Digital Commons Network^™

Making Sense Of Cuba's National Literacy Campaign: A Reflexive Study Of Lra Delegates’ Engagement With The Museo De La Alfabetización, Erin Quast, Brooke Ward Taira, Deborah M. Sanchez, Grace Pigozzi, Marco Bravo, Dorothy Shapland Rodriguez, Crystal N. Wise

Faculty Publications - College of Education

In December 2024, as part of the Literacy Research Association (LRA) Advancing Reading and Literacy Education Delegation to Cuba, delegates visited the Museo de la Alfabetización in Havana, which documents the 1961 Cuban Literacy Campaign. This collaborative reflexive self-study examines how delegates—literacy scholars and educators—collectively interpreted and negotiated national literacy narratives through engagement with the museum. Data sources included a transcript of a post-visit critical conversation, individual reflexive memos, and artifacts gathered during the museum visit. Iterative thematic analysis identified four sensemaking processes: shifting from pedagogy to shared purpose; holding inspiration and discomfort together; questioning narrative ownership and erasure; and …

Framing Migration And Legitimizing Power: A Critical Discourse Analysis Of Suella Braverman’S Illegal Migration Bill, Darren Pullen, Andy Brown, Gui Ying Annie Yang-Heim

Faculty Publications - College of Education

Language plays a crucial role in shaping public perceptions, reinforcing ideological dominance, and legitimizing government policies. The purpose of this paper is to analyze how linguistic and rhetorical strategies are used as a means to legitimize government authority and construct migrant identities.  This is achieved through an examination of the rhetorical strategies employed by the former UK Home Secretary, Suella Braverman in her speech on the Illegal Migration Bill. Using Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) and the Sociolinguistic concepts of ideological positioning and social actor representation, this research investigates word choice, lexical framing, and ideological positioning to reinforce dominant migration narratives. …

They Don't Talk Very Good: Attending To Raciolinguistic Socialization In Early Childhood, Erin Quast

Faculty Publications - College of Education

In this article, I share experiences from my roles as a teacher, researcher, and parent to show how raciolinguistic ideologies take hold in early childhood. Specifically, I illustrate how children come to uphold English superiority, map language to belonging, and make judgments about whose language counts. In sharing these experiences, I call on educators and caregivers to attend to raciolinguistic socialization and work toward disruption so that all children's languages are valued in literacy learning. I suggest centering multiple languages, cultivating curiosity, and questioning curricular assumptions as ways to work alongside children in challenging hierarchies and creating learning spaces that …

Supporting The Cognitive, Emotional, Social, And Physical Development Of Adolescent Students Through Dance, Anne C. Holdren

Faculty Publications - College of Education

The transition to middle school during early adolescence presents a range of challenges for students, which can negatively impact both academic performance and overall development. Involvement in dance and incorporating dance into the middle school curriculum can provide opportunities for academic, emotional, social, and physical growth and success. Through dance, adolescent learners adapt to new ways of acquiring skills and new pedagogical approaches for learning and development. Dance offers students from diverse backgrounds an opportunity to build community and work toward a common goal. Dance is a universal art form that transcends cultural boundaries, providing a rich platform for self-expression …

Investigations Toward A Unified Reaction Pathway Of Thermal And Tbsotf-Mediated Oxidopyrylium-Alkene (5 + 2) Cycloadditions, Adam J. Youman, Samantha N. Rokey, Wentao Guo, Jacob P. Grabowski, Susanna N. Angles, Jacob J. Bulandr, Qing Sun, John R. Goodell, Dean J. Tantillo, T. Andrew Mitchell

Faculty Publications – Chemistry

Oxidopyrylium-based (5 + 2) cycloadditions are crucial reactions to construct seven-membered carbocycles containing an ether bridge (i.e. oxabicyclo[3.2.1]octanes). Intramolecular silyloxypyrone-based (5 + 2) cycloadditions were investigated and revealed several features: (1) the TBDPS thermal process proceeds via a zwitterionic oxidopyrylium intermediate similar to previously reported TBS variants; (2) the TBSOTf-mediated reaction proceeds through a cationic oxidopyrylium intermediate; (3) quantum chemical calculations predict a stepwise process for an electron-rich dipolarophile for each set of conditions. The thermal silyloxypyrone-based (5 + 2) cycloadditions were extremely dependent on the nature of the dipolarophile and the silyl transfer group. The TBDPS enhances the …

Front Matter

SMU Law Review

No abstract provided.

