Digital Commons Network^™

The Role Of Leaderhip In The Diocese Of San Diego California: Servant Leadership Theory, Clarissa Jayne Hutcheson

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the impact of the absence of a comprehensive leadership formation process for individuals serving in pastoral leadership roles within the Diocese of San Diego, California. To ground the study theologically, the research engages the biblical Book of Nehemiah as a formative model of leadership rooted in covenantal responsibility, moral courage and communal restoration. Building upon this biblical foundation, the study turns to contemporary Servant Leadership Theory to examine how leadership grounded in service can foster the growth and maturation of both leaders and pastoral teams. Employing a mixed methods research design, quantitative survey data and qualitative interviews …

Breaking Barriers: A Ministry Approach To Understanding And Addressing The Needs Of Somali Immigrants In The Twin Cities, Yared K. Woldemariam

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the relational dynamics and ministry barriers between Somali immigrant communities and Christian churches in the Twin Cities of Minnesota, with the aim of identifying practical and theological strategies for cultivating trust-based engagement. Grounded in diaspora missiology and the biblical model of hospitality in the Book of Acts, the research explores how historical experiences, cultural perceptions, and communication patterns shape present-day interactions.
A qualitative-dominant mixed-methods design was employed, consisting of twenty-one semi-structured interviews with church leaders and Somali community leaders, supported by questionnaire data to identify comparative trends. Inductive thematic analysis revealed that relationship history, language interpretation, institutional …

Flyer: Annunciation Exhibits, University Of Dayton. Marian Library

Reports and Promotional Materials

Mary’s acceptance of her role as the mother of Jesus is known as her “fiat.” This flyer promotes an exhibit in which visitors are invited to encounter visual depictions of this moment with the angel Gabriel through two exhibits of Marian Library collections.

Exhibit dates: Feb. 10-Oct. 23, 2026

Cure Newsletter Volume 4 Issue 5, Department Of Oncology

Cancer Updates Research & Education (CURE) Archives

• Message from the Chair
• Advancing Oncology Through Education & Exchange
• Voices from Oncology “Invited Perspectives”
• Spotlight on Achievements
• Moments That Matter "Celebrating Together"
• Oncology at CPSP “The Academic Contributions”
• Resident Reflections "Future Leaders in Oncology"
• Medical Physics Representation & Contributions
• Nursing Highlights
• Clinical Wisdom Shared via Grand Rounds (A Recap)
• Welcoming New Colleagues, “New Strengths”
• “Climbing Higher”, Promotions at Oncology
• “Where Research Meets Impact” Oncology Publications

Annotated Bibliography For The Sam Zell Automata Collection, 1994-2015, University Of Michigan Law School

Automata Files

The sources included in this annotated bibliography support the Finding Aid to the Sam Zell Automata Collection.

Interpretable Repertoire Search For Computer Supported Aural Skills Teaching: A Searchable Sia Based Digital Companion, Peter G. Fielding

Bailey School of Music Faculty Publications

Aural skills teaching depends heavily on repertoire selection, yet many large print and heritage song collections remain difficult to search in pedagogically meaningful ways. Teachers may need melodies with limited pitch collections for early solfège, modal examples for comparative listening, or repertory with controlled chromatic complexity, but such features are rarely indexed in printed sources. This paper proposes a computer-supported response to that problem: a searchable, rights-aware digital companion built around tonic-centered successive interval arrays (SIAs). SIAs provide an interpretable representation of pitch space by encoding the cyclic step pattern among the pitch classes present in a melody after tonic …

La County Voters' Preferences In California Gubernatorial Race - 2026 Los Angeles County Voter Poll, Thomas And Dorothy Leavey Center For The Study Of Los Angeles

StudyLA Data Briefs

ABOUT THIS STUDY

The 2026 LA County Voter Poll conducted by StudyLA involved a 20 minute online survey of 958 registered voters in LA County. The survey was conducted in English and Spanish between February 11th and March 16th, 2026 and respondents were asked a range of questions concerning Los Angeles and governance reform.

