Digital Commons Network^™

Dnp Final Report: Improving School Nurse Confidence In Managing Student Anxiety Through Simulation-Based Training, Jessica Marish

DNP Final Reports

Evidence has shown that students with untreated or poorly managed mental health concerns are at higher risk for absenteeism, psychiatric hospitalization, and school dropout. School nurses are often among the first healthcare professionals students encounter when experiencing emotional distress; however, many report limited preparation in mental health screening, grounding techniques, and referral support. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to determine the feasibility of a simulation-based educational intervention for school nurses in managing student anxiety. Guided by the Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice Model and Neuman Systems Model, this initiative also included the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) quality improvement model …

Ultraviolet Imaging Of Sr 12 C With Hst/Wfc3: Accretion And Variability Of A Giant Planet At The End Stages Of Growth, Claire O. Finley, Brendan P. Bowler, Ya-Lin Wu, Adam L. Kraus, Yifan Zhou, Yuhiko Aoyama, William Best, Ian Czekala, Catherine C. Espaillat, Katherine B. Follette, Gregory J. Herczeg, Raquel A. Martinez, Connor E. Robinson, Quang H. Tran, K. Ward-Duong

Astronomy: Faculty Publications

Many details of the gas accretion phase during giant planet formation remain untested. We present new 0.2–0.7 μm UV-through-red optical imaging of the young, wide-orbit planetary-mass companion SR 12 c from the Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) instrument on board the Hubble Space Telescope. SR 12 c exhibits strong accretion-related continuum excess blueward of∼5000 Å and clear signs of the Balmer jump at 3646 Å. We derive a total accretion luminosity of1.65 ±0.19× 10⁻⁵L_⊙and a mass accretion rate of 8 ±2 × 10⁻¹² M_⊙yr⁻¹. Based on its mass and age,SR12 c …

Effective Leadership Practices For Administrators In High-Poverty Rural Elementary Schools, Rhonda Underhill

Education Doctoral

The purpose of this study was to examine potential solutions for high-needs rural elementary school leaders to improve academic outcomes for students from low-income families. Students from low-income families in rural elementary schools continue to underperform academically compared to their non-economically disadvantaged peers. Students should not reach adulthood with the same income inequalities they had when they entered school. Solutions are needed to find ways for school administrators to reverse this trend. The study used the New York State Education Department (2018) Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education (CR-S) Framework to examine effective leadership practices from the perspectives of school leaders in high-achieving, …

Critical Constructivism And Alaana Interpreter Identity: A Narrative Analysis Qualitative Study, Kamil Gerald

Education Doctoral

The purpose of this study was to explore and illuminate the lived experiences of African, Latinx, Asian, Arab, and Native American (ALAANA) sign language interpreters (SLIs) within interpreter education programs (IEPs) and the interpreting field. American Sign Language (ASL), the dominant sign language taught in IEPs across the United States, has been shown to overshadow Indigenous Sign Languages (ISLs), a phenomenon often referred to as “ASL colonialism.” Critical constructivism served as the foundational framework in this narrative analysis qualitative study to examine how ALAANA SLIs navigated, resisted, and reimagined their professional identities amid limited exposure to ISLs. Semi-structured interviews were …

Nocturnal Insect Diversity Within Myakka Headwaters Preserve (And Its Implications For Local Bat Populations), Devin Brannon

Theses & ETDs

Insects and bats act as potential bioindicators for environmental health in a given area due to their sensitivity to ecological change, alterations, and placement within the food chain. This study works to establish a baseline framework for the assessing of habitat quality in Big Waters Land Trust Myakka Headwaters Preserve (MHP) within Manatee County, Florida. This was done through the combined use of passive acoustic bat monitoring alongside insect light-trapping. Insect sampling was conducted at 8 sites/habitat types across MHP between September and November 2025. The use of a modified UV light trap design resulted in the collection of a …

An Analysis Of The Restaurant Industry: A Structure-Conduct-Performance Approach, Richard Corcoran

