Digital Commons Network^™

November 6, 2025, James Madison University

The Breeze, 2020-

The Breeze is the student newspaper of James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

The Transformational Moments Of Online Students In Doctoral Programs: A Lived Experience, Nicole Reid

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the transformational learning experiences of students enrolled in online doctoral programs. Guided by Mezirow’s transformative learning theory, this study addressed the research questions: How do students in online doctoral programs experience transformative moments at public institutions in the United States? How is the curriculum connected to the students’ transformational experiences in online doctoral programs at public institutions in the United States? Semi-structured interviews were conducted with online doctoral students to capture their lived experiences across programs.

Analysis revealed three key findings. First, participants described how program structures, including curriculum design, …

United In Preparing The Prepared: Insights From The 2024 State Of The Special Education Profession Survey For Higher Education, Jennifer J. Lesh, Mary Lynn Boscardin, Julie Bost

Faculty and Staff Publications & Presentations

Dr. Jennifer Lesh, associate professor in the College of Education and 2020 past president of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), joined 2019 former president Mary Lynn Boscardin and current president Julie Bost. Together, they presented their findings from the 2024 State of the Special Education Profession Survey at the CEC Teacher Education Division conference. Their session, "United in Preparing the Prepared," highlighted urgent challenges and opportunities in higher education teacher preparation programs for special education professionals.

Lesh, also a co-chair of the survey design team, shared responses from 238 higher education faculty nationwide. Key findings revealed concerns in educator …

Enhancing Turbulent Mixing And Microphysical Uniformity In A Tall Convection-Cloud Chamber Through Idealized Heterogeneity Of Boundaries, Lois Thomas, Fan Yang, Aaron Wang, Mikhail Ovchinnikov, Kyle Pressel, Raymond Shaw

Michigan Tech Publications

A large convection cloud chamber has been proposed for exploring aerosol–cloud–drizzle interactions under well‐controlled turbulent conditions. Recent theoretical and numerical studies suggest that ac on vection cloud chamber with two heated and two cooled sidewalls can significantly enhance the liquid water content and thus benefit drizzle initiation. However, a chamber with such a sidewall configuration develops stable stratification and extremely weak turbulence therein. In this study, we conduct large‐eddy simulations of a tall convection chamber with five different sidewall configurations consisting of alternating warm and cold patches. For each configuration, the total surface area of warm patches equals that of …

Unveiling Symbolic Meaning: A Semiotic Analysis Of Ritual Objects In The Munggah Suwunan Tradition, Leny Sri Wahyuni, Lula Musdalifah

Bahasa dan Seni: Jurnal Bahasa, Sastra, Seni, dan Pengajarannya

Munggah Suwunan or Munggah Mulo tradition, still practiced in Javanese communities like Warugede and Durajaya in Cirebon. The tradition is significant in Javanese culture because it symbolizes important values and beliefs deeply rooted in the community. It represents more than just a construction milestone; it embodies spiritual and cultural connections to life, nature, and God. The act of raising the highest roof beam is seen as a moment of gratitude and reverence, where participants pray for blessings, prosperity, and protection for the household. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the meaning of denotation and connotation as well as the myths …

The Simulation Of Hyperspectral Observations By The Upcoming Spacecraft “Arab Satellite 813”, With The Radiative Transfer Model Sciatran, Sara Maher Alhasan

Thesis/ Dissertation Defenses

The space mission “813 Satellite” has been awarded by the UAE Space Agency to the National Space Science and Technology Center (NSSTC) in the UAEU as prime contractor. The 813 satellite is an Arab satellite scheduled for launch in the year 2025. The spacecraft is designed to monitor Earth and climate change dynamics specifically over the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region. The outcomes of the 813 Satellite are anticipated to support evidence-based decision-making processes and facilitate the implementation of sustainable environmental management strategies in the MENA region. Consistent with that, the proposed MSc project seeks to contribute to …

The Effects Of Caffeine And Resistance Exercise On Pulse Wave Reflection In Resistance-Trained Women, Sarah G. Kearney, Therese M. Smith, Meredith C. Paskert Joplin, Erica Marshall, Jason C. Parks, Stacie M. Humm, Michelle A. Kern, J. Derek Kingsley

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 18(6): 1310-1320, 2025. https://doi.org/10.70252/RWDY4284 Caffeine, alone or in conjunction with an acute bout of resistance exercise (RE), increases measures of pulse wave reflection (PWR), with most studies focusing on men. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate caffeine’s effects on measures of PWR alone and following an acute bout of RE in young, healthy, resistance-trained women. Eleven resistance-trained women completed an acute bout of RE using free-weights with repetitions to failure for squat and bench press with caffeine (4mg/kg) and a placebo. Measures of PWR were measured at Rest, 50 minutes following ingestion …

The Gods Of The Dunes: The Diverse Spiritual Practices And Beliefs Of The Dunites, Amy Hart

Communal Societies

No abstract provided.