Front Matter

SMU Law Review

No abstract provided.

Asymmetric Synthesis Of The Hiv Protease Inhibitor Tmc-126, A Pmx Antimalarial Protease Inhibitor, And A Putative Covid-19 Inhibitor Using A Highly Stereoselective Glycolate Aldol Addition Reaction Pathway, Kweku Amaning Affram, Austin Carter, April Breede, Alexandra Kimsey, Godson Hemeson, Bader Semakieh, Moses Martinez, Emmanuel Ayim, Joy Odeh, Shawn R. Hitchcock

Faculty Publications – Chemistry

An asymmetric glycolate aldol addition pathway was developed for the synthetic preparation of a series of protease inhibitors based on the hydroxyethylamine structural motif. A single glycolate aldol adduct derived from a highly diastereoselective (≥95:5 d.r.) asymmetric aldol reaction served as the starting point for the synthesis of the inhibitors. The starting material is easily prepared and purified via recrystallization on multigram scales. This work describes the synthesis of the HIV protease inhibitor TMC-126, the Plasmepsin X (PMX) inhibitor 49c for the treatment of malaria, and a computationally derived inhibitor for the 3CLpro of the SARS-CoV-2 from a single common …

Varying Dna Methylation Patterns In The Florida Sand Skink (Plestiodon Reynoldsi) In Relation To Fire Histories, Victoire Hj Litre

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Epigenetics is the study of changes in phenotype not caused by changes in DNA sequence. DNA methylation is the most well-studied epigenetic mechanism in an ecological context. Reptiles use DNA methylation to respond to environmental stressors and differences among habitats. The Florida Sand Skink (Plastidome reynoldsi) is federally listed as a threatened species. They are endemic to the threatened, fire-dependent Florida scrub habitat. As they persist in burned habitats, the Florida Sand Skink must be able to rapidly respond to wildfires. To better understand how the Florida Sand Skink adjusts to fire-driven habitat changes, it is important to …

The Effects Of Membrane Structure And Filtration Conditions On Virus Filtration, Wenbo Xu, Xianghong Qian, Hironobu Shirataki, Daniel Strauss, Sumith R. Wickramasinghe

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Virus filtration is used for validation of virus clearance in the manufacture of monoclonal antibodies. Requirements for this size exclusion process include 10,000-fold reduction of virus particles and at least 95 % recovery of the monoclonal antibody in the permeate. The size difference between the rejected parvovirus particles, 25 nm, and monoclonal antibody, 10-12 nm, is about two. Membranes are designed with pore sizes around the average size of the parvovirus. Given the polydispersity in membrane pore size and virus particles, filter performance is dependent on membrane properties, feed and operating conditions. Compromised performance usually occurs due to product related …

The Effect Of In-Game Cervical Exercises On Shoulder Internal Rotation Range Of Motion And External Rotator Strength In Baseball Pitchers, Vincent Ceasrine, Christine Ferraro, Jason K. Grimes

Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

Background

Consensus is lacking regarding the underlying cause of two prevalent risk factors for shoulder and elbow pain in overhead throwing athletes: loss of shoulder internal rotation (IR) range of motion (ROM) and strength of the external rotators (ER). Consideration of cervical spine contribution may have important implications for rehabilitation and coaching of overhead throwers.

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of performing active cervical retraction and retraction with extension exercises between innings of pitching a simulated game on shoulder IR ROM and ER strength following completion of the game.

