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A Qualitative Case Study Of Leadership Development In A Graduate Medical Laboratory Science Program, Demetra Castillo

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

Leadership development is increasingly recognized as an essential component of healthcare education, particularly as medical laboratory professionals assume expanded responsibilities involving collaboration, decision-making, systems thinking, and organizational leadership. Despite this need, limited research has explored how leadership develops within graduate medical laboratory science (MLS) programs. This qualitative case study examined leadership development through the lens of Experiential Learning Theory (ELT). Two research questions explored how the program fostered leadership development through students’ professional biographies, leadership questionnaires, final reflection papers, and leadership credos and how leadership reflections demonstrated growth over time. Secondary data from five student cases were analyzed using deductive …

Energy Transition In Africa: A Comparative Analysis Of Five African Countries, Boluwatife G. Ayankojo

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

Global energy transition remains a critical challenge for reducing carbon emissions and protecting the environment, with solar energy adoption driving improvements in both energy efficiency and conservation. This research focuses on Africa's transition from fossil fuels to solar energy. As population growth and blackouts increase, African countries must transition from unreliable, centralized national grids to decentralized, low-carbon alternatives that ensure quality household electricity. While some countries have advanced in this transition to sustainable solar energy, others lag behind. The limited access to electricity hinders the African continent's healthcare, education, economic growth, and mortality rates. This research establishes the importance of …

A Trombone Studio Teacher's Guide To Non-Injury-Related Embouchure Changes, Austin A. Handley

Dissertations

This dissertation is a pedagogical guide for trombone studio teachers who will lead students through embouchure changes. These changes and adjustments are normal in brass pedagogy, but there is limited literature that addresses how teachers should identify the need for change, initiate the process, and support students through it. There are a growing number of resources available about embouchure injury and dysfunction, rehabilitation, and long-term prevention. This leaves a gap for teachers who are trying to help students using an inefficient embouchure setup.

The purpose of this study is to provide a practical resource for teachers by examining the experiences …

Atomic-Scale Investigation Of Functional Molecular Systems And Graphene Nanoribbons Using Scanning Probe Microscopy, A.M. Shashika D. Wijerathna

Physics Theses & Dissertations

Emerging molecular electronics, molecular devices, and carbon-based nanotechnologies increasingly rely on the precise control of molecular structures and interfaces at the atomic scale. Advancing these systems requires experimental techniques capable of resolving atomic structures, quantifying molecular behavior, and revealing the mechanisms governing nanoscale assembly. Scanning probe microscopy uniquely provides these capabilities by combining atomic-resolution imaging with local spectroscopy and manipulation. This dissertation employs ultra-high-vacuum low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy (UHV-LT-STM) and qPlus atomic force microscopy (qPlus AFM) to address three complementary challenges: (i) atomic-scale characterization of complex supramolecular architectures, (ii) quantitative investigation of mechanically induced conformational switching of individual molecules, and …

Towards More Realistic And Practical Graph Backdoor Attacks, Jiawei Chen

Computer Science Theses & Dissertations

Graph Neural Networks (GNNs) have demonstrated remarkable performance on graph-based learning tasks and are increasingly deployed in security-critical applications. However, recent studies have shown that they are highly vulnerable to graph backdoor attacks (GBAs), where adversaries implant malicious triggers to induce targeted misclassification during inference. Despite their effectiveness, existing GBAs are often developed under unrealistic assumptions, such as focusing exclusively on simple homogeneous graphs or assuming the adversary possesses privileged access to target nodes during inference. This dissertation aims to systematically investigate and design graph backdoor attacks under significantly more realistic graph settings and adversarial constraints.

