Digital Commons Network^™

2026 Summer Commencement Program, The University Of West Alabama

Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Transforming The Lives Of Adolescent Girls In West And Central Africa, Mame Soukeye Mbaye, Sarah Engebretsen, Maty Dia, Karen Austrian

Adolescents and Young People

The Girls’ Futures in Focus: Evidence from West and Central Africa series examines the challenges facing adolescent girls in the region and highlights evidence-informed approaches to improving their lives. The series focuses on eight countries that span the Sahel, coastal West Africa, and Central Africa and that reflect a range of fragility, conflict, and development contexts, allowing the GIRL Center’s findings to speak to adolescent girls’ compounded and diverse experiences across the region: Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire, Niger, and Senegal. This series overview brief investigates their education, economic empowerment, mental health, …

Promouvoir La Santé Mentale Et La Résilience Des Adolescentes En Afrique De L’Ouest Et Du Centre, Mame Soukeye Mbaye, Sarah Engebretsen, Maty Dia, Karen Austrian

Adolescents and Young People

La série « L’avenir des filles en point de mire : données probantes d’Afrique de l’Ouest et du Centre » examine les défis auxquels font face les adolescentes de la région et met en lumière des approches éclairées par les données probantes pour améliorer leurs conditions de vie. Cette note souligne l’importance de la santé mentale et de la résilience des adolescentes dans le contexte de l’Afrique de l’Ouest et du Centre. Elle résume les données disponibles sur le fardeau des troubles de santé mentale chez les adolescentes, en s’appuyant sur les données issues des pays prioritaires du GIRL Center. …

Investissement Ciblé En Faveur Des Adolescentes Dans L’Espace Numérique En Afrique De L’Ouest Et Du Centre, Mame Soukeye Mbaye, Sarah Engebretsen, Maty Dia, Karen Austrian

Adolescents and Young People

La série « L’avenir des filles en point de mire : données probantes d’Afrique de l’Ouest et du Centre » examine les défis auxquels font face les adolescentes de la région et met en lumière des approches éclairées par les données probantes pour améliorer leurs conditions de vie. Cette note résume les données disponibles sur les adolescentes les plus exclues de l’espace numérique en Afrique de l’Ouest et du Centre (AOC), en s’appuyant sur les pays prioritaires du GIRL Center. Elle identifie les approches numériques susceptibles d’être pertinentes pour les adolescentes dans le contexte ouest- et centre-africain, tout en reconnaissant …

Understanding The Impact Of Parenting, Self-Determination Theory, And Adverse Childhood Experiences On College Students, Melanie D. Prater

Dissertations

College students are at high risk for experiencing psychological distress which impacts their academic, mental, and physical well-being (Eskin et al., 2016; Reed‑Fitzke & Lucier‑Greer, 2020; Sharp & Theiler, 2018). The Self Determination Theory (SDT) serves as a suitable framework for investigating the impact of parental autonomy support (PAS) and parental psychological control (PPC) on college students’ well-being and distress. According to SDT, the satisfaction of three foundational needs (autonomy, competence, and relatedness) supports well-being, while thwarting of these needs may be associated with psychological distress and resilience (Costa et al., 2016; Lera & Abualkibash, 2022; Reed‑Fitzke & Lucier‑Greer, 2020; …

Exploring The Experiences Of Teacher Assistants Who Remain In A Rural Michigan Head Start Program, Melissa Thiebaut

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed in this study was the approximately 35% attrition rate of teacher assistants (TAs) in a rural Head Start program. Grounded in Bakker’s job resources and job demands theory, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the experiences of TAs who chose to remain working in a rural Head Start program and the factors that influenced their decisions to stay. Data were collected by conducting semistructured interviews with 12 TAs from one Head Start program. Data analysis involved a deductive data analysis method with two categories, job resources and job demands, being predetermined by the …

Measuring Health System Readiness In Saint Lucia Using International Health Regulations Capacity Indicators, Melissa Steele

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Emerging infectious diseases continue to challenge national health systems, particularly in small island developing states with limited preparedness resources. Limited evidence comparing the International Health Regulations (2005) State Party Self-Assessment Annual Reporting (IHR SPAR) capacities of small island developing states with those of high-income countries limits efforts to identify preparedness gaps and strengthen health systems. The purpose of this quantitative comparative study was to evaluate Saint Lucia's preparedness using IHR SPAR indicators, compare its preparedness with the United States, and assess changes between 2023 and 2024. Guided by the World Health Organization Health System Framework, a quantitative cross-sectional design using …

