Digital Commons Network^™

Listening And Participation Prime Funders To Honor And Build Community Ownership, Gita Gulati-Partee, Katy Love

The Foundation Review

Funder listening is an essential complement to community participation to disrupt white dominant culture habits that entrench the status quo of hierarchy and power. Community-centered listening, combined with participatory processes, offers funders an opportunity to shift in deep and sustainable ways from an individualistic, “power over” orientation to interdependent relationships with community partners.

In this article, two practitioners of equity and participatory philanthropy share how funder listening and community participation form a potent combination to help funders confront their own power and use it intentionally to honor and bolster community ownership and agency.

Drawing on the authors’ direct experience, this …

Robust Online Inertia Estimation In Power Systems Using Ambient Data In The Presence Of Inverter-Based Resources, Narges Ghiasi

All Dissertations

The increasing penetration of Inverter-Based Resources (IBRs) in power systems has significantly altered system dynamics, reducing the system's effective rotational inertia and challenging frequency stability. Accurate online inertia estimation is essential for maintaining system reliability under these evolving conditions. This paper introduces a robust methodology for online inertia estimation using ambient data collected during normal system operation. The proposed method employs a state-space model to represent system dynamics and introduces synthetic step changes to simulate disturbances. By analyzing the frequency response and applying advanced signal processing techniques, the methodology estimates system inertia without requiring real large-scale disturbances. The approach is …

Using Parent Empowerment Groups To Increase Academic Success In Kindergarten Multilingual Learners, Sarah C. Deloach

All Dissertations

This study examined how parent empowerment groups influence the academic success of kindergarten multilingual learners. With increasing immigration across the United States, schools need to work with families to ensure students develop the skills required for academic achievement at each level. The identified problem is that the current multilingual learner program at Boyd Matthews Elementary does not adequately meet parents’ needs in building a strong home-school connection, placing the full responsibility of learning on the school and leaving students without critical academic support at home. Parent empowerment groups were held with multilingual kindergarten parents to share practical strategies for supporting …

Resilient Control Framework For Ev Motor Drive System Subject To Cyber-Physical Security, Ali Arsalan

All Dissertations

The electric drive system (EDS) in electric vehicles (EVs) is one of the key safety-critical components. As IoT-enabled communication infrastructure for modern cyber-physical automotive systems continues to evolve, the importance of securing EDS against cyber threats along with physical faults, has become increasingly prominent. Among physical faults, power switches are particularly vulnerable and exhibit the highest susceptibility to open-circuit faults (OCFs). A compromised EDS, whether due to cyber threats or physical issues, can lead to excessive mechanical vibrations, increased thermal stress, fluctuations in electromagnetic torque, and elevated total harmonic distortion. These factors can substantially undermine traction control stability and jeopardize …

The Influence Of Past Experiences On Middle School Band Directors’ Instructional Practices, Jessie Lynn Peterson

All Dissertations

This qualitative study investigated the influence of middle school band directors’ past experiences on their instructional decision-making and implementation of culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP). Embedded in Ladson-Billings’s (1995, 2014) CRP framework and Lortie’s (1975) apprenticeship of observation theory, this study explored the relationship between middle school band directors’ past experiences, their beliefs about CRP, and their instructional practices.

Music education in the United States has historically focused on Western European classical traditions that overlook the cultural diversity of today’s students and reinforce dominant pedagogical norms. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six middle school band directors. Participants discussed their musical backgrounds, …

Designing Self-Healable Aromatic Copolymers And Olefinic Composites, Samruddhi Yashwant Gaikwad

All Dissertations

Self-healing polymers capable of recovering from mechanical damage are promising materials for advanced applications, especially those involving mechanical and/or physical fatigue. In these studies, we have developed techniques to achieve autonomous self-healing in commodity Styrene/n-butyl acrylate copolymers. The mechanism of self-healing in the designed polymers involves inter-and/or intrachain non-covalent interactions between π-cloud and polar linkages of acrylic nBA in random/preferentially alternating copolymers. A combination of spectroscopic tools, thermo-mechanical analysis, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations has been used to elucidate the mechanism of self-healing. These studies further show the incorporation of dipolar C-F groups to understand the effect of having fluorinated …

