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Why Jerk Bosses Stress Us: Burnout As An Evolved Appeasement Strategy, Hector A. Garcia, Jarad Reiss, Ray Garza

All Faculty Scholarship (Archived)

Burnout is a pandemic and costly public health problem. Studies link leadership and peer behavior to burnout, but explanations are constrained to proximate mechanisms. Evolutionary models describe depression as an ancient appeasement response to avert dangerous physical conflict with higher-ranking group members and coalitions. In turn, psychometric research consistently finds high construct overlap between burnout and depression. This shared phenomenology suggests that burnout in response to workplace social stressors reflects appeasement. The purpose of the current study is to test the relationship between rank and competition related variables and burnout.

Code Before Clause: Building Canada’S Digital Defences Before Negotiating Trade, Barry Appleton

Articles & Chapters

Canada is about to give away the keys to its digital future — before it even decides what future it wants.

This paper argues that any exploratory discussions between Canada and the European Union on a digital trade agreement must be paused until Canada legislates a domestic digital sovereignty framework and builds the governance capacity to implement it.

There Is No Finish Line: The Ramps Framework – An Evolving Model For Working With Racial Identities In Sport And Performance Psychology, Dylan Vas

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

The field of sport psychology has persisted in its calls for action on increasing cultural competence, being more inclusive of underrepresented identities, and progressing towards social justice (AASP, 2024b; Bejar et al., 2022; Fisher et al., 2003; Martens et al., 2000; Quartiroli, et al., 2023; Ryba et al, 2013; Ryba et al., 2024). This work attempts to contribute to these calls by providing attention on racial identity – including the proposal of an actionable and novel model, The Racial Identity Model of Psychology in Sport (RAMPS) Framework. The proposed model incorporates publications from sport psychology, clinical psychology, and social justice …

Characterization Of L-Band Resonators And Relaxation Times Of Soₓ- Radicals At X-Band, Georgina Naa Odey Amassah

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) analysis requires resonators optimized for specific experimental challenges. Volume resonators enclose samples, while surface coil resonators allow imaging of larger subjects. For in vivo studies, L-band frequencies are commonly used because they offer a good balance between signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) and the ability to penetrate tissue. Rapid Scan (RS) EPR at L-band frequencies was chosen for my studies of resonators because of this balance but presents a challenge for sensitivity.

The spatial position dependence of signal intensity was evaluated for selected paramagnetic samples using 10 mm and 30 mm surface coils. The 10 mm coil, with …

A Phenomenological Study Of Caregivers For Sexual Minority Hospice Patients, Catherine H. Bianchi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals face disproportionate barriers in healthcare across the lifespan that persist and often intensify at the end of life. Despite hospice’s mission to provide comfort, dignity, and patient-centered support, it remains unclear whether these services equitably meet the needs of sexual minority patients. Seeking hospice care presents a unique conundrum for many LGB individuals: it necessitates inviting representatives of a historically exclusionary healthcare system into the privacy of their homes - spaces that often serve as sanctuaries of identity, safety, and autonomy. The already vulnerable experience of seeking care in one’s final days can be …

Chronic Pain: An Exploration Of The Experience Of Chronic Pain, Andrea Alzalde

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Chronic pain is a pervasive public health issue within Western society today and amongst humans worldwide. Although chronic pain is something that many people have or will experience sometime in their life, it is a complex experience that does not have a simple universal solution or immediate cure. The causes of pain can be a multitude of things and the treatments that work for some may not work for others. The current research seeks to explore the experience of chronic pain to help fill gaps in the wider research of pain. This study pursues answers to two research questions including; …

Phase 1 Clinical Trial Of ¡Iniciando! La Adultez: A Culturally Tailored Intervention For Transitioning Latino Young Adults With Autism, Antonio F Pagán, Ana Esparza, Ana Ramirez, Miriam Ortiz, Linda Hernandez, Mary Beth Morgan, Geohanna Noel, Alejandro L Pagán, Jada Salas, Katherine Maurano, Grace Sattem, Leela Sydow, Noor Ahmed, Katherine A Loveland, Cecilia Montiel-Nava, Ron Acierno