Why The Irish Don’T Eat Offal, Niall Toner

European Journal of Food Drink and Society

In the past fifty years or so, the diverse and colourful displays of animal offal and organ meats that used to be seen in butchers’ shop windows in Ireland, as well as in the UK and America, have all but disappeared. In Ireland, which has seen a gastronomic renaissance in more recent times, these traditional foodstuffs appear to have been slow to return to our plates. But have offal and organ meats a place in the future of the cuisine, and can the increased consumption of offal and organ meats, produced locally, contribute towards a more sustainable food production system, …

Food Traditions In The Folklore Of Oíche Shamhna (Halloween): An Exploratory Study Of Food In The Schools’ Collection 1937–39, Caitríona Nic Philibín

European Journal of Food Drink and Society

Oíche Shamhna or Halloween marks the end of the harvest, the beginning of winter and the last of the four Quarter Days of the Irish calendar year. While food is plentiful at this time of year, food specific studies of this feast day are few. Through archival research this paper explores food traditions at Oíche Shamhna found in the Schools’ Collection 1937–’39 (folklore collected from more than 50,000 schoolchildren in Ireland). Analysis of a sample taken from the Collection reveals four main themes: ‘Games,’ ‘Games with Divinations,’ ‘Supernatural,’ and ‘Cakes and dishes in general.’ Within these themes the significance of …

Feasts Of Prestige: Political Hospitality In The Early Irish Sagas Through The Framework Of Dietler’S Commensal Politics, Elizabeth Waters, Elaine Mahon

European Journal of Food Drink and Society

This exploratory article appliesMichael Dietler’s framework of commensal politics to representations of feasting in the early Irish sagas preserved in Irish medieval literature. Although set in a mythic past, the sagas reflect the social and political structures of early medieval Ireland, where feasting was a ritualised means by which social hierarchies were expressed, and political relationships were defined. Dietler’s model centres on three types of feasts: empowering feasts, patron-role feasts, and diacritical feasts, each with defining characteristics that contribute in distinct ways to the social order. Viewed through the interpretive lens of this framework, this study reveals that, similar to …

Julieta Lanteri And Political Caricature: The Democratic Reach Of Commercial Theater And The Expansion Of The Public Sphere, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Kristen Mccleary

International Journal on Responsibility

In the early twentieth century, popular theater in Buenos Aires appealed to a diverse audience, including immigrants, men, and women from all social classes, workers, as well as the most elite members of the oligarchy. By analyzing one work in particular, La doctora de Lantera, by Armando B. Rillo and Victor Dolard, one of the most well-attended plays of 1919, this article focuses on how theater reveals the social tensions surrounding the role of women in society during an era of dramatic change. It also shows how theater provides an outlet from which to identify, negotiate, and, at times, …

Review Of Oneida Utopia: A Community Searching For Human Happiness And Prosperity, Lawrence Foster

Communal Societies

No abstract provided.

“Owned And Controlled By Negroes”: Allensworth And The Study Of Subnational Space, Amy Hart

Communal Societies

No abstract provided.

The Communal Ethos Of The Mennonite Central Committee: Testing The Bounds Of Community In Kenya, Emily Welty

Communal Societies

No abstract provided.

Truth Seeker On The Holy Mount: Derobigne Mortimer Bennett’S Descent From The Shaker Feast Ground, Christian Goodwillie

Communal Societies

No abstract provided.

The Peoples Press: The Evolution Of The Media’S Treatment Of Jim Jones And Peoples Temple, Cheryl Coulthard

Communal Societies

No abstract provided.

The Erasure (And Re-Inscription) Of African Americans From The Jonestown Narrative, Rebecca Moore

Communal Societies

No abstract provided.

Communal Learning In The Socialist Context Of Jonestown, Edward Cromarty

Communal Societies

No abstract provided.

Apocalyptic Redemption And Utopian Resignation: How Visions Of Dystopia Made Community Impossible In Jonestown, Morgan Shipley

Communal Societies

No abstract provided.

An Unfathomable Complexity: Using Peoples Temple As A Primer In The Study Of Religion, Stephen C. Taysom

Communal Societies

No abstract provided.

Backspin, Ryan Juliano

The Graduate Review

"Backspin" is an experiment in metafiction. The piece's narrative features two characters contemplating greater meaning within the story they find themselves in.