Phenomenological Exploration Of The Military Veterans' Experiences Transitioning Into Civilian Workplace In Central Florida, James Wesley Shelton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Military veterans transitioning from military service to civilian employment frequently encounter challenges related to workforce integration, translating military-acquired skills, adapting to civilian workplace cultures, and employer perceptions of their qualifications. Organizational leaders need to understand these challenges as a key indicator of the factors that influence successful workforce integration, organizational commitment, and employee retention. Grounded in person-environment fit theory, the purpose of this qualitative study using an interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) approach was to explore the lived experiences of military veterans and how they make meaning of their transition to the civilian workplace. The participants comprised seven U.S. military veterans …

Technological Competence And Generative Artificial Intelligence: Canadian Law Students’ Understanding And Use In Legal Education And Legal Practice, Hannah Rosborough

Reports & Public Policy Documents

This report presents results from a national survey examining Canadian JD students' and recent graduates' understanding of technological competence and their use of generative artificial intelligence in legal education and legal practice.

The survey collected responses from 631 students and recent graduates across Canadian law schools between November 2025 and January 2026, combining closed-ended questions with thematic analysis of open-ended responses. The survey addressed how students understand the duty of technological competence under the Model Code, how they use generative AI in coursework and legal workplaces, their confidence in the accuracy of these tools, the guidance and training they receive, …

Color-Coding: An Aid Or Hindrance In A Multi-Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Supervisory Control Task, Austin Daniel Wood

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the current study was to investigate the effect of coding types (i.e., alphanumeric coding, color-coding, and redundant color + alphanumeric coding) for vehicle identification and status information on pilots’ recognition performance, situational awareness (SA), and workload for a multi-vehicle operations ground control station (GCS) supervisory control task. With the aviation industry's push towards operators supervising and controlling multiple vehicles, it is pertinent to identify design features that support the capabilities and limitations of human operators. The current study employed a within-subjects, repeated-measures experimental design, in which a sample of 33 students with aviation experience performed three trials, …

August 2026 News Releases, University Of Montana--Missoula. Office Of University Relations

University of Montana News Releases, 1928, 1956-present

No abstract provided.

Fisheries Research Report No. 365: Recreational Fishing For Marron In South-West Western Australia In 2026, Claire B. Smallwood, Karina L. Ryan, Eva Lai

Fisheries Research Reports

The smooth marron (Cherax cainii) (‘marron’) is endemic to freshwater dams and rivers of south-west Western Australia. Marron are managed as a single stock within the South-West Recreational Freshwater Resource and are highly vulnerable to overexploitation due to the biological characteristics of the species (e.g., low fecundity, localised populations) as well as environmental (e.g., habitat loss, reduction in rainfall) and human (e.g., fishing, land clearing) pressures on freshwater ecosystems.

Due to this vulnerability, this species has been the focus of research, monitoring and management since the 1970’s. Since 2000, annual phone-recall (2000 – 2021) and online-recall (2022 – 2026) surveys …

Sexual Grooming And Other Barriers To Disclosure Of Childhood Sexual Abuse, Lillian A. Steedman

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Child sexual abuse is a serious and prevalent problem in the United States and is associated with negative consequences across numerous life domains (e.g., psychological, physical, socioeconomic). Disclosure of sexually abusive experiences may facilitate victims’ abilities to obtain psychological, social, and legal support. It has been theorized that sexual grooming plays a role in decreasing the likelihood of disclosure and of disclosures being believed. Therefore, this dissertation examined associations among sexual grooming, other barriers, and disclosure decisions and timing. Participants were recruited and screened online for eligibility to participate in a survey examining details of the abuse, trauma-related shame, disclosure …

Trademarks, Functionality, And Competition, Glynn Lunney

Faculty Scholarship

Courts and commentators have long thought that the purpose of trademark and unfair competition law is to distinguish fair competition from unfair competition and prohibit the latter. Yet, trademark law has a more fundamental, more foundational purpose. Before trademark law can distinguish fair competition from unfair competition, there must first be competition. That makes ensuring competition trademark law’s highest priority. Identifying and prohibiting unfair competition becomes, by necessity, a subordinate concern. Until 1982, courts recognized this hierarchy and enforced a broad and flexible functionality limitation on trademark or trade dress protection to ensure competitive markets. In 1982, however, this changed. …

Quantifying Dust Structure In An Elliptical Galaxy Via Optical–Near-Infrared Color Mapping: A Detailed Study Of Ngc 6251, Luke Reed

Theses and Dissertations

The giant elliptical galaxy NGC 6251 is a well-studied active radio galaxy that hosts one of the largest known relativistic jet systems, with a projected size of approximately 3 Mpc. In addition to its large-scale radio structure, the galaxy hosts a prominent circumnuclear dust feature surrounding the active nucleus, previously interpreted as a warped dust disk. This thesis focuses on the inner morphology and dust structure of NGC 6251 using archival Hubble Space Telescope observations obtained with the WFPC2 and NICMOS instruments.