ABOUT THIS REPORT

Survey results are presented in two sections: (1) toplines, or total responses for each question and (2) crosstabs, or all questions crossed by major demographics. The following report presents data pertaining to all substantive questions. This survey was made possible through a generous …

Causes And Best Practices To Minimize Disciplinary Referrals For Minor Behavioral Issues In General Education Classrooms With Special Education Populations, Beth Moran

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An increasing number of setting one and setting two special education students with disruptive behaviors are being integrated into general education classrooms in the elementary grades. When these students are referred to formal disciplinary processes by general education teachers for minor behavioral issues, they lose classroom time. Collecting data to identify the causes of minor behavioral issues can inform decisions about the distribution of special education students in general education classrooms and the selection of appropriate classroom management strategies by grade level. Identifying and selecting best practices to minimize behavioral issues within settings one and two for special education students …

“The Irishmen – Immigrants, Soldiers, And The Spark Of Revolutions”, Joshua Hanscheck

History Theses

The Irish, as a people and a revolutionary inspiration, have been the subject of research and discussion for much of the late twentieth and twenty-first centuries. A trope has emerged that the Irish could take over the world, if they were not so busy chasing the bottom of their pub glasses, but the trope – stereotypes about Irish drinking aside – is grounded in some truth. The diaspora encouraged many things: a revival in Gaelic culture, a general disdain among outsiders for the Irish as a people group, and, most importantly, a revolutionary fervor that seemed almost infectious. This fervor …

Artificial Intelligence Adoption In The Workplace. An Exploration Of Augmentation, Oyinkansola O. Sodiya

Management Dissertations

As collaborative work with artificial intelligence (AI augmentation) gains interest, it is crucial to investigate factors that affect how employees perceive and use AI tools at work. Drawing on task-technology fit and technology adoption theories, this dissertation examines the ways in which task dimensions, organizational contexts, and individual differences affect the perceived usefulness of working with AI tools. This dissertation demonstrates that task-technology fit is fundamental. Employees in jobs with high information processing demands are likely to positively perceive the usefulness of AI augmentation relative to employees in jobs with high interpersonal demands. Employees with more proactive personalities perceive greater …

Toward Interpretable Multi-Omics Multimodal Biomedical Artificial Intelligence, Yanjun Lyu

Computer Science and Engineering Dissertations

The complexity of human disease arises from biological processes that unfold across multiple scales, from molecular variation through cellular function, tissue organisation, brain phenotypes, each of which is associated with distinct measurement modalities, regularities, and characteristic. Contemporary biomedical artificial intelligence has brought the opportunity to reveal the complexity with in; however, its methodological default, in which models are trained on most readily available modality, does not adequately engage with the multi-scale connected structure by which biological meaning is constituted. The research area of multi-omics and multi-modal AI for biomedicine remains at an early exploratory stage, and the work presented in …

Pre-Training And Interpretability In Deep Learning Models, Weizhi An

Computer Science and Engineering Dissertations

In the evolving field of artificial intelligence, the efficacy of deep learning models is often gated by the quality of their training and the clarity of their decision-making processes. This dissertation addresses these crucial challenges by focusing on two key areas: enhancing pre-training strategies and improving model interpretability. Our approach is twofold, integrating novel pre-training methodologies that embed domain-specific knowledge early in the model training process, and developing advanced techniques for disentangling and clarifying the decision-making mechanisms within these models. The first direction of our research employs MoDNA, a motif-oriented pre-training framework specifically designed for DNA language models. By leveraging …

Uncertainty Quantification, Propagation & Conjunction Assessment In Orbital Mechanics Using Generalized Polynomial Chaos Expansion & 2-Dimensional Conjunction Plane Analysis Techniques, Monalisa Karim

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Theses

Uncertainties, that are inherent to dynamic models, can be associated with state initial conditions, force modelling errors, navigation and actuation errors. In system modelling stochastic differential equations are used to represent dynamic phenomena with uncertainties, for which the solutions are probability density functions of quantities of interest characterizing the realization of the stochastic processes. In Polynomial Chaos Expansion (PCE) propagation, these solutions are represented as weighted sums of multivariate spectral polynomials that are functions of the input random variables. Generalized polynomial chaos expansion (gPC) is an extension to the original homogenous PCE which projects the random solution onto a basis …