Like Footprints In The Sand: How Founders Imprint Organizational Culture Through Nonverbal Cue Signaling, Dirk M. Roskam

All Dissertations

Despite growing recognition of the significance of founders’ behaviors in shaping organizational culture, limited research has explored how founders’ non-verbal cues (NVCs) imprint culture during a venture’s formative stages. This qualitative case study examines how a founder’s NVCs, ranging from physical environment design to gestures and demeanor, are interpreted by employees and contribute to the imprinting of organizational culture. Drawing on imprinting theory, signaling theory, and the Organizational Culture Profile (OCP), the study triangulates data from semi-structured interviews, a focus group, and a literature review. Findings reveal that employees interpret 24 salient NVCs, grouped into themes of environmental values, people-centric …

Toward A Unified Theory Of Fire-Induced Spalling Of Concrete: Transcending Domain Knowledge Limitations Through Explainable Artificial Intelligence, Causal Discovery And Inference, Mohammad Al Bashiti

All Dissertations

When concrete is exposed to fire, it can suddenly break apart in a dangerous process called spalling. This can severely weaken buildings and even trigger a collapse. While researchers have studied this problem for years, we still don’t fully understand what causes it. My research uses a combination of data, and advanced AI techniques to identify and quantify the key factors that increase the risk of spalling. I collected data from over 1,000 fire tests and used AI models to predict when spalling might happen. I also applied explainable AI tools to understand why it happens.

The results showed that …

The Intersection Of Makeup And Recreation: A 21st Century Overview Of Makeup Participation And Its Recreational Benefits, Jason Morgan

All Dissertations

This dissertation critically reconceptualizes makeup participation as a legitimate, multidimensional form of recreation. Through a comprehensive rapid review using the SPIDER framework of 102 peer-reviewed studies published between 2000 and 2025, the research investigates whether and how makeup fulfills the psychological, affective, and symbolic criteria of meaningful leisure. Drawing on the Serious Leisure Perspective (SLP) and broader recreation theory, the study positions makeup not merely as aesthetic behavior or consumer habit, but as a sustained, emotionally generative practice embedded in identity, creativity, personal growth, and well-being.

Findings reveal that makeup is consistently linked to confidence-building, emotional regulation, self-expression, and psychological …

White Secondary Social Studies Pre-Service And First Year Teachers’ Emotions Surrounding Topics Of Race In Light Of Current Censorship Laws, Noble M. Edmisten

All Dissertations

This study aimed to identify the varied emotions of white, pre-service and first year secondary social studies teachers when facing the possibility of teaching topics of race, especially in the current “anti-CRT” political climate. Using Critical Race Theory and Plutchik’s Wheel of Emotion as a guiding framework, this exploratory, multiple case study employed a variety of qualitative data collection methods and analysis practices. The cross-case analysis, using Constant Comparative Analysis, identified six common themes across the individual cases. The findings revealed that white pre-service and first year secondary social studies teachers believed race was impacting every area of life, they …

Experimental Design And Analysis For Decision Making: Methodology And Applications, Yezhuo Li

All Dissertations

This dissertation develops and applies advanced statistical and optimization frameworks to enhance decision-making under uncertainty, particularly in engineering and manufacturing contexts. First, we introduce an approach for the optimal design of controlled experiments that accounts for observational covariates, enabling more precise and personalized decisions. Second, we explore the application of constrained Bayesian optimization, using Gaussian process surrogate models, to optimize composite cure processes, significantly reducing computational effort while maintaining high predictive accuracy. Building on this foundation, we extend Bayesian optimization to bivariate Gaussian process models that capture correlations between objective and constraint functions, offering new insights into multidimensional decision landscapes. …

Evolutionary Biomechanics In Cetartiodactyla: Impacts Of Ecological Shifts On Bone Material Properties And Control Surface Morphology, Danielle S. Adams