Theses & ETDs

The restaurant industry is a very large and integral part of the economy in the United States. It aids in employing more than 15 million Americans and brings close to 1 trillion dollars in annual revenue to the United States. Despite the size of the industry, many people take for granted the forces that drive and structure it. In this thesis, we will use the Structure, conduct, and performance model (SCP) to demonstrate and analyze how the restaurant industry is organized, how various business in it compete, and what kinds of outcomes for restaurant owners, employees, and consumers stem from …

Business Management & Airbnb, Fernando Espinal

Theses & ETDs

This thesis looks at property management in the short-term rental industry, with a focus on Airbnb properties in Sarasota, Florida. The information in this paper comes from my internship which for privacy reasons I simply refer to it as The Company, where I helped manage Airbnb rental properties. During my internship, I worked with rental pricing, compared local properties, organized expenses using QuickBooks and Excel, and reviewed how properties performed in the market. The purpose of this thesis is to explain how pricing, location, competition, and seasonal changes can affect the success of an Airbnb property. Through the internship experience, …

The Author Has Granted New College Of Florida The Nonexclusive Right To Archive, Make Accessible, And Distribute For Educational Purposes This Work In Whole Or In Part In All Forms Of Media, Now Or Hereafter Known. The Copyright Of This Work Remains With The Author., Alexandra Diliberti

Theses & ETDs

Indigenous women in Guatemala face disproportionate rates of maternal mortality, malnutrition, and reproductive health disparities compared to non-indigenous women. These disparities persist, even after the signing of the 1996 Peace Accords formally committed the government to indigenous rights and improved healthcare. This thesis argues that this is the result of coloniality, neoliberal privatization, and the epistemological exclusion of Maya health knowledge from the official health system. The theoretical framework is based on coloniality of power and knowledge (Quijano 2000), abyssal thinking and ecology of knowledges (Santos 2014), coloniality of gender (Lugones 2008), structural violence (Farmer 1996), and decolonizing methodologies (Tuhiwai …

Narrative And Video Games: How Mediums Can Expand Our Stories, Erin Hagy

Theses & ETDs

The objective of this paper is to examine the extent to which video games can be conceived as a narrative format, with specific regards to its consideration in the educational and social spheres. The paper outlines a variety of popular games for consideration, as well as some influencing technological factors, in arguments for the growing importance and inclusion of narrative within the field of gaming. It also exhibits a variety of case studies towards this point and concludes that while video games hold great potential in terms of narrative, the notable variation across the medium can make it difficult to …

Free, Civil Legal Aid: An Examination Of Client Access To Free, Civil Legal Services In Tennessee, Laura E. Brown

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Nonprofit law firms and legal aid societies provide free civil legal assistance to low-income individuals who have a civil, legal need and who qualify for the services. However, the provision of such services is not straightforward nor without challenges and barriers. This research study examined the provision of free, civil legal services to eligible citizens of Tennessee to see if there was a difference in the provision of services depending on if the recipient of services resides in a rural, urban, or suburban area. The study also explored if there was a difference in the number of cases closed and …

Bending And Breaking The Boundary Between Horror And Comedy: An Exploration Of The Existentialist Function Of The Abject In The Works Of John Landis And Woody Allen, Alaynna K. Bromley

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This thesis explores the line between comedy and horror in an increasingly postmodern world through the cinema of John Landis and Woody Allen. Chapter One explores the theoretical and historical material that link Landis and Allen, namely in their dealing with (1) Edgar Allan Poe’s effect, (2) Julia Kristeva and Judith Butler’s abject, (3) Sigmund Freud’s “uncanny,” and (4) Mikhail Baktin’s carnivalesque. The chapter will conclude with John Landis’ portions of The Twilight Zone: The Movie, as a linked history that welcomes exploration of Landis alongside Allen. Chapter Two conducts a comparative study of two horror-comedies: John Landis’ An American …

Adaptive Insole Design To Prevent Foot Ulcers In Diabetic Neuropathy Patients, Ali Ahmed Osman Abuelgasim