Influence Of Microbial Communities And Dilute Heavy Metals In Green Manure On Growth In Lactuca Sativa, Robert Lemay

Student Research Projects

This experiment investigated the effects of a green manure (Lemna minor, common duckweed) grown in varying levels of heavy metals and inoculated with local microbiomes on a crop (Lactuca sativa, volcana lettuce). The growth and health of the duckweeds were measured via root length and biomass, and the health of the lettuce crop was measured via head diameter and biomass.  Two levels of heavy metal concentrations were based on real-world stormwater runoff data to mimic an agricultural environment where accumulation of metals in local water bodies may be absorbed into green manure duckweeds. One microbial treatment and …

Limitations Of Reproductive Manipulation By Bacterial Endosymbionts In A Spider Host, Jordyn D. Proctor

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

Maternally inherited bacterial endosymbionts are common in arthropods. Many of these bacteria manipulate host reproduction to favor the production of infected females, thereby increasing bacterial prevalence in the host population, even if cost is incurred to the host. However, there are also many factors that may inhibit symbionts’ ability to spread in host populations, including environmental constraints, symbiont-imposed costs on the host, interactions with co-infecting bacteria, or host biology. I explored two aspects of symbiont biology within a spider host, Mermessus fradeorum (Linyphiidae), which has varying combinations of up to five different bacterial endosymbionts in local populations: Rickettsiella, Tisiphia …

Impacts Of Livestock Dewormers On Dung Beetle Foraging Choices Across Spatial Scales, Madison L. Kluge

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

Dung beetles provide ecosystem services in pasture systems but are vulnerable to chemical residues in livestock dung. Parasiticides containing macrocyclic lactones (MLs) are used to control parasites in livestock and are excreted unmetabolized in dung, exposing non-target organisms to these compounds. We used a multi-scale approach to examine whether ML residues alter dung beetle foraging ecology. At the field scale, we assessed dung beetle abundance and community composition using traps baited with dung from untreated cattle and cattle treated with ivermectin, moxidectin, or eprinomectin across eight farms and natural areas. At a smaller scale, we conducted behavioral assays to quantify …

Social Protection To Foster Inclusive, Resilient Early Childhood Education In Kenya, Uganda, And Tanzania, Nyagwegwe Wango

Institute for Educational Development, East Africa

In order to evaluate the efficacy of systems approaches in enhancing early childhood education (ECE), this study summarizes outcomes from the SESEA and F4L programs in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. The study investigates how context-responsive ECE, social-emotional learning (SEL), and social protection (SP) interventions contribute to improvements in teaching practices, inclusion, and learner outcomes using mixed-methods data, including teacher surveys, classroom observations, and policy analysis. The findings show significant improvements in inclusive classroom practices, gender-sensitive pedagogy, and teacher confidence, especially when reflective peer learning and continuous mentoring are incorporated. Children’s academic performance and well-being have been linked to the integration …

Spatial Clustering And Determinants Of Dengue Incidence Among The Young Population Of Northern Thailand During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Sopida Supotina, Kasama Pooseesod, Tassanee Silawan, Nattapong Puttanapong, Sayambhu Saita

NAKHARA (Journal of Environmental Design and Planning)

Dengue infection remains a significant public health concern in Thailand, particularly among young populations. The emergence of COVID-19 introduced additional complexity to disease surveillance and control efforts. This study aimed to determine the spatial clustering and determinants of dengue incidence among individuals under 25 years of age in Northern Thailand during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ecological analysis was conducted across 103 districts in eight northern provinces. District-level dengue incidence rates of individuals under 25 years of age for 2021 were calculated and analyzed using global Moran’s I and local indicators of spatial association (LISA) to detect spatial clustering. Bivariate LISA was …

Localized Ks Assessment For Bioretention In Thailand : Improving Swmm Accuracy, Chulalux Wanitchayapaisit, Damrongsak Rinchumphu, Prattakorn Sittisom, Thidarat Kridakorn Na Ayutthaya, Chana Sinsabvarodom, Oleg Gorbunov, Sitthikorn Sitthikankun

NAKHARA (Journal of Environmental Design and Planning)

