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Adam, The First Scientist: Unlocking The True Foundation Of Scientific Thinking, Thomas E. Lohman Jr.

Masters Theses

This thesis investigates the complex relationship between scientific thought and theological perspectives, proposing that God breathing life into Adam symbolizes a full divine inspiration for both scientific and theological understanding. The perceived conflict between science and theology arises from a shift in human thinking at the fall, which altered humanity's ability to rightly grasp both realms. After this crucial event, science shifted to a more naturalistic approach, while theology often downplayed God's sovereign power over creation.

The alterations to the original functions and purposes of science and theology have led to a fragile relationship between the two. According to Scripture, …

Predictive Models Of Student Mental Health: The Correlation Between Academic Burnout And Depression In The Higher Education Environment, Hyejoon Song

Masters Theses

Importance: Over 80% of U.S. college students report significant emotional difficulties, and 58% endorse academic burnout as a persistent concern, yet institution-specific data at faith-integrated universities such as Liberty University remain scarce, limiting evidence-based programmatic response.

Objective: To examine the correlation between academic burnout and depressive symptomatology at Liberty University, identify the most predictive individual burnout item via Random Forest machine learning, and characterize distinct student risk profiles via KMeans clustering. Design, Setting, Participants: Cross-sectional survey (IRB-FY24-25-1491, Exempt) of 236 Liberty University students (mean age 36.9 ± 14.3 years; 84.0% female; 61.0% graduate-level), 2025–2026 academic year.

Main Outcome and Measures: …

Linguistic And Cultural Analysis Of Divine Command In 1 Samuel 15: Implications For Biblical Interpretation, Timothy Arnell Dunn

Masters Theses

This thesis argues that ḥērem in 1 Samuel 15 is not a relic of ancient warfare but a sacred act of covenantal devotion that reveals the tension between divine holiness, human obedience, and Israel’s identity as a people set apart for YHWH. Through historical, philological, narrative, and canonical analysis, the study demonstrates that ḥērem functions as a ritualized declaration of divine sovereignty in which destruction becomes consecration and obedience becomes worship. Saul’s partial compliance is therefore not strategic misjudgment but a rupture in covenant fidelity that exposes the costliness of holiness and the danger of selective obedience. Yet the canon …

Unlocking The Colleague Next Door, Yoshihiko Ariizumi

Learning, Teaching, & Researching Optimization

The structural barriers that isolate faculty from one another—individualistic reward systems, professional identity protection, disciplinary silos, fragmented time—have been documented in detail elsewhere. This paper begins where that analysis ends. Its sole focus is solutions: what actually works, what you can do without waiting for your institution to change, and most importantly, what you can do today. It is organized in three movements: evidence-based institutional strategies, community-level structures any group of faculty can build, and a granular map of the smallest possible individual first steps—the ones that cost almost nothing and have an outsized probability of changing how you experience …

The Silent Silos Of Academia, Yoshihiko Ariizumi

Learning, Teaching, & Researching Optimization

We work in an environment rich with latent brilliance. Walk down any corridor of a modern university building, and you pass office after office housing world-class expertise, profound pedagogical insights, and raw intellectual power. In terms of human capital, academic faculty represent arguably the most concentrated pool of cognitive resources on the planet. Yet, a strange paradox haunts higher education: despite living and working in such proximity, university faculty remain profoundly isolated. We operate as solitary islands, locked within our own intellectual silos, rarely leveraging the immense potential of our peers.

This isolation is not a personal choice, nor is …

Play And Parents: Influence Of Caregiver Characteristics On Children’S Play, Isabelle Selko

ETD Collection

Play is established as an essential part of development, through which parents play an instrumental role. This study sought to understand the relationship between types of play and facility with and enjoyment of play with parent leisure activities and personality traits. One hypothesis stated that parents’ personality traits and preferred activities would positively correlate with the type of play they engage in most frequently with their child. The second hypothesis predicted that parents will demonstrate more facility with and enjoyment of play if there is a match between their activity preferences/hobbies, personality traits, and most frequent play type with their …

Grief Among Parents Who Have Lost A Child To An Opioid Overdose: A Qualitative Study, Laura Joy Russin

ETD Collection

Grief is experienced in many ways. Many bereaved people demonstrate resilience, however, there are those who suffer a prolonged grief for a variety of reasons including issues related to the relationship with the deceased, the state of the relationship prior to the loss, the nature of the loss, and perceived social support following the loss. In 2024, over 107,000 people died of a drug overdose in the United States and hundreds of thousands of family members were left behind to mourn. Despite the prevalence of drug-related deaths, the grieving process following this type of loss remains understudied. The proposed project …