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

This Phase 1 clinical trial evaluated ¡Iniciando! la Adultez, a culturally adapted intervention for Latino autistic young adults (n = 56) and their parents (n = 63). Young adults showed significant post-treatment improvements on measures of social responsiveness (SRS-2), adaptive behavior (ABAS-3), executive functioning (BRIEF-A), quality of life (WHOQOL-BREF), transition readiness (TRS-A), coping self-efficacy (CSES), and emotion regulation (DERS-SF). Parents reported significant improvements in their perceptions of their child’s social responsiveness, adaptive behavior, and executive functioning, as well as increased transition readiness ratings. Notably, parents evinced a significant decrease in acculturative stress (RASI) and depressive symptoms (PHQ-9), however, …

“My Body Was Never Mine”: An Arts-Based Phenomenological Analysis Of Queer And Trans Adolescent Involuntary Psychiatric Hospitalization Experiences, Megan Doyle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Involuntary psychiatric hospitalization has life-saving and crisis-stabilizing intentions for queer and trans adolescents experiencing mental health crises; however, there are significant concerns about the adverse effects of this practice. This study employed two interwoven qualitative methods, interpretative phenomenological analysis and arts-based research, to gain a deeper understanding of queer and trans individuals’ adolescent experiences of involuntary psychiatric hospitalization. The theory of abolition was applied to examine the carcerality and identity-based oppression embedded within this procedure. Participant narratives and artwork revealed how involuntary psychiatric hospitalization is non-affirming for queer and trans young people in crisis, and the impacts of experiencing coercion, …

Supervisee Barriers To Disclosure And The Supervisory Working Alliance, Rachel G. Hughitt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated barriers influencing supervisees’ willingness to disclose clinical errors in mental health training contexts, with a focus on the supervisory working alliance (SWA) as a potential moderating factor. Participants read two vignettes – one describing a clinical error and the other a client concern – and were asked to indicate which case they would discuss with their supervisor. They also completed the Brief Supervisory Working Alliance Inventory–Trainee Form (BSWAI-T) and the Supervisee Disclosure in Supervision Scale (SDSS), which assessed the quality of the supervisory alliance and perceived barriers to disclosure, including fear of negative evaluation, lack of confidence, …

For Richer Or For Poorer: The Security Environment Index To Measure Effects Of Security Assistance, Lam Huynh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation develops and validates the Security Environment Index (SEI), a multidimensional, empirically grounded framework to assess the political and military effects of U.S. security assistance—specifically Foreign Military Financing (FMF) and International Military Education and Training (IMET)—on partner nations. Drawing from the need for more robust monitoring and evaluation (M&E) frameworks in the security assistance space, this study addresses a longstanding gap in how policymakers measure the outcomes of military aid. The SEI consolidates publicly available indicators into a cohesive structure capable of capturing both internal and external changes in the recipient nation’s security environment.

This research employed an explanatory …

Self Spin-Orbit Torques, Ryan Greening

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Spin–Orbit torques (SOTs) provide an energy-efficient pathway to control magnetization in nanoscale heterostructures. Recently, spin-orbit coupling within ferromagnets has been shown to generate self spin-orbit torques (SSOTs) on the magnetization itself. Previous work on self spin-orbit torques relies on thick ferromagnets with complicated film structures with chemical disorder or compositional gradients to generate inversion symmetry breaking. This dissertation advances experimental methodology and presents data on the quantification of self spin-orbit torques in magnetic thin films due to the spin-orbit coupling of standard 3d ferromagnets.