Urbanization in Thailand has significantly reduced natural infiltration surfaces, intensified stormwater runoff, and increased the demand for effective urban drainage solutions. Bioretention systems, guided by water-sensitive urban design (WSUD) principles, offer a promising approach for enhancing infiltration and mitigating urban flooding. However, the effectiveness of bioretention depends critically on the accurate estimation of saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks), a key input parameter in hydrological models such as the Storm Water Management Model (SWMM). Despite international guidelines, local Ks values for tropical soils and vegetation remain scarce, limiting model reliability. This study aims to determine its suitability as a filter media layer …

A Cross-Sectional Survey Of Caregiver Knowledge, Attitudes, And Practices Related To Interoception And Feeding Responses Among Children With Adhd, Paige Mehlberg

Health and Nutritional Sciences Graduate Students Plan B Capstone Projects

Background: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disability that impacts attention, impulse control, and self-regulation, which may also influence eating behaviors and nutrition status. Children with ADHD are more likely to experience feeding challenges, including selective eating, inconsistent appetite, emotional eating, and difficulty recognizing hunger and fullness cues. These challenges may be partially explained by deficits in interoception, or the ability to perceive internal body signals. Caregivers play a key role in shaping feeding behaviors. However, limited research has examined caregiver knowledge and practices related to interoception in this population. 
Objective: To examine caregiver knowledge, attitudes, and practices related …

Effectiveness Of A Six-Week Nutrition And Cooking Education Program On Nutrition Knowledge And Cooking Skills In Unhoused Families, Lucy Mehlhaff

Health and Nutritional Sciences Graduate Students Plan B Capstone Projects

Objective: establish a nutrition and cooking education program at a transitional housing facility in Sioux Falls, SD and evaluate its effect on both nutrition knowledge and cooking skills in participants.
Methods: Using the nutrition education curriculum “Families Eating Smart and Moving More” (FESMM), we conducted a 6-week nutrition and cooking education program at the transitional housing facility, Bishop Dudley Center for Families (BDCFF), in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Participants attended didactic sessions led by a master’s student in nutrition and dietetics that encouraged healthy and cost-effective eating, as well as took part in hands on cooking lessons with assistance from …

Parental Knowledge, Attitudes, And Practices Related To Interoception And Feeding Behaviors In Children With Adhd: A Cross-Sectional Survey, Hayleigh Young

Health and Nutritional Sciences Graduate Students Plan B Capstone Projects

Objective: Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often experience challenges related to interoceptive awareness, which can impact feeding behaviors and overall nutrition. Parents play a critical role in supporting the development of these skills, however limited research has examined parental knowledge and practices related to interoception and child feeding behaviors. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the association between parental knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to interoception and child feeding behaviors in children with ADHD to help inform the development of parent-focused educational resources.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey was developed based on a targeted review of literature examining ADHD, interoception, and …

Flow Injection Determination Of Fluoride For Total Organic Fluorine Analysis, Memona Zulafiqar

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses

Poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are anthropogenic chemicals that have gained increasing attention due to their association with a wide range of adverse health effects. These compounds are highly diverse, with approximately 15,000 PFAS reported. Their exceptional environmental stability and strong tendency to bioaccumulate result in environmentally relevant concentrations that typically occur at very low levels, often in the ng L⁻¹ range. This chemical diversity presents a major analytical challenge, as reference standards are available for only a limited number of PFAS. Consequently, conventional targeted analytical methods frequently quantify less than 1% of the total PFAS present, leading to a …

Liutex - A Fluid Vortex, Oscar Alvarez

Mathematics Dissertations

Fluid vortices are found everywhere in our universe. A vortex can take the form of almost anything - from the classical spiral vortex to chaotic plumes. Defining a vortex physically and mathematically is absolutely necessary if we desire to study vortices and their interactions with each other as well as our physical world. Fluid vortices are incredibly important in the study of turbulent flows. From determining wear, optimizing design for better flow, efficiency, etc., to even predicting the weather on Earth or other planets, having the ability to measure vortices in fluid flow is invaluable. In this study, I investigate …

Black Americans' Interactions With Law Enforcement: The Black Church's Response, Shalanda Ehiozee

Doctor of Ministry

This research interrogates the disproportionate frequency of lethal law enforcement encounters involving Black Americans, contextualizing these fatalities within the systemic racial hierarchies foundational to the United States. By tracing the historical evolution of policing from antebellum slave patrols to contemporary practice, this study contends that modern law enforcement serves as a sophisticated mechanism of racial and social control.