Return To Nicu Follow-Up: A Multiple Factor Analysis, Jenna Saviano

ETD Collection

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) follow-up programs are critical for monitoring the developmental outcomes of preterm and medically fragile infants. If deemed necessary, these programs may also provide referrals to various intervention modalities; however, loss to continued follow-up remains a concern in pediatric health care. To increase the understanding of how infants can be retained in medical and developmental follow-up programs, this study examined socio-demographic, caregiver, medical, and attendance-related predictors of loss to follow-up among infants enrolled in the NYU Langone Medical Center’s Neonatal Comprehensive Care Program (NCCP). The sample included 193 preterm infants who received neurodevelopmental follow-up between 2021 …

Front Matter

Texas A&M Law Review

Front Matter.

Fiction Novel Chapters: Ghost Orchid, Ronald C. Whetsell

Masters Theses

There is a natural tension between governments whose structures are maintained by strong, centralized control like those of Russia and China, and one built on a decentralized, constitutional democracy such as the United States. Although Russia and China have functioned on the global stage in a manner largely reflecting their own self-interests since the early twentieth century, that configuration will change within the fiction novel, Desert Orchid. The narrative will detail their agreement to combine their resources which will better enable them to compete with the free economy of the United States. Their goal is to usurp the global economic …

When Platform Regulations Fail: An Institutional Fix For California Social Media Laws, Roz Kohan

LLR Forum

Three recent Ninth Circuit decisions struck down parts of California’s content moderation laws regarding transparency, child-safety, and algorithmic design on First Amendment grounds. Such challenges act as a barrier to effective platform regulation. When examining past speech regulations that withstood such challenges, telecommunications law provides guidance for the platform context. The lack of expert administrative agencies accounts for the failures of content moderation regulation. This Forum Article argues for the creation of a specialized California agency to produce rules and regulations that withstand First Amendment challenges.

Improving A1c Levels Through An Individualized Diabetes Education Among Patients Living With Type 2 Diabetes, David W. Cardona Jr.

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) represents an increasing global health, social, and financial burdens. Nutrition, among other diabetes self-management topics, is a foundational aspect in managing T2DM. Significant knowledge gaps persist among patients regarding the impact of mindful eating habits in relation to euglycemia. Individualized diabetes education focused on healthy eating habits offers a promising strategy to address this gap. The quality improvement (QI) project aimed to evaluate the impact of diabetes education, focused on nutritional awareness, and mindful eating habits on hemoglobin (A1c) levels, weight, and diabetes self-management questionnaire scores (DSMQ-R) were assessed among adults living with T2DM. The …

The Impact Of Translated Phq-9 And Gad-7 Scales On Treatment Recommendations In An Adult Vietnamese Population: A 3-Month Primary Care Evaluation, Vivienne Bui

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

Depression and anxiety are prevalent yet underdiagnosed in limited-English-proficient (LEP) populations due to language barriers, cultural stigma, and provider bias. Vietnamese-speaking patients are particularly vulnerable to under-recognition in primary care. This quality improvement project evaluated whether implementing Vietnamese-translated Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) tools would improve mental health diagnosis and referral rates. Guided by the Johns Hopkins Evidence-Based Practice Model, a pre–post design was conducted at a San Diego clinic from March 26 to June 26, 2025. Vietnamese-speaking adults (≥18 years) completed translated PHQ-9 and GAD-7 forms during intake. Providers used scores in conjunction with clinical …

Interest Requires Knowledge: Initial Development Of A Measure Of Career Knowledge, Sarah Ferguson, Marjorie Blicharz, Kara Ieva, Christopher J. Winkler, Theresa Cann

Journal of Research in Technical Careers

This paper details a measurement development study conducted in multiple phases to establish the reliability and validity of scores from a measure of career knowledge that can be specified to career fields. The initial development study focused on surveying and mapping careers in the engineering technician cluster, in alignment with a larger intervention study on career exploration of STEM technician and technologist careers. A short seven-item measure of perceived career knowledge was developed and piloted to address the need for empirical data on students' career knowledge, an outcome of interest to practitioners and researchers in career development. Exploratory and confirmatory …

Behavior Analysts' Recommendations For Police Interactions With Youth On The Autism Spectrum, Emily Emily Hinterneder

Honors Theses

Autism spectrum disorder affects nearly 2% (1 in every 36) of children in the United States, yet few resources exist to aid police officers in effective communication and interaction with this portion of youth. This study surveyed behavior analysts’ recommendations for police regarding how they can better interact with youth with autism spectrum disorder based on their knowledge, experiences, and opinions. The research surveyed behavior analysts initially in Massachusetts, then throughout the United States, on how police interact with youth with autism, with the intent to propose possible improvements. Quantitative analyses of the closed-ended questions were conducted to examine familiarity, …