Study Design

Randomized controlled study …

Planning A Clinical Practice Guideline Revision For A Core Set Of Outcome Measures In Adults Undergoing Neurologic Physical Therapy, Part 1: Assessing Dissemination And Scholarly Uptake, Jennifer Moore, Jane E. Sullivan, Marghuretta D. Bland, Wendy Romney, Elizabeth Anderl, Zeynep Gulen Erkoc, Kristen Potter

Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

Introduction

Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) facilitate evidence-based decision-making and standardising care, yet their dissemination and scholarly uptake vary widely. The Core Set of Outcome Measures for Adults With Neurologic Conditions Undergoing Rehabilitation CPG (Core Set) has been broadly referenced within neurologic physical therapy. As the next revision approaches, understanding its scholarly influence, citation patterns, and published feedback is essential. This study evaluated the dissemination and use of the Core Set across the peer-reviewed literature and identified areas for refinement.

Methods

A medical librarian conducted comprehensive searches of Web of Science, CINAHL, and Scopus to identify peer-reviewed English-language articles citing the …

Literature Review On The Effectiveness Of Surgical Vs Non-Surgical Management In Elderly Patients With Distal Radius Fractures, Robert A. Weinberg

MEDI 9331 Scholarly Activities Clinical Years

Distal radius fractures are common in patients aged sixty years and older. The best management strategy remains debated, particularly in elderly patients where complications risk, radiological outcomes and functional recovery need to be considered. Several studies have compared surgical interventions including open reduction and internal fixation with conservative management including closed reduction and immobilization. The aim of this literature review is to synthesize current evidence on these outcomes for elderly patients with a distal radius fracture who were treated with surgical treatment or non-surgical treatment.

Your Left Or Mine: A Journey To Accessibility For Learning Disabilities And Neurodivergence In Stage Combat Pedagogy, Ambria Campbell

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines stage combat pedagogy from its inception to the present day through the lens of accessibility for learning disabilities and neurodivergence. Relevant research in education as it relates to disability is analyzed and applied to the field of stage combat pedagogy. What follows is a deconstruction and reconstruction of beginning level stage combat pedagogy to increase accessibility. These ideas are then tested and the results reflected on. This thesis focuses on college level and aged students who are the most likely demographic for beginning stage combat students. The completion of this thesis does not represent an endpoint in …

Development Of A Practical Lu-177 Activity Calibration Protocol For Clinical Nuclear Medicine: Dosimetric Impact Analysis And Implementation Tools, Azam Almolaiki

Theses and Dissertations

Lutetium-177 (Lu-177) is widely used in radionuclide therapy, where accurate activity measurement prior to administration is essential for safe and effective treatment delivery. However, variability in dose calibrator response due to measurement conditions and source geometry remains a practical challenge in routine clinical settings. This study presents a practical clinical calibration strategy under real-world constraints for Lu-177 activity measurement using standard nuclear medicine instrumentation. A vial-based approach was implemented using a well-type ionization chamber (Capintec CRC-15R) to evaluate measurement repeatability, temporal stability, and geometry dependence. All measurements were performed under consistent conditions with appropriate decay correction applied using the physical …

My Mouth Is A Glutton, My Mouth Is A Lover., Cole Kamerick Eller

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is a reflection on my relationship with jewelry. I discuss the impact of jewelry

and its materials. What are the ramifications of these objects? Politically, socially, and

spiritually. I reflect on material agency, cultural unconscious, and value systems, and

how I relate to jewelry, my love for it, and my grief for it. This work is the result of ritual

and impulse. The writing is my reflection on the results of that ritual.

Plumbed 3-Manifolds And Neumann Moves, Noah J. Pope

Theses and Dissertations

We give a constructive proof that every weakly negative definite plumbing tree can be transformed into a negative definite one by a finite sequence of Neumann moves. The argument combines Neumann’s plumbing calculus with the diagonalization algorithm of Duchon, Eisenbud, and Neumann, which extracts the eigenvalues of the framing matrix directly from the combinatorics of the tree. We show that any positive eigenvalues are supported on linear branches and can be eliminated systematically via controlled applications of Neumann moves. This provides an explicit algorithm reducing weakly negative definite plumbing trees to negative definite ones.