Factors Affecting Public Knowledge About Ocd Mental Health Literacy, Lauren Angell, Aleena Babu, Jimmy Dumont, Lauren Masapollo, Kaitlyn Silva

The Graduate Review

This research project aimed to examine how varying portrayals of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) influence public mental health literacy (MHL). Our research questions focused on the impact of multidimensional vs single portrayals of OCD on OCD MHL, as well as the influence of certain sociodemographic factors on OCD MHL. Additional exploratory questions were investigated and aimed to explain the relationship between OCD MHL and media, as well as OCD MHL and education levels. To investigate these questions, the study employed a combination of experimental and survey-based methods. By fostering greater awareness of misinformation about OCD, the study not only aimed to …

An “Other” Tongue: Nadsat As Anti-Language In A Clockwork Orange, Ian Hugo

The Graduate Review

In this essay, I explore how “Nadsat” is used in Anthony Burgess’s 1962 novella A Clockwork Orange. “Nadsat” is a constructed language that suffuses English vernacular with words and phrases of Russian origin, and it can often prove a significant obstacle to reader comprehension of the overall narrative. However, apart from merely acting as a whim of experimentalism, I argue that Nadsat serves a functional purpose in the text, drawing on research from a variety of fields including literary studies, psychology, philosophy, and linguistics. I begin by showing how Nadsat excludes those who do not “speak” it or (in …

Healing Through Acknowledgment: The Role Of Naturalistic Restorative Justice And Twentieth Century Genocide Recovery, Julia R. Swirbalus

The Graduate Review

This article defines and explores the application of restorative justice principles in the context of twentieth century genocide acknowledgments. The genocides used as case studies in this article include the Holocaust, Cambodian genocide, and Rwandan genocide. This article examines how survivors have utilized restorative practices to facilitate healing, the importance of historical site preservation, and governments acknowledging their wrongdoings. The importance of acknowledgment and making amends to facilitate healing is highlighted throughout the article. The findings underscore the complexity of applying restorative justice to genocide and the necessity of proper acknowledgment for true reconciliation and healing to occur. This article …

Slave Society Upon A Hill: A Historiography Of Slavery In Colonial Massachusetts, Katherine Mcgann

The Graduate Review

This paper explores the treatment of slavery in New England by different historians throughout the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. Slavery in the U.S. is most often associated with the American South, but slavery also existed and flourished in New England. The study of how slavery developed in New England is an integral part of American history, as it is significant to see how slavery could have existed in a place known for its liberal ideals and democratic heroism and how that affected the development of American society. It is also important to explore why the story of slavery in …

Engaged Employees Deliver Returns: Evidence On Financial Performance From Spain, Carlos Gomez-Mugica

Engaged Management ReView

Does investing in your employees create long-term value? Although many firms pursue employee-focused policies, studies show little agreement on which specific dimensions of employee satisfaction yield sustainable financial performance. Building on Edmans (2011), who linked employee satisfaction to superior stock performance in the United States, this study turns to the Spanish market. Using 15 years of data from Actualidad Económica—Spain’s most recognized benchmark for employee satisfaction—we apply Herzberg’s (1968) two-factor theory to distinguish between motivators, such as sense of belonging, talent management, and training, and hygiene factors, like compensation and work environment. Applying a Carhart (1997) four-factor model, we find …

Fast Mechanism For Target Selection In Interactive Ar/Xr Environments, Tiago Camolesi Flora

Defensive Publications Series

Navigating interactive elements in augmented and extended reality (AR/XR) environments often relies on hand gestures, controllers, or long-form voice commands, which can be imprecise, physically fatiguing, and inefficient. Current methods lack a mechanism for rapid, low-effort, hands-free target selection. This disclosure describes a process where a user initiates an interaction mode with a simple voice command or gesture. In response, all visible interactive elements are overlaid with unique, easily pronounceable syllables or words. The user selects a target by speaking the corresponding syllable or word, which triggers the associated action. This technique provides a fast, precise, and discreet method for …

Pearl Buck’S Humanitarian Vision In War And Peace, David M. Crowe

Presidential Fellows Articles and Research

"Eurasia, that vast continental region that encompasses Europe and Asia, was a tablet for many of Pearl S. Buck’s works and campaigns for human rights and international efforts to improve the human condition globally. Though she is principally known for her works on China, some scholars, while acknowledging that her novels were principally for an American female audience, gave little attention to her significant body of non-fictional works on a variety of subjects on America and East Asia. I made my first trip to China in the summer of 1985 via the Trans-Siberian Railroad and Mongolia to Beijing."

Physics 2426 Lecture Slides Volume 3, Chapter 2: Geometric Optics And Image Formation, Raji Kannampuzha Ph.D.

Physics

Lecture slides for PHYS 2426 (University Physics II) were developed using OpenStax Physics Volume II and III from Rice University. These materials were created as part of Collin College’s 2023-2024 OER Faculty Development Grant. Supported by State Farm Insurance Company, these grants are designed to help faculty develop and integrate open educational resources (OER) into their classrooms and expand the use of OER. All materials were peer-reviewed by Collin College faculty and administrators as part of the grant process to ensure quality and alignment with course objectives.