The central structure of the galaxy was investigated across multiple wavelengths through image calibration, PSF modeling and subtraction, …

Building Culturally Responsive Attendance Practices To Decrease Chronic Absenteeism, Alyssa R. Serville

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

This Improvement Science Dissertation in Practice explored how a professional learning series for an attendance team that introduced a meeting protocol and an MTSS system, incorporating evidence-based culturally responsive intervention strategies, impacted participants’ mindset, practices, and group self-efficacy in addressing chronic absenteeism. The problem of practice at the center of this research, contributing to a high rate of chronic absenteeism, was the lack of proactive and responsive practices by the school for addressing its root causes. The focus of this research is on understanding school-level practices for addressing absenteeism, by investigating the true root causes that may not currently be …

From Passive To Active Learning: How Building Thinking Classrooms (Btc) Strategies Shape Teacher Perceptions Of Student Social-Emotional Development, Diane Maria Leja

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

This qualitative Improvement Science Dissertation in Practice examined how Building Thinking Classrooms for Social-Emotional Learning (BTC-SEL), an instructional approach adapted from Liljedahl's (2021) mathematics framework, could strengthen SEL instruction in Connecticut elementary schools. The study addressed a persistent problem of practice in which traditional SEL delivery fails to engage the students most in need of support, particularly Black and Hispanic/Latino students, students with disabilities, and students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Grounded in engagement theory, cognitive load theory, and social constructivism, the three-month intervention supported six elementary teachers across three Connecticut districts, including schools from District Reference Groups I and D …

A Mixed-Methods Study Of The Lived Experiences Of Patients And Caregivers Receiving Home Health Occupational Therapy Services, Peyton A. Mendias

Student Capstone Papers

Home health occupational therapy (OT) supports individuals’ safety, independence, and participation in their natural environments; however, patients and caregivers may face barriers that affect the implementation of therapy recommendations. This capstone project explored patient and caregiver experiences with home health OT and identified factors influencing implementation of OT recommendations. We used a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design guided by the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation–Behavior (COM-B) model. Eight participants, including three patients and five caregivers, completed an electronic survey, and one caregiver participated in a follow-up semi-structured interview. We analyzed quantitative data using descriptive statistics and qualitative data using reflexive thematic analysis. Findings …

Of Writing, Community And Transformation: Lessons Learned From A Faculty Developer, María Lucía Guerrero Farías

GHEA21 Publications

No abstract provided.

Exploring The Effect Of Writing-To-Learn Practices On Critical Thinking In A Graduate Teacher Education Program, Alisa Alybaeva

GHEA21 Publications

This project investigates the impact of writing-to-learn practices on the critical thinking skills of first-year students in a graduate teacher preparation program in the Kyrgyz Republic. For this purpose, multiple writing-to-learn strategies (such as Focused Freewriting, Loop Writing, Private Freewriting, Writing in the Zones, Dialectical Notebooks, and others) were integrated into the academic writing course instruction. The analysis of student responses at the beginning and end of the course demonstrated a movement from general statements towards richer responses with evidence of perspective taking, metacognitive reflection, and synthesis. Additionally, student reflections revealed that writing-to-learn practices provided space to overcome writing anxiety, …

Reading The Western Canon From Elsewhere: Teaching Political Theory Through Writing, Zlata Božac

GHEA21 Publications

No abstract provided.

The Effectiveness Of Treatment Options For Localized Prostate Cancer: A Meta-Analysis Of Cross-Sectional And Cohort Studies, Pius Omolewa, John Bressan, Nassrine Noureddine

All Faculty Scholarship

Background: Prostate cancer is one of the most common malignancies among men worldwide, with incidence rates rising steadily over the past decades. Although the widespread adoption of PSA screening has improved early detection, it has also sparked extensive debate regarding overdiagnosis and overtreatment. Against this backdrop, balancing the avoidance of unnecessary interventions with the need to ensure favorable patient outcomes has become a central challenge in clinical decision-making. Methods: Articles published from 2010 through 2025 were searched in five databases. The cross-sectional and cohort studies examined the effects of treatment options on localized prostate cancer. Results: From the analysis of …

Transgender And Gender-Diverse Healthcare Through Virtual Social Networking, Francis Peter Furmanek Iii

PhD of Social Work

This study examined the behavior of transgender and gender diverse (TGD) utilizing virtual social networking (VSN) to address their healthcare needs. Presently, the TGD community has been facing discrimination in policy and social structure across the United States. Accepting safe spaces are vital to survival and growth of TGD people, and the current wave of anti-trans legislation seeks to eliminate these spaces. This phenomenological mixed-methods study examined mechanisms that TGD people use to address healthcare needs in virtual spaces alongside a backdrop of negative healthcare experiences in traditional settings. Informed by Intersectional theory, Minority Stress Theory, and considering Andersen’s Behavioral …