All Dissertations

Extreme ecological transitions expose organisms to novel selective pressures that can reshape morphology and performance. This dissertation investigates how the transition from land to water has influenced form and material properties in cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises), a clade that has undergone dramatic morphological and physiological adaptations to a fully aquatic lifestyle. I integrate comparative morphology, material property testing, and phylogenetic analyses, to explore how ecological demands, particularly related to foraging mode and prey detection, have shaped multiple aspects of cetacean morphology and function. Using nanoindentation and microCT, I measured elastic modulus and bone density of the skull and mandible …

Structural Design Using Conditional-Gan Fused With Property Text Information: A Case For Masonry Structures, Arash Teymori Gharah Tapeh

All Dissertations

Structural design, by nature, is a complex process that requires a considerable amount of time, expertise, and knowledge. In such a process, the structural designer must navigate various codal provisions to crystallize a proper and adequate design. As the role of automation continues to shape the domain of structural engineering over the past few decades, a new front leverages artificial intelligence (AI). Currently, AI acts as a "copilot," collaborating to advance workflow speed and accelerate the design process. Among all the different collaborations between humans and AI, GANs (Generative Adversarial Networks) are seen to complement human creativity by automating specific …

The Dark Side Of Great Lmx Relationships: Why Your Best Employees Might Be Burning Out, Ryan Toole

All Dissertations

While workplace relationships are widely considered beneficial for employee well-being, a paradox emerges when employees with the strongest leader relationships experience burnout despite receiving excellent support. This contradiction suggests that these very same relationships may create psychological pressure to reciprocate support and result in employee burnout. Drawing on Social Exchange Theory and Conservation of Resources theory, I examine whether felt obligation resulting from Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) relationships contributes to employee burnout across the full spectrum of LMX quality relationships. I argue that LMX quality creates felt obligation to reciprocate leader support. This obligation, in turn, depletes emotional resources and leads …

Communicators In Crisis: Lessons Learned From Communications Professionals During The Great Resignation, Julia K. Longaker

All Dissertations

This study investigated the experiences of communication professionals who participated in the Great Resignation phenomenon between 2020-2022. The research questions focused on the role participants’ working relationship with leadership as it related to their decision to leave their role or pursue a new job. Ten communication professionals participated in a qualitative study comprising of an online interview discussing their experiences during the Great Resignation. Using the interview transcripts, the researcher employed grounded theory to extract recurring codes and draw conclusions based on the participants’ answers. The results of this study inform recommendations for improved working relationships between communication professionals and …

Bilevel Network Interdiction Models For Human Trafficking Disruption, Daniel Bruno Lopes Da Silva

All Dissertations

In this dissertation, we study a series of bilevel network interdiction problems motivated by applications in human trafficking disruption. First, we consider a bilevel network interdiction problem where the follower aims to maximize the amount of flow from the source node to the sink node and the leader aims to minimize the number of arcs from a critical set that have positive flow on them in the solution obtained by the follower. This problem models the situation where an anti-trafficking agent wants to minimize the number of people affected by the trafficking operations whereas the trafficker wants to maximize trafficking …

Submissive Daughters, Empowered Daughters: Conduct Rhetoric And Evangelical Women’S Authority, Carrie Hill

All Dissertations

Submissive Daughters, Empowered Daughters: Conduct Rhetoric and Evangelical Women’s Authority explores how evangelical women rhetors navigate and rework patriarchal religious expectations through what I term conduct rhetoric. Building on the tradition of conduct literature, this project broadens the genre to include multimodal platforms—literature, radio/podcasts, television, and social media—used to instruct women in evangelical norms. Rather than passively accepting patriarchal constraints, evangelical women rhetors strategically adopt and reframe these constraints to construct rhetorical authority. Central to this study are two terms: affected piety and performative dissonance. Affected piety describes how women rhetorically present submission as the grounds for their …

Assessing The Mental Health Benefits Of A School-Based Urban Gardening Program In Kosova, Imri Zabeli

All Dissertations

ABSTRACT

This study investigated the mental health benefits of a school-based urban gardening program for primary school students in Kosovo, where there is limited access to psychological support within educational settings. A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control group design was employed, involving 112 students aged 9 to 11 from two public schools in Pristina, who were divided into an intervention group (n = 56) and a control group (n = 56). The intervention group engaged in an 8-week structured gardening program, while the control group followed the standard curriculum. Psychological outcomes were assessed using validated instruments, including the Perceived Stress Scale for …