First, I develop an oblique-incidence magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE) technique that exploits a mirror-assisted double reflection …

Shifting From Damage Towards Desire At History Colorado: An Exploratory Case Study, Amanda Cali

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the paradigm shift within the fields of anthropology and museum studies away from decolonization and towards indigenization through a case study of the changes in museological practices of the History Colorado Center in Denver, Colorado, and one of its community museums, the Ute Indian Museum in Montrose, Colorado. This thesis examines the changes in consultation and collaboration, the care and stewardship of collections, the implementation of the Protocols for Native American Archival Materials (PNAAM), and co-curation of exhibits. This thesis looks at the paradigm shift as a movement away from “damage-based research” within communities to “desire-centered research” …

Establishing Cultivating Dialogic Feedback (Cdf): Enhancing Teacher Evaluation Through The Humanization Of Teachers, Adrian Michael Blumenthal

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Current practices in K-12 teacher evaluation look to mechanize the evaluation model, and effectuate better teaching by enforcing compliance to the evaluation model. This practice treats teachers as disseminators of instructional practice and thereby of information to students which dehumanizes teachers. The following research takes a different approach to understanding teacher evaluation by working away from fixing the evaluation model by replacing it with another model. Instead, the research examines the breadth of compliance culture, called performativity, and examines the relationship between teacher and evaluator. At the root of the research is discovering how the relationship between teacher and evaluator …

Developing Deep Learning Methods For Cognitive Impairment Detection Based On Non-Invasive Data, Muath Alsuhaibani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cognitive impairment detection is on the rise to help reduce the burden of healthcare costs on institutions and individuals. Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) is an early stage of cognitive decline progressing to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) or AD-related Dementia (ADRD). Detecting the early stages of AD/ADRD is crucial for early interventions among older adults to mitigate cognitive decline over time. However, the current diagnostic methods are often costly and/or invasive, such as MRI and PET scans. Thus, the search for non-invasive and cost-effective screening tools for the early detection of cognitive impairment using speech, language, visual, and motor data is growing. …

Centrosomal And Non-Centrosomal Microtubule Networks Coordinate To Drive Nuclear Dynamics In Developing Epithelium, Rashmi Budhathoki

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The morphogenesis of developing tissues relies on extensive cellular rearrangements in shape, position, and identity. A key process in reshaping tissues is cell intercalation-driven elongation, where epithelial cells align and intercalate along a common axis. Typically, analyses focus on how peripheral cortical forces influence cell shape changes. Less attention is given to how inhomogeneities in internal structures, particularly the nucleus, impact cell shaping. Here, we examine how pulsed contractile and extension dynamics interact with the nucleus in elongating Drosophila embryos. Our data show that tightly packed nuclei in apical layers hinder tissue remodeling/oscillatory behaviors. We identify two mechanisms for resolving …

Role Of Nucleic Acids As Chaperones In Protein Folding, Zijue Huang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many proteins have slow folding times in vitro that are physiologically untenable. To combat this challenge, ATP-dependent chaperonins are thought to possess the unique ability to catalyze protein folding. Performing quantitative model selection using protein folding and unfolding data, we here show that short nucleic acids containing Gquadruplex (G4) structure can also catalyze protein folding. Performing the experiments as a function of temperature demonstrates that the G4 reshapes the underlying driving forces of protein folding. To understand the structural basis of this catalytic activity, we introduce NMR method to solve the structures, at base-level resolution, of a multiconformer G4 with …

Beyond The Benefit: A Multi-Modal Narrative Study Of Black Women's Experiences With Employer-Sponsored Tuition Assistance, Britany Patricia Hamilton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the lived experiences of Black women engaging with employer-sponsored tuition assistance programs, focusing on how social, structural, and identity-based factors shape their educational and professional trajectories. While these benefits are often framed as neutral tools for career advancement, this study examines them through the intersecting lenses of race, gender, and labor, revealing deeper dynamics of access, value, and belonging. Guided by a qualitative narrative inquiry approach, this study employed a multi-modal data collection design involving video diaries, semi-structured interviews, and a focus group. Three participants, all Black women between the ages of 30 and 40, shared their …

Transgender Individuals’ Experiences Of Ruptures And Repairs In Group Psychotherapy, Gabrielle W. Kaufman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As the political climate across the United States worsens for transgender and gender diverse (TGD) individuals (Harmon, 2025), it has become increasingly important to attend to the mental health needs of this population (James et al., 2016). Group therapy is a widely used treatment modality that is often more accessible than individual therapy (Burlingame & Strauss, 2021) and provides unique interpersonal opportunities (Burlingame et al., 2016). While it is expected that TGD individuals face unique challenges in group therapy due to their gender identities (Chen et al., 2020), very little is actually known about the experiences of TGD individuals participating …