First, we investigate the …

The Mediating Role Of Hope In The Relationship Between Everyday Discrimination And Depression Among College Students, Busra Vurkun

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

Research shows that marginalized populations experience disproportionately higher psychological distress (Budhwani et al., 2015; Bailey et al., 2019). Everyday discrimination, defined as chronic interpersonal mistreatment such as microaggressions and disrespect, is associated with greater depression and lower psychological well-being (Essed, 1991; Calabrese et al., 2015). Although the negative effects of discrimination are well established, less is known about protective factors that may reduce these outcomes. One such factor is hope, conceptualized by Snyder et al. (1991) as agency thinking and pathways thinking and linked to lower depression and greater resilience (Arnau et al., 2007; Banks et al., 2008). This study …

Empirical Rhetorical Modeling: New Analytical Tools To Evaluate The Intensity Of Rhetoric, August Immel

English Theses & Dissertations

Since 2020, the United States has experienced a surge of incendiary rhetoric in contemporary political discourse, which exacerbates societal polarization and incites violence as evidenced by heightened politically motivated attacks. Numerous actors characterize the impetus of such violence as “extreme rhetoric.” No standard definition exists for such a term, and this gap necessitates the central research question of this dissertation, which interrogates how rhetoric can be systematically evaluated for “extremeness.” I propose that the issue of extreme rhetoric can be fruitfully examined from within the context of rhetorical theory, but instead of attempting to create a new definition of “extreme …

De Facto Captivity In The Land Of The Free: Exploring The Confining Effects Of Network And System Avoidance, Brianna Ovalle

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

Encroaching state surveillance has primarily targeted people of color living in urban, inner cities, resulting in both much higher likelihoods of encountering state agents and the consequences of such contact. The ceaseless surveillance has led some individuals to engage in protective behaviors aimed at minimizing encounters with agents of the CLS. These behaviors are adaptable to present risks of surveillance and contact with the system. While there are various types of avoidance, the focus of this research is system avoidance and network avoidance. Previous literature for both types of avoidance focuses on the experiences of lower SES men. Further, as …

Exploring The Determinants Of User Discontinuance In Ai-Driven Usage-Based Insurance, Wenzhuo Li

Theses and Dissertations in Business Administration

While interest in algorithmic decision-making continues to grow, limited research has examined the post-adoption phase. This study examines how users evaluate their post-adoption experiences with algorithmic decision-making in the context of usage-based insurance (UBI), focusing on how expectation disconfirmation shapes satisfaction and the intention to discontinue use. It explores two key questions: What factors influence users’ discontinuance intention toward AI-based UBI systems? And how do specific algorithmic characteristics alter how users form these post-adoption evaluations? To investigate these questions, this study develops a comprehensive theoretical model that integrates the Expectation Confirmation Model and Reactance Theory, incorporating additional factors such as …

Drinking Group Injunctive Norms: An Event-Level Examination, Karolina Kazlauskaite

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

College students are at increased risk for negative alcohol-related outcomes. Theoretical and empirical support suggest that peer groups play a crucial role in college student alcohol use, in part because they establish normative values and behaviors (i.e., norms) that members follow. Research indicates that those who identify more strongly with a group are more likely to embody that group’s values—particularly regarding drinking. Notably, injunctive norms, or perceptions of peer permissibility toward drinking, predict individual drinking outcomes, such that perceiving one’s peers as more approving confers additional risk for personal drinking. However, prior examinations of injunctive norms have not assessed perceptions …

Time-Frequency Analysis Of Arterial Pulse Signals Of Cardiovascular Disease Patients Measured By A Microfluidic-Based Tactile Sensor, Md Mahfuzur Rahman

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation presents a single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) based time–frequency analysis framework that can simultaneously extract a comprehensive set of cardiovascular autonomic indices from arterial pulse wave recordings obtained at rest and post-exercise, supporting non-invasive monitoring of autonomic recovery during cardiac rehabilitation. The framework rests on three technical contributions.

First, an SDOF analytical model of motion artefacts quantifies two physically distinct distortion mechanisms: additive baseline drift and Time-Varying System Parameter (TVSP) generated distortion of the Tissue-Contact-Sensor (TCS) stack. Baseline drift is slowly varying and removable by filtering; TVSP distortion rides on all harmonics of the true pulse signal and cannot be removed …

Proxy Interfaces For Enhancing Non-Visual Web Usability, Md Javedul Ferdous

Computer Science Theses & Dissertations

People with blindness or visual impairments (BVI) face significant barriers when navigating the web, even when digital content is technically accessible. These challenges arise not from a lack of access, but from a mismatch between vision-centric user interfaces and the linear, audio-based interaction paradigms of screen readers. Sighted users rely on spatial layout, grouping, and visual cues to interpret structure quickly, while blind users must explore elements sequentially, often without sufficient context. As a result, they expend greater cognitive effort, become disoriented more easily, and struggle with tasks that are usually trivial for sighted users. Although accessibility initiatives have focused …

