintaining these relationships, yet many agricultural educators lack clear, accessible resources to guide this work. This project addressed that need by creating a comprehensive, practice-based guide established from research and professional experience.

This guide started from a review of literature on school-community partnerships, advisory committees, and agricultural education …

Who Benefits From The Transition? Environmental Justice And The Politics Of Climate Governance In New Mexico, United States, Abdul Ganiu Tanko

Student Publications

New Mexico’s Priority Climate Action Plan (2024) positions the state as a national leader in climate mitigation and energy transition under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grant framework. Yet questions remain about who truly benefits from this transition and how justice, power, and inclusion are embedded in the governance process. This article critically examines New Mexico’s climate governance through an environmental justice lens, exploring how state priorities align with equity commitments, community participation, and fair distribution of benefits and burdens. Drawing on a qualitative review of the plan, complementary policy documents, and current scholarship on just transitions, …

1st Place Contest Entry: "Gaps In The Academy: Evaluating Pre-Service Criminal Justice Training For Interactions With Vulnerable Populations", Rowan Eiselman

Kevin and Tam Ross Undergraduate Research Prize

This is Rowan Eiselman's submission for the 2026 Kevin and Tam Ross Undergraduate Research Prize, which won first place. It contains their essay on using library resources, a summary of their research project on the effectiveness of pre-service law enforcement training, and their bibliography.

Rowan is a fourth-year student at Chapman University, majoring in Community Educational Studies. Their faculty mentor is Dr. Quaylan Allen.

1st Place Research Paper: "Gaps In The Academy: Evaluating Pre-Service Criminal Justice Training For Interactions With Vulnerable Populations", Rowan Eiselman

Kevin and Tam Ross Undergraduate Research Prize

This research investigates pre-service training for law enforcement officers (LEOs), specifically examining how current educational practices prepare them to interact with vulnerable populations, including victims, suspects, and individuals in crisis. The quality of this training is critical, as it directly shapes officer behavior, decision-making, and ethical conduct in the field (Mier, 2018). Amid heightened public scrutiny of police practices and calls for reform, the effectiveness of law enforcement education has become a central concern.

The significance of this topic is underscored by extensive research on training methodologies such as procedural justice and de-escalation, which aim to improve police-community relations and …