Covid-19 Microangiopathy: Insights Into Plasma Exchange As A Therapeutic Strategy, Yigit Baykara, Kaan Sevgi, Yamac Akgun

Student Publications

COVID-19-associated thrombotic microangiopathy has emerged as a severe complication that exacerbates morbidity and mortality in critical cases. Thrombotic microangiopathy, characterized by microvascular thrombosis and endothelial injury, includes conditions like thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura and atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome. This review investigates therapeutic plasma exchange as a potential strategy to mitigate COVID-19-induced thrombotic microangiopathy, examining its role in removing pro-inflammatory cytokines, immune complexes, and pro-thrombotic factors. Additionally, it highlights the synergistic effects when therapeutic plasma exchange is combined with treatments such as complement inhibitors and immunosuppressants. Preliminary evidence, drawn from case reports and early trials, supports the efficacy of therapeutic plasma exchange …

Surgeon Ergonomics While Performing Total Knee Arthroplasty, Cameron Dahman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

One of the most prevalent hazards to orthopedic surgeons are musculoskeletal disorders with 97% of arthroplasty surgeons reporting procedural-related musculoskeletal pain and 66% of orthopedic surgeons reporting procedural-related musculoskeletal injury [1], [2], [3]. With the annual number of total knee arthroplasties (TKA) on the rise, orthopedic surgeons are taking on larger annual caseloads and retiring later in life [4], [5]. The goal of this study was to quantify postural demand for 11 discrete surgical steps of TKA to identify ergonomically unfavorable positions surgeons experience while operating. Four orthopedic surgeons performed TKA while their motions were recorded using marker-based motion capture. …

Food Insecurity, Diet And Health Outcomes In Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Pilot Study, Nicole Zeky, Alysse Baudier, Colleen Leblanc, Elizabeth Mcdonough, Sarah A. Dumas, Dedrick Moulton

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Background/Objectives: Food insecurity (FI) is a well-defined factor in pediatric health outcomes and has been associated with lower diet quality. While poor diet quality has been linked to the rising prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), little is known about the impact of FI on pediatric IBD. This pilot study explores the feasibility and potential impact of FI on dietary intake and clinical outcomes in children with newly diagnosed IBD. Methods: This pilot study included newly diagnosed IBD patients aged 5 to 18. FI screening was completed using the USDA 6-item and AAP 2-item screeners at diagnosis and 6 months. …

Belonging: Stories From Multilingual Learners In The Linguistic Minority, Riley Stouffer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study examines how multilingual learners in the linguistic minority (MLLMs) experience connection and belonging in a Rocky Mountain middle school. Although multilingual learners (MLs) have received increased attention, MLLMs, whose home languages are not widely spoken in the school context, remain overlooked. Grounded in Krashen’s (1982) Affective Filter Hypothesis and Wills and Shinar’s (2000) Supportive Functions of Belonging, this study explores how MLLMs navigate school, what fosters or hinders belonging, and how these experiences shape engagement.

Data from semistructured interviews, classroom observations, and field notes with eight MLLM students in grades 6–8 revealed that belonging was fostered …

The Experiences Of School Psychologists Serving Students With Traumatic Brain Injuries: A Phenomenology, E. Grace Ritchie

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a complex experience associated with a diverse constellation of symptoms and challenges. TBI scholars have extensively explored the varying needs of youth in the aftermath of a head injury. Likewise, recent literature details recommendations for school psychological services in support of these students. Such recommendations largely reflect insights drawn from broader TBI and disability research, integrated with the established scope of school psychologists’ practice (e.g., the National Association of School Psychologists Practice Model). Nevertheless, school psychologists’ perceptions of these students’ challenges have been inadequately examined. Such perspectives are likely valuable, given school psychologists’ unique training …

Trainee Countertransference And Competency In Bereavement Therapy: Strengths And Limitations Of The Wounded Healers, Meghan Paynter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Countertransference is a common experience in therapy, happening among clinicians of all stages of their career and the outcomes of this experience hinge largely on how countertransference is managed. Challenging topics, such as grief, only make countertransference harder to manage effectively and the management of this experience improves with practice and time—something trainees have not yet ascertained. Given the pervasiveness of grief as a human experience, also indiscriminate in nature, the experiences of trainees experiencing countertransference are important to understand, including what is experienced, how they experience it, and how it impacts their process and self-perception of confidence and competence …