The Transition From School To Work For Students With Emotional And Behavioral Disorders: Examining The Lived Experiences Of Students In Private Day Schools, Gabrielle S. Pickover

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative phenomenological study examined the lived experiences of young adults with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders (EBD) as they transitioned from private day school settings into sustained employment. Guided by Schlossberg’s Transition Theory, the study explored participants’ perceptions of the barriers, supports, and strategies that shaped their transition experiences. Data were collected through twelve semi-structured interviews with six participants who maintained at least one year of continuous employment following high school. Analysis revealed four primary themes: structure as a stabilizing force, resilience developed through adversity, experiential learning as a pathway to employment, and employment as identity and independence. Findings suggest …

Awareness, Empathy, Action: How American Students’ Study Abroad Experiences In The Middle East And North Africa (Mena) Influence Self-Perceptions Of Global Citizenship, Renee Lamb

Theses and Dissertations

Internationally minded practitioners and academics have posited for decades that global citizenship could be a tool the world can use to build a stronger and more sustainably minded global culture. Through global citizenship’s inclusion in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, Target 4: Quality Education, educators from pre-primary to university have been put at the forefront of this movement. At the higher education level, study abroad is arguably the most important global learning tool used by American institutions today for building global citizenship. However, the vast majority of American students study abroad in Western Europe, leaving a glaring gap in …

Within The Ruin: A Modern Brewery Rebirth, Karim Asarzadeh

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis project focuses on the revitalization of the historic ruins of the James River Steam Brewery in Richmond, Virginia. The project transforms the forgotten industrial structure into a modern brewery with a second-floor restaurant addition and community gathering spaces while preserving the historic masonry ruins. It showcases a holistic design approach that considers all aspects of the building, including its connection to the urban context and landscape, as well as its architecture, interiors, and furniture. The project demonstrates how a holistic design approach can create stronger spatial connections and more cohesive environments. In particular, it offers a strategy for …

Will You Let Me In?, Irene Piazza

Theses and Dissertations

Imposed borders are everywhere: The borders created by stanchions during bureaucratic lines, the borders of a country, the borders of a page. Humans are forced to follow them. Borders are imposed structures that dictate a way to move, a way to write, a way to be confined. But what happens when those borders aren’t followed? What happens when someone decides to walk through the stanchion belt by crouching under it or sliding its buckle open? What happens if a person decides to walk outside of the paved pathway? What happens if someone crosses a border or writes beyond the page …

Waxing And Waning: Hidden Interiors Of Grassroots Expression, Asmita Baskar

Theses and Dissertations

Concealed interiors historically emerged from necessity in response to dominant systems around surveillance, control, and visibility. These hidden spaces carefully regulated access, cultivated intimacy, and enabled self-expression within grassroots groups and marginalized communities. Operating free from surveillance and in contrast to surrounding architectural and urban systems, these concealed spaces were not formally “interior designed”, yet they reveal how communities activate the interiors they encounter to retain agency.

Scholarship on grassroots resistance is largely examined through sociology, anthropology, psychology, or political science, with limited literature directly linking interiority, interior design, and resistance within covert spaces. This thesis addresses the gap in …

Vitality: Wellness For Female Collegiate Athletes, Kristin Beach

Theses and Dissertations

Vitality is a wellness center for female collegiate athletes. It is rooted in female oriented design strategies for comfort, recovery, and wellbeing. This project aims to provide an inclusive environment in which women within the VCU athletics department can come and support their health and wellbeing.  Spaces include physical therapy, academic support, movement studios, gathering lounge, locker room, private therapy, and grab and go food options. This program aims to provide spaces that support the busy schedule of a collegiate athlete, while using design strategies that enhance social, mental, and physical wellbeing while visiting. Located in a historic sauers building, …

Musings Of A Dyke: Reimagining A Lesbian Past To Support A Lesbian Future, Tori Mitchell

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis interrogates the heterosexist bias inherent in historical narratives by recontextualizing myth, biblical accounts, folklore, and art history through a dedicated lesbian lens. Utilizing oil painting as my primary medium,  I construct a metafictional world–a pseudo-historical space where the foundational assumption is that every figure is a lesbian until proven otherwise. This inversion serves as a direct counter-narrative to the default lens of cis heteronormativity typically applied to the past. Within this world, I “lesbianize” the traditional icons of Western culture: the heroes, the symbols, and the deities.