Deep Multimodal Sensor Fusion For Autonomous Driving: A Real-World Deployment On Little Blue, Raphael T. Pamie-George

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Accurate perception and control systems are essential for autonomous vehicles to safely interpret and navigate complex environments. Individual sensing modalities such as cameras, LiDAR, and inertial measurement units (IMUs) provide valuable environmental and vehicle state information; however, each sensor exhibits inherent limitations when used independently. Camera performance can degrade under varying lighting conditions, LiDAR measurements may be sparse or affected by environmental noise, and IMU measurements are susceptible to drift over time. Little Blue, a research autonomous vehicle platform from ODU (Old Dominion University), previously relied primarily on camera-based data for neural network training, limiting the system’s ability to exploit …

The Association Between Prenatal Nicotine Exposure And Postpartum Depression, Reem Ali Sharaf-Alddin

Health Services Research Dissertations

Postpartum Depression (PPD) is the most common mental health complication of childbirth with 17% of women globally and 13% in the US experience PPD. The pathophysiology of PPD is not yet fully understood, with psycho-social, biological, and environmental factors, interplaying together and predisposing to PPD. One key modifiable risk factor is prenatal exposure to nicotine (PEN) including Active Tobacco Smoking (ATS), Secondhand Smoking (SHS), and Electronic Nicotine Products (ENPs). Several studies investigated the association between prenatal ATS or SHS and PPD, however the findings were inconclusive. There is a lack of studies that assessed the overall PEN, and none of …

More Than A Movement: The Mental Health Toll Of Activism And The Shield Of Social Support At Hbcus, Feyisayo T. Oluwalana

All Theses

Student activism has historically contributed to sociopolitical change, with college campuses serving as important contexts for civic engagement and identity development (Ballard et al., 2024; Cabrera et al., 2017; Conner, 2020). At Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), activism is often connected to students lived experiences and efforts to challenge systemic inequities (Byon et al., 2022; Patterson, 2021). Although activism may promote empowerment and collective identity, sustained advocacy may also contribute to psychological distress, including anxiety and depression, particularly among students of color (Chen et al., 2024; Hope et al., 2018). However, limited research has examined culturally relevant protective factors …

A Finite Element Model To Analyze Crack-Tip Fields In A Transversely Isotropic Strain-Limiting Elastic Solid, Saugata Ghosh, Dambaru Bhatta, S. M. Mallikarjunaiah

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

This paper presents a finite element model for the analysis of crack-tip fields in a transversely isotropic strain-limiting elastic body. A nonlinear constitutive relationship between stress and linearized strain characterizes the material response. This algebraically nonlinear relationship is critical as it mitigates the physically inconsistent strain singularities that arise at crack tips. These strain-limiting relationships ensure that strains remain bounded near the crack tip, representing a significant advancement in the formulation of boundary value problems (BVPs) within the context of first-order approximate constitutive models. For a transversely isotropic elastic material containing a crack, the equilibrium equation, derived from the balance …

Machine Learning In Flow Cytometry For Acute Myeloid Leukemia Diagnosis: A Scoping Review, Katrina Jezzela M. Dela Pena Md, Mls (Ascp)

Other Specialties

Manuscript version:

Introduction: Flow cytometry is essential for the diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), but conventional analysis is labor-intensive, operator-dependent, and increasingly complex. Machine learning (ML) may support automated analysis; however, its readiness for clinical implementation remains unclear. This scoping review mapped ML approaches applied to flow cytometry for AML-related diagnosis.