Application Of Artificial Neural Network Algorithms For Irrigation Scheduling, Lisa Umutoni

All Dissertations

Neural networks have been extensively used in predicting soil water tension for improved irrigation scheduling and management. However, their lack of interpretability constrains their efficacy in grasping the nuanced patterns prevalent in soil water tension time series data. The first goal of this research was to develop interpretable deep neural network models for soil water tension prediction across multiple soil depths (0.15m, 0.3m, 0.46m and 0.6m) and prediction horizons (1h, 6h, and 12h). The Neural Hierarchical Interpolation for Time Series (N-HiTS) and Neural Basis Expansion Analysis Time Series (N-BEATS) models were used in this research. Historical soil water tension data …

Constructing A State: Canals And The Transformation Of The Economy, Politics, And Finance In Nineteenth-Century New York, Youwei Xing

All Dissertations

This dissertation consists of three essays in economic history, unified by a focus on one of America's earliest transportation infrastructures, the canal system, in nineteenth-century New York. Each chapter explores a different aspect of the state's transformation: its economy, politics, and finance, each of which helped construct New York as the Empire State.

The first chapter studies the economic impact of canals on economic modernization from three aspects: sectoral transition, urbanization, and banking development. Contrary to much of the modern literature finds transportation infrastructure leads to decentralization, I find the opposite-evidence of centralization. Specially: (1) canal towns experienced a transition …

User Perceptions On Health: Three Cases Of Senior-Friendly Cities, Soomin Kim

All Dissertations

Senior issues have been rapidly rising in contemporary society since the Baby Boomer generation started retiring. Their change in socio-economic status is giving rise to several new social phenomena, one of which is senior isolation. For urban planners and designers, this new wave of senior isolation necessitates a fresh approach and reevaluation of formal urban environments.

This research proposes three questions around senior isolation. First, a) what aspects of the built environment contribute to senior isolation and loneliness in urban and suburban environments, and b) what are the effects of each on senior populations concerning the risk of isolation and …

Factors Influencing Swift Fox Reintroduction Success To Fort Belknap Reservation, Montana, Dana Nelson

All Dissertations

Reintroductions are an important conservation tool for reestablishing wildlife populations, and studying the factors influencing reintroduction outcomes is important to improving success rates over time. Swift fox are a small canid native to the short- and mixed grass prairies of western North America that have experienced severe population declines due to habitat loss and poisoning in the late 1800s. While swift fox now occupy approximately 40% of their historic range, reintroduction to northern Montana may promote the species’ long-term persistence, encourage connectivity in an existing range gap, and return species to areas where it is culturally significant. We studied the …

A Convergent Mixed Methods Study Of The Social Studies Academy In South Carolina Middle Schools, Audie Cherry

All Dissertations

There is a global labor shortage in the agricultural industry and middle school is a critical time to get students serious about career decision making. The Studies of Occupations, Culture, and Innovations toward Agricultural Literacy (SOCIAL) Studies Academy is a high impact professional development program in South Carolina that provides experiences and for middle school social studies teachers (N = 12) to become more suited to teach their standards associated with the agricultural sciences with hopes of encouraging more students to pursue agricultural careers. This study was a mixed-methods convergent parallel design that examined 1) Academy Fellows (n = 4) …

0895: Whear Family Papers, 1909-2019, Marshall University Special Collections

Guides to Manuscript Collections

Dr. Paul W. Whear was a noted composer and Marshall University professor and founded the Huntington Chamber Orchestra. Nancy Robinson Voiers Whear was a renowned musician who worked in Morrow Library at Marshall University and wrote several articles that were published. Their children were Allen Whear, violoncellist, brother Bill, a prominent photographer, and Cynthia, another distinguished musician.