Equilibration And Transport Of Binary Mixtures On Planar And Porous Nanomaterials, Andrew Torres

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

We present results of a Kinetic Monte Carlo investigation of the adsorption dynamics of binary gas mixtures on planar and porous sorbents, with a focus on identifying and characterizing kinetic processes involved in uptake evolution and how they influence equilibrium conditions. We also investigate varying thermodynamic simulation parameters such as interactions, alkane lengths, partial pressures and pore configurations to determine how they impact these kinetic processes as well as equilibrium properties. This study matters both for better understanding how kinetics and equilibrium are connected and for improving practical techniques in separation applications. For planar surfaces, weak species overshoot kinetic processes …

A Guidance Practice Model: Reframing Prevention, Identification, And Treatment Of Trauma-Impacted Students With Intellectual Disabilities, Mark H. Thomas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The experience and exposure of trauma among youth, especially continuous traumatic experiences, poses considerable risks of long-term effects. Moreover, untreated trauma and subsequently negative mental health outcomes, like anxiety and depressive disorders, can negatively impact the psychosocial and academic functioning of students. One population that is generally overlooked regarding mental health in schools are students with intellectual disabilities (ID). This is problematic as this population is at an increased risk of traumatic experiences, such as maltreatment and social exclusion.

Moreover, the comorbidity of trauma and internalizing disorders among students with ID can exacerbate already existing challenges and deficits with social …

Using The R = Mc2 Heuristic To Assess Whole-Of-School Physical Activity Implementation In Elementary Schools: A Cross-Sectional Study, Derek W Craig, Kevin Lanza, Christopher D Pfledderer, Andjelka Pavlovic, Kempson Onadeko, Natalia I Heredia, Jizyah Injil, Laura F Defina, Timothy J Walker

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Schools are recommended to use a whole-of-school (WOS) approach to promote physical activity opportunities before, during, and after school. Yet, the barriers and facilitators to implementing a WOS approach successfully are not well understood. The R = MC2 heuristic, which defines readiness for implementation as a combination of an organization's motivation and capacity to implement, can enhance our understanding of implementation in the school setting. This study examines associations between constructs from the R = MC2 heuristic and schools' implementation of a WOS approach.

Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis of cross-sectional data from U.S. elementary schools participating in …

Linda Mercer Roberts

African American Funeral Programs

Funeral program for Linda Roberts. Service was held on August 23, 2025 in Nevils, Georgia

Grain Size- And Temperature-Dependent Phonon-Mediated Heat Transport In The Solid Electrolyte Interphase: A First-Principles Study, Arjun S. Kulathuvayal, Yanqing Su

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Student Publications and Presentations

The solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) is a passive layer, typically a few hundred angstroms thick, that forms on the electrode surface in the first few battery cycles when the electrode is in contact with the electrolyte in lithium-metal batteries. Composed of a combination of lithium salts and organic compounds, the SEI plays a critical role in battery performance, serving as a channel for Li-ion shuttling. Its structure typically comprises an inorganic component-rich sublayer near the electrode and an outer organic component-rich sublayer. Understanding heat transport through the SEI is crucial for improving battery pack safety, particularly since the Li-ion diffusion …

Behavioral Neuroscience Of Drug Addiction And Mental Disorder, Mona Muzammil, Muzammil Arshad, Washain Muzammil

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Chemistry)

This book explores the molecular, cellular, and neurocircuitry systems in the brain that are responsible for drug addiction. Common neurobiological elements are emphasized that provide novel insights into how the brain mediates the acute rewarding effects of drugs of abuse and how it changes during the transition from initial drug use to compulsive drug use and addiction. The book provides a detailed overview of the pathophysiology of the disease. The information provided will be useful for neuroscientists in the field of addiction, drug abuse treatment providers, and undergraduate and postgraduate students who are interested in learning the diverse effects of …