To examine this phenomenon, the research employs a qualitative, multidimensional methodology that synthesizes Comparative Caste Analysis, case study examination, and a Christological framework. This inquiry is further bolstered by a longitudinal analysis of African American ecclesiological activism, culminating in a theological reflection …

Sanctioned By God, Opposed By Man: The Denial Of The Homiletic Practice Of Women In The Pulpit By The Madison County Baptist Association Of Churches, Linda Johnson Dunigan

Doctor of Ministry

The ongoing resistance to women’s full participation in church leadership, rooted in biblical and cultural interpretations, continues to marginalize women and uphold systemic inequality within the body of Christ. The debate over women’s preaching and ordination, shaped by differing biblical and cultural understandings, illustrates the complexity of the issue. This study examines the theological and ecclesiastical conflicts surrounding the Madison County Baptist Association of Churches’ (MCBA) prohibition on women’s homiletical practice in the pulpit, citing restrictive interpretations of texts such as 1 Timothy 2:11-15 and 1 Corinthians 14:34-35.

This study aims to demonstrate that opposition to women preaching is shaped …

The Emmaus Conversation: A Cohort Model For Building Bridges Between Lgbtq+ Lived Experience And Church Leadership, Jon Ciccarelli

Doctor of Ministry

Need Problem Opportunity (NPO) Statement

Adventism fosters a harmful culture for LGBTQ+ individuals who want to grow as beloved disciples of Jesus.

Key Insights from Research

• Religious trauma greatly impacts LGBTQ+ individuals.
• Adventism is not pursuing the inclusion of LGBTQ+ individuals.
• The Adventist Church is not benefiting from the fruit of the Spirit experienced and expressed through Adventist LGBTQ+ individuals as part of the body of Christ.
• Empathy, reconciliation, and healing were experienced during the project's prototyping.
• Many Southeastern California Conference pastors and leaders want to grow and engage in this area and be proactive in including LGBTQ+ individuals in …

Turn On The Light Of Life(Tll) Pastoral Theology For Integrated Mental And Spiritual Health In The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church Perspective, Leulekal Akalu Alemu

Doctor of Ministry

This study explores a unified framework for integrating mental health counseling with spiritual guidance within the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church pastoral theology, emphasizing the essential role of clergy in promoting both spiritual and mental well-being. The initiative aims to establish a structured approach that aligns mental health strategies with theological principles, thereby enhancing the connection between mental wellness and spiritual vitality.

Current observations indicate that many clergy members lack adequate training in pastoral counseling, which significantly impedes their ability to effectively address the mental and social issues faced by their communities. This research seeks to empower church leaders by providing …

Betrothed To Jesus: Embracing Uncertainty As The Key To A Lasting Romance, Kyle H. Chase

Doctor of Ministry

NPO:

Churches are not giving college students the tools they need to navigate uncertainty with Jesus.

Key Insights:

For college students who decide to follow Jesus, the experience of uncertainty after college can result in a deconstruction of faith. Church leaders often respond by equipping students with tools aimed at eradicating uncertainty (biblical and cultural apologetics, catechisms, formulaic practices, etc.). The solution is more elegant: If students are to remain adaptable and resilient for a lifetime, they do not need to eradicate uncertainty but to embrace it—not as an occasion for explanation but as an opportunity to encounter the living …

Re-Imagining Church As A Spiritual Family, Abraham Acosta-Newball

Doctor of Ministry

The contemporary Christian church faces a crisis of belonging; many members are opting out for non-theologically related reasons or differences. The claim for this exodus is a lack of genuine community that serves as an extended spiritual family. Modern churches function as event-centered gatherings, and less like a multigenerational community, reflecting instead a culture of individualism and spiritual consumerism. The purpose of this project is to explore strategies for churches to assume a more biblical role of a spiritual family. Particularly focusing on practical ways for building stronger community within multigenerational and multiethnic Worship settings. The project culminates in three …