Reassessing Skeletal Stress Indicators: Implications For Changing Population Health In The Freedman’S Cemetery, Dallas, Tx, Samantha M. Mccrane, Megan Fry, Siobhan A.E. Summers

Human Biology Open Access Pre-Prints

Inferring biological stress from stature and skeletal pathological conditions is common practice in bioarchaeology. Interpretations of these data can greatly enrich knowledge about past peoples’ lifestyles, cultural practices, and socio-political constraints and shifts. However, interpretations are not always clear, are often drawn from a single skeletal indicator of stress and not always subjected to statistical testing. In this study, we reanalyze archaeological data from 742 individuals buried at Freedman’s Cemetery in Dallas, Texas. We focus on four commonly used skeletal measures of ‘stress,’ broadly defined (stature, linear enamel hypoplasia, porotic cranial lesions [e.g., cribra orbitalia & porotic hyperostosis], and bone …

Breaking Academic Silos: A Guide To Faculty Collaboration And Intellectual Growth, Yoshihiko Ariizumi

Learning, Teaching, & Researching Optimization

This is a guide to make academic collaboration easy and doable.

Addressing Triggers Of Anxiety And Depression In A Mental Health Setting, Jacqueline Elos Wahito Kabukuru

Group: Samford University Moffett & Sanders School of Nursing

In order to improve coping capacity and clinical decision-making. This project evaluated the use of the 15-item Coping Adaptation Processing Scale (CAPS-15) alongside RAM’s four adaptive modes (physiological, self-concept, role function, interdependence) to assess coping responses to stressors and support individualized care planning in a mental health counseling setting.

An End To The Madness: How Justice Barrett Provides A Way Out Of The Categorical Approach, Sarah Webster

Catholic University Law Review

Is murder by omission a crime of violence? In its October 2024 term the Supreme Court of the United States was asked this very question in Delligatti v. United States. This case appeared before the Supreme Court because of its 2019 decision United States v. Davis. In Davis, the Supreme Court narrowly held the residual clause of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(3)(B) as unconstitutionally vague as a result of its interpretation that the statute required a categorical approach. As a result, federal courts have been forced to provide pages of painstaking analyses to hold that murder by omission …

Unfair And Deceptive Pay: A Consumer Protection Approach To Algorithmic Personalized Wages, Noah Madoff

Minnesota Journal of Law & Inequality

The rise of digital commerce, consumer surveillance, and bigdata analytics have given rise to a new set of pricing techniques in the first quarter of the 21st century. Much has been made of algorithmic price discrimination—the commercial practice of charging consumers individualized prices for identical goods and services. Considerably less attention has been paid to parallel development in the world of work—the emergence of “algorithmic personalized wages” that individualize worker pay for identical work. Algorithmic personalized wages are not a significant development because they are ubiquitous in contemporary employment arrangements—they are not—but because they contain the kernel of a harsh …

‘Mic Fright’: The Dire Reality Of Employment Classification In Unscripted Television, Jessica A. Payne

Minnesota Journal of Law & Inequality

Reality television has grown over the last near-century into both a staple of popular culture and an overwhelmingly lucrative industry. While the genre had a relatively innocent beginning, what shows have become is an increasingly extreme set of formats seeking to illicit shock, jealousy, and, above all, loyal viewership from its audience. These aims are driven entirely upon the participants who vie for a place within the cast to compete for love, money, and fame. However, the participants whom audiences adore or love to critique face significant barriers in their pursuit in addition to life-altering post-production realities; in part based …

A Correlational Study Of Work-Related Factors On Private School Teachers’ Stress And Anxiety, Anna E. Guilliams

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this correlational predictive study is to examine the factors of class size, hours worked during the week, and hours given to plan a week and determine if there is a predictive nature between these factors and perceived stress and anxiety in private school teachers. Determining the root causes of the rising rates of teacher stress is imperative to the future of the education system because teacher stress has a direct relationship to attrition, job satisfaction, teacher physical health, and job performance. A group of 115 private school teachers from a southern state participated in online surveys to …

The Role Of Faith In Coping With Mental Health Challenges In Late Life: A Phenomenological Study Of Religious Experience In The Aging Population, Krista Kelley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation are significant concerns among older adults. These conditions are often neglected due to stigma, atypical symptom presentation, and medical comorbidities, resulting in increased healthcare utilization, heightened suicide risk, and emotional dysregulation. Psychosocially, these challenges obstruct a successful resolution of Erikson’s final stage, ego integrity versus despair, leading to dissatisfaction, regret, and reduced well-being. Although previous research has suggested a link between religious engagement and improved mental health outcomes, few studies have explored older adults’ lived experiences of faith in coping with mental health. This qualitative phenomenological study examined the experiences of 25 older adults regarding …