Barriers To Access: Examining Nonprofit Service Delivery In Rural Communities, Elizabeth Knight

School of Professional and Continuing Studies Nonprofit Studies Capstone Projects

Around sixty-six million Americans live in rural communities; however, the research on what accessibility barriers exist for rural residents accessing nonprofit services is limited. Rural communities often face persistent barriers to accessing essential services, including transportation challenges, geographic isolation, and financial hardship. Nonprofit organizations employ strategies to respond to these barriers; however, organizational capacity constraints make it difficult for nonprofits to alter their service delivery strategies. This study uses semi-structured interviews with nonprofit leaders to identify what nonprofit accessibility barriers can currently be seen in rural Virginian communities. Findings also explore how nonprofits navigate these barriers and what they do …

Improving Obesity Management In Primary Care Through Provider Education, Natalie Anderson

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: Childhood obesity is a significant public health concern associated with metabolic, cardiovascular, and psychosocial complications. Despite the availability of evidence-based pediatric obesity management guidelines, adherence to these guidelines remains inconsistent in primary care settings. Purpose: This evidence-based quality improvement project aimed to determine whether provider education on the 2023 American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Clinical Practice Guideline for the Evaluation and Treatment of Children and Adolescents With Obesity, combined with implementation of an electronic health record (EHR) clinical decision support prompt, improved provider knowledge and adherence to guideline-recommended obesity management practices. Method: A pre-post quasi-experimental study was …

Confronting Founding Injustices: Reconstructive Constitutional Adjudication And Constitutional Legitimacy In Postcolonial States, Mutasim Abuzeid

International Studies (MA) Theses

Why do some postcolonial constitutions achieve higher constitutional legitimacy than others? Across the Global South, constitutions have proliferated while legitimacy remains uneven and contested. Existing scholarship explains variation in constitutional legitimacy in postcolonial states through three dominant paradigms. Institutionalist theories equate legitimacy with procedural design and endurance, presuming that stable institutions generate compliance and, over time, diffuse support. Transformative constitutionalism locates legitimacy in social justice, emphasizing judicial doctrines such as proportionality and reasonableness to advance equality and material inclusion. Transitional justice approaches, by contrast, locate moral repair largely outside constitutional law—through truth commissions, reparations, and memory projects—often leaving the constitutional …

External Debt In Sub-Saharan Africa: A Five Country Case Study On External Lending, Andres Ramirez

International Studies (MA) Theses

This thesis examines China as a new external lender to Africa and analyzes if their large infrastructure loans are leading developing countries into debt distress, compared to Multilateral and Commercial Private financing. A regression analysis is run on a 10-year data set, 2014-2024, and analyzes the external debt service-to-revenue ratio, relative to the external debt stock by lender, across a panel of five East and West African economies, Kenya, Ethiopia, Ivory Coast, Rwanda, and Benin. The empirical findings in the analysis shows that commercial private debt causes the most strain on a country’s external debt service to revenue ratio, but …

Voll7iss4 Cover, Hca Healthcare

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine Covers

Cover for Volume 7 Issue 4 of the HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine.

Aegic Blogposts - Grain Supply Chains, Ross Kingwell, Peter Elliott

Grain and other field crops published reports

The Australian Export Grains Innovation Centre (AEGIC) was an independent, not-for-profit organisation established in 2012 by the Western Australian Government and the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC). Its core mission was to increase the value and international competitiveness of Australia’s multibillion-dollar export grains industry. AEGIC ceased operation at the end of 2025.

Early in its history between 20 to 30 staff from the former Western Australian Department of Agriculture were seconded to AEGIC. Following the formation of DPIRD, AEGIC continued to receive substantial annual funding support from DPIRD.

This publication is a legacy document containing collated AEGIC blog posts …

Aegic Blogposts - Grain Pricing, Ross Kingwell, Peter Elliott, Chris Carter

Grain and other field crops published reports

The Australian Export Grains Innovation Centre (AEGIC) was an independent, not-for-profit organisation established in 2012 by the Western Australian Government and the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC). Its core mission was to increase the value and international competitiveness of Australia’s multibillion-dollar export grains industry. AEGIC ceased operation at the end of 2025.

Early in its history between 20 to 30 staff from the former Western Australian Department of Agriculture were seconded to AEGIC. Following the formation of DPIRD, AEGIC continued to receive substantial annual funding support from DPIRD.

This publication is a legacy document containing collated AEGIC blog posts …