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This thesis investigates whether an adaptive multilayer insole can sense high plantar pressure and redistribute load through soft robotic pneumatic actuation to prevent diabetic foot ulcers. The prototype includes a cushioning layer, a 16-zone force-sensitive resistor array, a McKibben pneumatic actuator, and a 3D-printed TPU structural base. Experimental procedures included sensor calibration, passive TPU evaluation, actuator displacement testing, localized pneumatic offloading, and closed-loop sensing-and-actuation testing, all under controlled laboratory conditions. Pressure data was converted to kilopascals and evaluated using heat maps, zone-by-zone comparisons, and measures of actuator deformation and percent change. Most sensor zones showed a pressure decrease due to …

Perceived Effectiveness Of Cigar Warnings Among Young People In The U.S., Leah M. Ranney, Rime Jebai, Michael Jetsupphasuk, Sonia A. Clark, Kristen L. Jarman, Sarah D. Kowitt, Jim Thrasher Ph.D., Ma, Ms, Adam O. Goldstein, Jennifer Cornacchione Ross

Faculty Publications

Introduction: The effectiveness of warning size and format on cigar packaging in influencing youth and young adult smoking behaviors is not well understood. This study tested these cigar warning characteristics among youth and young adults who use or are susceptible to using little cigars or cigarillos.

Methods: The study recruited 506 U.S. youth and young adults, aged 15−20 years, between April and June 2023. Participants reported ever or past 30-day use of little cigars or cigarillos or were susceptible to using little cigars or cigarillos. A 2 £ 2 between-subjects online experiment was conducted where youth and young adults were …

Samuel M. Sanchez, Samuel M. Sanchez

Faculty CVs

No abstract provided.

Historical Impact Of Climate Change And Progress Of Genetic Traits On Yield In The Major Soybean (Glycine Max L.) Growing Provinces Of South Africa, Vuwani Makuya, Michael Van Der Laan, Montserrat Salmerón, Gianni Bellocchi, Annelie De Beer, Robert Mangani

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Context and objective: Soybean production in South Africa is increasingly threatened by climate change; but the historical interplay between changing climate and genetic improvement on yield remains unexplored. This study assessed the historical influence of climate change and genetic trait improvement on soybean yield from 1998 to 2022 across four different South African localities: Bethlehem, Delmas, Brits and Potchefstroom. Methods: Seasonal climate trends were evaluated using the non–parametric tests, yield anomalies were quantified using detrended standardized residuals, and the effects of rainfall and temperature on yield were analyzed through Bayesian hierarchical modelling. The contribution of genetic improvement to yield gains …

Measuring Administrative Hiring Confidence Of Music Teachers In The Context Of Shallow Hiring Pools, Aaron M. Strum

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify and measure the confidence of K-12 administrators in hiring music faculty. This study also aimed to analyze administrators’ perspectives and confidence in key stages of the hiring process, including defining job expectations, posting, advertising, interviewing, and selecting highly specialized music teachers in K-12 settings. Confidence of K-12 administrators can be gauged through their understanding of how well an applicant aligns with the specific needs of the school’s program. Three research questions guided this investigation: (1a) How confident are K-12 administrators in their understanding of music teaching pedagogy when interviewing music teacher candidates …

A Simulation Assessment Of The 'Law Of One Price', Caleb Wilkins

Computational and Data Sciences (MS) Theses

The ‘law of one price’ is an appealing notion regarding pricing of tradeable commodities that are priced in different currencies. It states that the prices of the same good in different markets should be equal after adjustment for exchange rates and that equality should persist through exchange rate fluctuations.