The Narratives Of Where Black Men On The South Side Of Chicago Found Emotional Connection While Growing Up, Yakima Diemer

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this narrative inquiry study was to explore and understand the lived experiences of Black men from the South Side of Chicago. This study explored, through storytelling, the life experiences of Black men from the South Side of Chicago regarding their emotional connectedness with their primary caregivers in addition to who they turned to, and what they turned to in order to feel a sense of support and connection if and when there were none. Participants for this study included Black men who were over the age of 25 and reported being raised on the South Side of …

Quantitative Correlation Of Middle School Students’ Perspectives Of Teacher Caring And Student Effort, Susan Lackey

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative, correlational research was to study the potential correlation between the middle school students' perspectives of teacher caring and student effort. The study was important because it investigated an understudied population in a new geographic location. The sample included 352 sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade students within five middle schools in eastern North Carolina. Two instruments were used to collect survey data from the students. The first instrument administered included the MUSIC Model of Motivation Inventory, which was derived from the MUSIC Model of Academic Motivation®. The second instrument was the Course Effort Scale, derived from the …

A Phenomenology Study: Exploring The Lived Experiences Of Latino Women In The South Of California With Symptoms Of Depression And The Influence Of Faith And Religion In Their Recovery, Ivette G. Perez-Paquien

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This is a qualitative study of a phenomenological nature that explores the phenomenon and experiences of Latina women with depressive symptoms residing in Southern California, as well as the influence of faith and religion on their recovery. The investigation of this phenomenon was conducted using the theoretical model of descriptive research proposed by Husserl, along with the data analysis technique for descriptive phenomenological research based on the approach designed by Richard Krueger. The research question posed to guide this study was: What are the experiences described by Latina women suffering from symptoms of depression regarding faith, religion, and their recovery …

A Causal-Comparative Study Of Student Enjoyment In Classical Private School, Non-Classical Private School, And Non-Classical Public School Social Studies Courses, Ginger B. Knapp

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative design study was to investigate differences in the enjoyment of history/social studies as an academic subject among high school juniors and seniors educated in classical Christian private school, non-classical Christian private school, and non-classical public-school settings. The study is important because its measure of enjoyment is associated with teaching pedagogy or instructional methodology. Prior quantitative studies have associated achievement with standardized test scores, recommending that future studies explore the link between instructional methodology and achievement. This research study fills the literature gap by employing a sound psychometric measure of enjoyment to examine its associations …

Barriers To Physical Activity Among Community College Students, Erica Keels

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perceived barriers, motivators, and student-identified strategies related to physical activity among students enrolled at a community college located in Northwest Florida. Guided by the Social Ecological Model (SEM), Self-Determination Theory (SDT), Health Belief Model (HBM), and Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), this study employed a qualitative descriptive design to examine students’ lived experiences and perceptions that influence their physical activity behaviors. Data were collected through an online open-ended survey administered to students aged 18 years and older. A total of 134 students initially accessed the survey, and 126 eligible participants …

Unveiling The Journey: A Phenomenological Study On The Lived Experiences Of Caregivers Raising An Adolescent With Diabetes, Lakeisha L. Doman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe caregivers’ experiences raising a middle to late adolescent (ages 14 – 19) with diabetes in Virginia. The study focused on how caregivers perceive stress and develop coping skills while navigating the transition to independence. Guided by Lazarus and Folkman’s Transactional Model of Stress and Coping, this study examined how caregivers appraised stress, evaluated available resources, and sustained engagement in their role. Ten primary caregivers in Virginia were recruited using purposeful sampling. Semi-structured interviews guided data collection. Data was analyzed using Moustakas’ phenomenological approach. Findings indicated that caregiving during adolescence is a …

Building Moral Resilience: The Role Of Biblical Forgiveness In Dealing With Moral Injury Among Christian Combat Veterans, Kwasi Boateng Asamoah

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

An unsuccessful navigation of exposure to potentially morally injurious events (PMIEs) can result in psychological, emotional, and spiritual distress, which can lead to moral injury. Moral injury continues to receive wider attention among researchers and clinicians in the field of military psychology and mental health due to the prevalence of exposure to PMIEs among this population. Research has shown that over half of the veteran population has experienced at least one PMIE, and about 6.5% have reported moral injury. Although moral injury is considered an injury of the soul and has spiritual consequences, there remains a gap in the literature …