My practice navigates the tension between reinvention and extinction, viewing both …

"It's The People, Not The Place:" Queering Shared Space In Richmond, Virginia, Kathleen Brown

Theses and Dissertations

The intersection of queerness and planning is an understudied subject area that has implications for equity and access. Queer communities face real barriers to equitable access of resources that stem from a long history of legal, cultural, and economic marginalization. Experiences of shared spaces for queer groups and organizations is important to understand, as outward expressions of queerness are not always welcome in shared spaces, depending on sociopolitical context. Richmond, Virginia has a rich queer history both filled with challenges as well as examples of queer success and joy that makes it a prime case study selection.

This thesis utilizes …

Exploring, Understanding, And Supporting Academic Help-Seeking In Context, Molly L. Taylor

Theses and Dissertations

Conceptualized as a self-regulated learning (SRL) strategy, academic help-seeking is a fascinating behavior because it is self-directed while also reliant on social interactions with help-givers (Karabenick, 2004). What is known about help-seeking in academic settings largely revolves around individual traits, strategies, motivations, beliefs, and identities, and how each of these constructs influence help-seeking outcomes (Bornschlegl et al., 2020; Fong et al., 2023; Karabenick & Gonida, 2018). What is underexplored in these areas, however, is how features of the learning context interact with student-level factors to shape academic help-seeking behaviors and beliefs. This dissertation attempts to address some of these gaps …

Tuberculosis In Jim Crow Virginia, 1900-1972, Elizabeth Dooley

Theses and Dissertations

Tuberculosis (TB) was a major public health concern in the United States, especially in the first half of the twentieth century. Transmission and treatment of the disease, which is spread between humans through close contact, was complicated by racial segregation laws in the South known as Jim Crow laws. Virginia subscribed to these laws, which played a role in how and where Black Virginians with TB could be treated. Segregated treatment facilities with an inadequate number of beds for the number of infected people and deaths in the state added to these complications of disease control and plan for eradication. …

Early Math Readiness And Later Achievement: A Longitudinal Study, Bailey Bontrager

Theses and Dissertations

The current body of literature provides much evidence that mathematics skills at the start of kindergarten are predictive of later mathematics achievement, and that students enrolled in early childhood education (ECE) programs are better prepared for mathematics at the start of kindergarten. However, the potential for children to develop mathematical skills prior to entering kindergarten relies on access to ECE programs and resources in families’ surrounding communities. Recent use of geospatial data collection techniques and measures of community resource availability have enabled researchers to examine specific localities for the ways in which community organizations and institutions support residents in particular …

Endodontic Access Through Zirconia Crowns: A Comparative Evaluation Of 3d Guided Versus Free-Handed Techniques, Maryam Alrughaib

Theses and Dissertations

Objective:

Accessing canals through full-coverage zirconia crowns is challenging and may increase the risk of misdirection, excessive dentin removal, and prolonged chair time. Guided endodontic access has been proposed to improve efficiency and precision. This study compared the accuracy and time efficiency of guided versus free-hand endodontic access through zirconia restorations. The hypothesis was that guided access would enhance canal localization precision and significantly reduce access time.

Methods:

Thirty-two extracted maxillary premolars were restored with 1-mm–reduced monolithic zirconia crowns (3Y-TZP, Katana HTML, Kuraray, Japan) and mounted in Modupro models. Teeth were assigned to two groups (n = 16 each): guided …

Climate, Biogeography, And Dispersal: A Unifying Framework For Ameri-Caribbean Dry Forests, Pablo Lopez Bustamante

Theses and Dissertations

Seed dispersal is a crucial ecological function that enables plants to alter their distributional range, avoid intense competition and natural enemies near the parent plant, and recover from disturbances. These processes shape species and functional composition of forests. Wind has traditionally been considered the dominant dispersal mechanism in Ameri-Caribbean dry forests, yet growing evidence suggests that other dispersal mechanisms also play significant roles in this ecosystem, responding differently to biotic and abiotic conditions. Still, how dispersal syndrome composition influences plant communities, the ecological drivers underlying these patterns, and the effects of climate change on dispersal syndrome dominance remain poorly understood. …