My research simulates the market conditions that should precipitate the ‘law of one price.’ Data was obtained from the simulated trade between algorithmic artificial intelligence agents that operated under induced boundedly rational market behaviors. Trade took place in two initially separate markets, a high-price market with a higher equilibrium price and …

Eusocial Caste Specialization Under Abiotic And Biotic Stress In A Stingless Bee, Tetragonisca Angustula, Kristin M. Robinson

Dissertations

Eusocial insects rely on division of labor to achieve high colony efficiency and provide essential ecosystem services, but specialization may also constrain colony resilience when workers operate near their physiological or behavioral limits under abiotic and biotic stressors. How specialization mediates these responses remains poorly understood, particularly in stingless bees (Tribe: Meliponini). Using the agriculturally relevant stingless bee Tetragonisca angustula, which possesses a specialized soldier subcaste, I investigated how a high degree of worker specialization influences physiological tolerance and predator responses across worker subcastes.

In this dissertation, I quantified variation in thermal tolerance and desiccation resistance among worker subcastes …

Blueprints For Resilience: A Delphi Study Of Architects' Competencies In Gulf Coast States, Richard J. Cantu

Dissertations

This study identifies and defines core competencies for licensed architects practicing in Gulf Coast states, emphasizing their critical role in protecting health, safety, and welfare (HSW) amid the region’s unique environmental challenges. Hurricanes, flooding, climate-induced risks, and other coastal hazards demand specialized expertise that existing architectural competency models do not adequately address. Leveraging Delphi’s research design, this study engaged Gulf Coast experts to develop and refine a region-specific competency framework across four iterative rounds. The findings highlighted the essential knowledge, skills, and abilities required for resilient and sustainable architectural practice. The study advances architecture’s human capital development (HCD) by addressing …

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 …

Why They Stay: A Qualitative Study Of Experiences Of Veteran Low-Incidence Self-Contained Special Education Teachers Who Remain In The Profession, Jessie Leyden

Dissertations

Persistent shortages of special education teachers in the United States have intensified the need to understand not only why some educators leave, but why others choose to stay. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand the experiences of veteran special education teachers working in low-incidence, self-contained classrooms who choose to remain in the profession. With a particular focus on the factors that contribute to their retention beyond the first three years, the study involved a sample of ten low-incidence, self-contained teachers from a variety of states across the country. Using semi-structured interviews, the study explored how these …

Black Women Science Teachers’ Contextual Knowledge Shapes Technology Integration To Support Culturally Responsive Teaching In Secondary Science Classrooms, Ashley M. Thomas

Dissertations

The number of Black and Brown high school students entering college to study science and technology majors is declining. Because they encounter shared intersectional experiences in the science and technology fields, Black women have a unique connection with their students that builds on teaching practices grounded in culturally responsive teaching (CRT). The mixed methods study was bounded to one school district that had a CRT initiative and provided training to its teachers. The study used a pre-validated survey regarding the perceptions of CRT in a technology-supported learning environment and identified the tools and practices Black female science teachers (BFSTs) use …

History-Dependent Gain Control In The Paraventricular Thalamus: Neural Substrates Of Stress-Enhanced Fear Learning, Michael Martino

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is characterized by hyperarousal and heightened reactivity that generalize beyond the original traumatic event, yet the neural mechanisms by which prior stress experience biases future fear learning remain poorly understood. Stress-enhanced fear learning (SEFL) is a well-validated rodent model of this phenomenon, in which a severe stressor produces persistent sensitization of subsequent fear acquisition. This dissertation used a 30-day SEFL paradigm to identify the brain-wide functional signature of stress sensitization and to identify candidate neural substrates.

Whole-brain cFos mapping during acute fear acquisition revealed a predominant pattern of suppressed neural activity in sensitized animals, with limbic …

Supporting Occupational Engagement And Regulation For Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis, Robert E. Oehl 3rd, Zeida Gutierrez

Summer 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

Children diagnosed with pediatric multiple sclerosis (MS) can face cognitive, physical, and emotional symptoms. The symptoms they experience can be barriers to participation in occupations and activities of daily living. For occupational therapy, there is very limited resources for pediatric MS specifically, and it is almost an unknown diagnosis. Occupational therapy in management can help ensure that children reach their developmental milestones in mobility, grasp, social, cognitive, and academic circles. This capstone project was meant to improve awareness and comprehensive treatment and resources through program development. The capstone experience resulted in a project featuring a webinar about pediatric MS and …