The Whear Family Collection includes original compositions and musical scores by Paul W. Whear, research materials used by Nancy Whear, photography by Bill Whear, and documentation of the musical career of Allen Whear. Also included are programs and other materials from the Huntington …

Recent Studies On The Reactions And Synthesis Of Nitrogen And Sulfur - Containing Heterocyclic Pharmacophores., Bernard Louis Adjei

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nitrogen and sulfur-containing heterocycles remain significant classes of compounds in the field of medicinal and organic chemistry due to their unique structural features and diverse biological activities which make them of considerable interest for drug discovery and development. Notable examples of the nitrogen containing heterocycles include the phthalimide and glutarimide rings present in thalidomide. Thalidomide, a potent small-molecule therapeutic agent, precipitated a significant global drug crisis due to its teratogenicity, causing congenital malformations in phocomelia infants, which remains unrivaled over half a century ago. Currently, thalidomide derivatives are extensively utilized in the therapeutic management of various hematological malignancies. Recent investigations …

"That’S Not A Meal, Bestie”: Humor, Identity, & Feminized Consumption In “Girl Dinner”., Claire Tudor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the viral “Girl Dinner” trend as a case study in how gendered consumption, digital identity, and feminist humor intersect in digital spaces. Using “Girl Dinner” as a rhetorical artifact, this thesis explores how women use gendered trends to navigate visibility, labor, and autonomy in online spaces. Through thematic analysis of TikTok content, media coverage, and branded adaptations, the research traces the evolution of the trend from a lighthearted joke to a site of cultural negotiation. This study reveals that while “Girl Dinner” may appear empowering and relatable on the surface, it often reinforces traditional gender expectations under …

The Influence Of Psychological, Biological, And Social Determinants On Disordered Eating Behaviors Among U.S. Young Adults: Evidence From Nhanes 2015-2018., Samantha Kaye Gerbine

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Disordered eating behaviors (DEBs) are influenced by biological, social, and psychological factors, yet research often narrowly focuses on White, college-aged women. This study assessed the predictors and prevalence of DEBs in a nationally representative sample of U.S. young adults using data from the 2015–2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Survey weights were applied to generate national estimates. Descriptive statistics characterized the sample, and logistic regressions tested biological, social, and psychological predictors of DEBs. A composite risk score was developed using variables retained in the final model. The unweighted sample (n = 1,062) represented 64 million U.S. young adults. …

Blackberry Long-Cane Cold Storage And Forcing Strategy Effects On Flower And Fruit Development, Leala Machesney, Ryan Dickson, Amanda Mcwhirt, Margaret L. Worthington, Stephanie E. Burnett

Horticulture Faculty Publications and Presentations

Blackberry (Rubus subg. Rubus) production using soilless culture and "long-cane" techniques offers growers the potential to achieve off-season harvests and increase yields. This study investigated the feasibility of achieving early spring harvests and high yields with four blackberry cultivars (Natchez, Ouachita, Prime-ArkVR Freedom, and Prime-ArkVR Traveler) grown using long-cane techniques and six different cold storage and forcing environment strategies. Long-cane blackberry plants were container-grown outdoors during 2020 and were overwintered either at an outdoor nursery or in a cold storage facility (4 degrees C). Dormant plants were then forced the following spring at the outdoor nursery location or in a …

Backpack Funding: What Happens When Dollars Follow The Student?, Alison Heape Johnson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A growing movement in the United States in recent years, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, has brought a wave of school choice policies, which allow students to opt into an educational arrangement outside of their zoned traditional public schools (TPS) using public funds. Critics frequently express concern that these policies place an undue financial burden on both taxpayers and school districts. States adopting such policies may take on the additional financial responsibility of educating students who would otherwise privately finance their education, posing an additional cost to the state. When students do leave TPS to participate in private school choice …

Exploring The Relationship Between Adhd, Mood Disorders, And Motivation Among Women Studying For The Ged: A Preregistered Study, Amanda Dawn Kennedy

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Adult women with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and mood disorders, such as anxiety and depression, represent an understudied and underserved demographic within educational research, particularly among those pursuing nontraditional academic pathways, such as obtaining the high school equivalency diploma (i.e., GED). Despite the well-documented challenges associated with ADHD and mood disorders, including difficulties with motivation, executive functioning, and emotional regulation, little research has examined how these factors influence women’s persistence and success in adult education settings. Understanding the unique experiences of this population is essential for developing targeted support systems that enhance learning outcomes and academic achievement. This study …