Methods: PubMed was searched for English-language primary studies applying artificial intelligence, ML, or deep learning to human flow cytometry data for AML diagnosis or classification. Eligible studies reported diagnostic performance metrics. Study characteristics, preprocessing, data representation, model architecture, validation strategy, performance metrics, interpretability, and implementation considerations were descriptively …

Of Cables And Threads: Reweaving The Urban Fabric At The Edge Of Bogotá, Federico Pérez Fernández

University Honors College Faculty Publication and Presentations

Over the past two decades, gondola lifts have become central to interventions in urbanLatin America’s auto-constructed peripheries. As cable car urbanism reshapes the city’sedge, it raises fundamental questions about the notion of the “urban fabric” as a socio-material practice, an epistemology, and a site of politics. In Bogotá, the city’s first aerialcable car line has been integrated into the sprawling district of Ciudad Bolívar, revealinga dialectical process of urban fabrication—a form of urban weaving, in the language ofboth experts and residents, that bridges technical retrofits and popular logistics. Thesestate-community interfaces operate beyond the binaries of compromise and dissent, co-optation and …

Evaluating Fish Assemblages At An Early-Stage Living Shoreline Project In Lake Pontchartrain, Collin Glaser

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Living shorelines are an increasingly popular restoration approach for reducing erosion while improving habitat quality. The Bucktown Living Shoreline Project is a large-scale restoration effort along the southern shore of Lake Pontchartrain aimed at enhancing coastal resilience and restoring historic marsh habitat. This thesis evaluated early fish assemblage response to the Bucktown Living Shoreline Project over one year and placed those assemblages within the broader historical context of Lake Pontchartrain. Monthly sampling was conducted at the living shoreline and an adjacent riprap control site using seines, cast nets, and minnow traps. Fish assemblage structure was not significantly different between sites. …

Modeling The Psychological And Technical Factors Influencing The Use Of Artificial Intelligence Tools Among Non-Native Arabic Learners: A Comparative Study In Egypt, Saudi Arabia, And Jordan., Mohammad Odeh, Alaa Al Din Musa, Ahmed Ragab Ali Ghalish, Montaser Adel Sayed Ahmed

All Works

This study aimed to develop a predictive longitudinal model of the psychological and technical factors influencing the use of artificial intelligence tools among non-native Arabic learners (international students) in three Arab countries: Egypt, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Jordan. The study adopted an extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) incorporating two psychological variables: trust in artificial intelligence and artificial intelligence anxiety. A quantitative longitudinal design with two time waves (T1 and T2) over a full academic semester was employed using Hierarchical Multiple Regression Analysis and PROCESS Macro for mediation. The sample consisted of 812 international students from public universities in …

2026 August - Tennessee Climate Snapshot, Tennessee Climate Office, East Tennessee State University

Tennessee Climate Office Monthly Reports

No abstract provided.

2026 August - Tennessee Monthly Climate Report, Tennessee Climate Office, East Tennessee State University

Tennessee Climate Office Monthly Reports

Hi All,

The main weather stories in Tennessee for August 2026 included a strong heat wave that impacted the state in the middle of the month, and severe storms that caused a major power outage in the Memphis area, as well as a derecho event that impacted the northeast corner of the state.

The first event to impact Tennessee this month was the derecho on August 11, which moved through the northeast corner of Tennessee and produced some tree and powerline damage. The following week a heat wave impacted the state bringing high temperatures across the state, with 11 weather …

Flipping The Script: An Osint-Driven Framework For Smb Cyber Resilience, James A. Herrick

All Student Scholarship

Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are critical economic drivers, yet they remain prime targets for cyber-attacks. Frequently operating under constraints involving financial resources, personnel, technical expertise, and time, SMBs have difficulty recognizing cybersecurity as a business risk warranting the expenditure of resources. Traditional cybersecurity consulting approaches meet with organizational resistance and fail to gain acceptance due to the SMB’s general underestimation of their own risk. This paper introduces a novel structured, repeatable framework designed to introduce a fresh mindset to conventional consulting. It repurposes Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) reconnaissance - a toolset typically used by adversaries - for a constructive, empathetic …

The Problems Of Philosophy: Student Edition, Bertrand Russell, Landon D.C. Elkind Ed.

Philosophy & Religion Faculty Publications

This is a very lightly edited open educational resource version of The Problems of Philosophy by Bertrand Russell. It is lightly edited to approach (without yet meeting) the “truer” text of The Problems of Philosophy indicated by Kenneth Blackwell in the journal Russell.1 Student notes from the editor are included to make the text more suitable for college (or high school) students.