Unleashing Potential: Educating Ot Practitioners On Animal-Assisted Therapy For Children With Cp, Karley B. Smith, Lakeisa Boykin

Summer 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

The purpose of this capstone project is to develop and evaluate the efficacy of an animal-assisted therapy educational package for occupational therapy practitioners treating children with cerebral palsy. This educational package serves as an adjunctive occupational therapy service to address the ongoing need for engaging, holistic interventions that support motor development and participation. The primary focus of this project is practitioner education and training to promote safe, structured, and clinically sound integration of animal-assisted therapy into occupational therapy practice. The methods for this project included a literature review, informal needs assessment, development of an educational package, QR code video demonstrations, …

Las Otras Rosas: Mexican American Women Workers And World War Ii, Talisa Flores

War, Diplomacy, and Society (MA) Theses

The image of Rosie the Riveter has become one of the most enduring symbols of patriotism, women's empowerment, and gender equality in the United States. Yet this iconic representation has obscured the experiences of many women whose wartime labor remains marginalized in both public memory and historical scholarship, particularly Mexican American defense workers. This thesis reexamines the history of Rosie the Riveter by centering the voices of Mexican American women employed in wartime industries during the Second World War. While the war undoubtedly shaped their lives, this study argues that the conventional Rosie narrative, one that portrays wartime employment as …

Before Urgent Fury: U.S. Foreign Policy Toward Grenada During The Ford And Carter Administrations, Nicholas Jake Durell

War, Diplomacy, and Society (MA) Theses

When the United States pulled out of Vietnam in 1973, it experienced a military and psychological defeat unlike any in its modern history. Following President Richard Nixon’s resignation from the Watergate scandal, Gerald Ford, the House Minority Leader who had become Vice President, now assumed the presidency of a deeply fractured nation. As the Cold War persisted, Washington struggled to reassert its superpower status globally while desperately avoiding further foreign entanglements. Consequently, the Ford administration adopted a cautiously detached approach to foreign policy, a strategy vividly illustrated by its posture toward the Eastern Caribbean. This calculated ambivalence, continued by the …

The Scoop, Vol. 13 Issue 5, August 2026, Health Sciences Library

Volume 13

Latest news and updates from the Health Sciences Library in our monthly newsletter for August 2026. Please see page 2 for a text-only version of this issue!

Issue 25: Beyond Blame: Gender-Based Violence Prevention And African Diaspora Communities In The Waterloo Region, Halima Ahmed, Valdrin Dragusha, Stella Omonigho, Fadhilah Balogun

International Migration Research Centre

Gender-Based Violence (GBV) remains a critical social, public health, and governance challenge in Canada, particularly for migrant and refugee women (Tastsoglou, 2025). This is increasingly prominent at the local level in the Waterloo Region, particularly for African and racialized diaspora communities navigating settlement, integration, and institutional access. While multi-level governance and frameworks exist at the city, regional, provincial, and federal levels to address GBV, they tend to work in silos, and local implementation gaps persist. The gaps are shaped by cultural stigma, fragmented service delivery, precarious immigration status, formalinformal networks of support, and unequal access to culturally responsive support systems. …

The Influence Of Rainfall And Land Cover Change On Streamflow Variability In Eastern Florida Watersheds, Brynn Romberger

Theses and Dissertations

Streamflow in Florida watersheds is influenced by both land cover change and rainfall variability, but separating their contributions is difficult because both have changed over recent decades. This study evaluated rainfall trends and land cover change to determine which better explains flood and drought threshold exceedance across 27 USGS streamflow gauges within the St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) from 1985 to 2025. Streamflow was characterized using change-point, trend, and variability analyses with a six-threshold exceedance framework. Land cover was quantified using the National Land Cover Database (NLCD), rainfall characteristics were derived from the Analysis of Records for Calibration …