The basis for this edition is this 2004 version available in HTML through Project Gutenberg, produced by Gordon Keener and David Widger. After using Pandoc to convert this HTML file into TeX, I made some aesthetic edits (like …

The Internet Did This To Me: Forms, Consequences, And Coping Strategies Of Cyberbullying, Isaac Oppong

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined self-reported cyberbullying experiences recounted in a subreddit (r/cyberbullying) to identify forms of cyberbullying, its effects, and ways to cope with it. The findings indicate that there are several types of cyberbullying, such as verbal aggression, deceptive manipulation, privacy invasion, and coercive control. These experiences led to emotional, social, and behavioral consequences, including fear, anxiety, withdrawal, and decreased online activity. Based on concepts from Social Information Processing theory and Symbolic Interactionism, this study reveals how cyberbullying can produce the same or similar consequences as traditional bullying. People experienced disturbances in their self-presentation, contended with spoiled identities, and dealt …

Bridging The Gap: Educator Experiences Supporting Students During The Transition From Middle To High School, Sarah Little

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to examine the lived experiences of middle and high school educators supporting students during the transition from middle to high school. This study contributes to the literature of middle to high school transition practices by focusing on districts with a single high school and two middle schools. Coherence Theory was the primary framework for understanding how transition systems function in practice, while Transition Theory and Constructivism provided a supporting lens to provide further context to ground the research in analysis of organizational, developmental, and cognitive alignment.

Data collection strategies included one-on-one semi-structured …

Women In Banking Leadership: A Qualitative Study On Experiences In Breaking Through The Glass Ceiling, Thelma E. De León García

Theses & Dissertations

Although women make up a substantial part of the banking workforce, they remain underrepresented in leadership roles due to barriers like the glass ceiling that limit their career advancement. Despite women’s underrepresentation in leadership roles, little research has examined their perspectives on the enablers of career advancement in this sector. This qualitative descriptive study explores the factors women identify as critical in breaking these barriers to attain leadership roles. Ten semi-structured interviews of women who hold a leadership position in banking were thematically analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six-step thematic analysis and NVivo software. Guided by feminist theory, the …

Do You Use Chatgpt? A Technology Acceptance And Segmentation Study Of Chatgpt Use Among Students At A South Texas University, Brian F. Waltman

Theses & Dissertations

Do You Use ChatGPT? A Technology Acceptance and Segmentation Study of ChatGPT Use Among Students at a South Texas University

August 2026

Brian F Waltman, Doctor of Philosophy in Education

The study investigates the integration of ChatGPT in academic settings, focusing on validating the TAME-ChatGPT instrument for a small private university in South Texas. This research aims to assess students' attitudes towards ChatGPT and identify the factors influencing its adoption and perceived usefulness. Previous studies have indicated ChatGPT's broad applicability across various sectors, including business, healthcare, and law, but its role in academia remains under-explored, particularly within the United States. …

Understanding The Experiences Of Durable Medical Equipment Coordinators Through An Embedded Case Study, Patricia Rodriguez

Theses & Dissertations

This qualitative case study investigated the experiences of service coordinators who support adults age 65 and over who reside independently during the early stages of durable medical equipment (DME) requests. The study explored how coordinators navigated communication pathways, managed administrative responsibilities, and responded to systemic obstructions involving timeliness and quality of care. A two-cycle coding process was used to obtain and analyze semi-structured interviews, field notes, and observational data. Service coordinators experienced significant, simultaneous, and multi-level delays in developing DME referrals due to fragmented communication, ambiguous staff roles, inconsistent workflows, and administrative bottlenecks. Coordinators performed considerable moral and emotional labor …

Shifting The Paradigm Through Practice: A Co-Operative Inquiry Approach To Sustained Commitment In Nature-Based Education, Amanda Mcmickle

Theses & Dissertations

Nature-based learning has demonstrated positive outcomes for young children’s academic, social-emotional, and developmental growth; however, its implementation within school systems remains limited due to a lack of governance or organized oversight. This qualitative study examined how nature-based learning can be implemented with practical fidelity in Texas public schools while remaining aligned with state standards and school district policies. Grounded in Biophilia Theory, Attention Restoration Theory, and Experience Theory, the study explored educators’ perceptions as co-researchers into the practices and decision-making processes as they integrated nature-based learning into daily instruction.

Participants included experienced Texas public school educators teaching prekindergarten and kindergarten. …