Digital Commons Network^™

The Lived Experiences Of Black Women In Leadership Within Secondary Education: A Phenomenology Study, Tonya Meichelle Morrow

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of Black women serving in leadership roles within secondary education. Guided by Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory, which focuses on the interaction between personal, behavioral, and environmental factors, the study explored how these leaders navigate their role in secondary education. The central research question is: What are the lived experiences of Black women in leadership roles within secondary education? Using qualitative research methods, the study focused on public middle and high schools in the United States where Black women hold leadership positions, such as principal. assistant principal, dean …

School Resource Officers, Mental Health Professionals, School Safety: A Qualitative Descriptive Case Study, Carol Burke

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative descriptive case study described the perceptions of school-based mental health (SBMH) professionals and school resource officers (SROs) regarding personal and campus safety in the presence of an SRO. Guided by routine activity theory (Cohen & Felson, 1979), which framed SROs as capable guardians within schools, and relational cultural theory (Miller, 1976), which emphasized connection and collaboration, the study examined how relational dynamics influenced safety perceptions and well-being. Participants from K–12 public schools in North Central Arkansas contributed data through semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and the Georgia School Personnel Survey of School Climate. Reflexive thematic analysis identified key themes …

Mental Toughness In Motherhood: A Qualitative Phenomenological Approach To Advancing Developmental Understanding, Mary Kauffman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative phenomenological study explored how mothers define, experience, and describe mental toughness within the developmental context of motherhood. Mental toughness has been extensively examined in performance-based domains such as sports, education, business and military settings. Limited research has investigated how this construct appears or manifests in caregiving roles. Understanding mental toughness in motherhood may inform how mothers are supported psychologically and contribute to future frameworks, interventions, and systems designed to strengthen maternal well-being, adaptation, and long-term functioning. Guided by Bandura’s self-efficacy theory, which focuses on the perceived ability of individuals to navigate adversity, this study examined mental toughness as …

Leadership Reflections: The Unique Challenges And Rewards Of Leadership In Library Technical Services, Maria Savova

Library Staff Publications and Research

Library Technical Services functions are at the core of library operations and are indivisible from any public service the library provides. The way technical services librarians and staff approach their work, communications, and organizational experience, however, is distinct and requires thoughtful approaches and concerted effort from leadership. Greater visibility and institutional understanding are critical to resourcing these services properly and sustaining their excellence. Drawing on practice-based reflections, this column proposes approaches to capturing the insight and expertise of the people who steward the library’s largest investments, connecting their task-based sustainer activities to the larger strategic library context, supporting and empowering …

What To Expect When Your Baby Is Born Early, Maggie Mckay, Mariana Theodoro, Amy Knapitsch

Parent-ish Podcast

This episode walks families through the NICU stay and the first year at home, explaining common medical milestones and what truly matters for a premature baby’s growth and development. Guests: Amy Knapitsch, MD, director of the Neonatal Follow-Up Clinic with nearly 16 years in follow-up care, and Mariana Theodoro, MD, medical director of the Small Baby Unit at Children's Mercy. We cover the NICU experience, signs your baby is ready to go home, adjusted age for developmental milestones, feeding preemies and when to seek help — all key topics for parents of premature infants and newborns.

Click here to stream …

A Qualitative Study Of Gratitude Practice Among Won Buddhist Older Adults And Implications For Gerontological Social Work, Sungsim Lee

Dissertations

Although gratitude has been widely studied in social science, existing scholarship has largely relied on Western worldviews and quantitative research frameworks, limiting understanding of lived gratitude experiences within diverse spiritual and cultural contexts, including Eastern spiritual traditions. In Won Buddhism, originating in South Korea, gratitude holds a central place in spiritual life and is understood as an essential practice. This qualitative study explores the views of Won Buddhist older adult practitioners regarding their experiences, benefits, and challenges of engaging in spiritually grounded gratitude practice. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 23 practitioners aged 65 and older from English-speaking Won Buddhist communities. …

Being Desi At School: Exploring The Racialized School Experiences Of South Asian American Youth, Prabha Kaundinya

Dissertations

Schools in America have been central areas for racialization, and as an immigrant, racial-ethnic minority population, South Asian American (SAA) students have been subjected to a variety of racialization processes (S. J. Lee et al., 2017; Rice, 2017, 2019; Subedi, 2013). However, what is known about SAA educational experiences is often based on celebratory stereotypes that proclaim their uniform success while neglecting attention towards the diversity of their needs (including academic, social-emotional, or mental health needs; Saran, 2015; Ngo & Lee, 2007; P. Patel & Patel, 2017; Pedraza & Guillaume, 2023; N. Sharma et al., 2020). This dissertation uses a …

Elucidating The Mechanisms Of Complex Flavoprotein Dehydrogenases, Tyler Alt

Dissertations

Flavins are ubiquitous redox active cofactors that can catalyze electron transfer between substrates. They offer the advantage of being able to stabilize a range of oxidation and protonation states, as well being amenable to covalent modification, which can further alter their activity. As such, the scope of reactions catalyzed by flavoproteins is broad and flavin has implications in a range of biological processes. The two predominant forms of flavin that serve as redox active cofactors are flavin adenine mononucleotide (FMN) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD), which are functionally homologous. A major complication of studying flavoprotein dehydrogenases, and one that has …

Making Sense Of The Barrio: Place-Based Appraisal And Coping Among Latine Residents In Chicago, Juanita Vivas Bastidas

Dissertations

Residents of Chicago’s Latine barrios often describe their neighborhoods as places of familiarity and safety—sites defined by both personal independence and collective solidarity, where daily life is marked by a sense of belonging and mutual support. Yet, residents also contend daily with overlapping social and environmental stressors. While urban, medical, and environmental sociologists have each shown that place matters, their findings remain siloed and rarely integrated to illuminate the everyday realities of Latine neighborhoods. As a result, we lack a systematic analysis of how people living in Chicago’s Latine barrios make sense of and cope with multiple, simultaneous stressors. I …

Merleau-Ponty On The Crisis Of Natural Philosophy: A Critique Of The Metaphysical Foundations Of Natural Science And Investigations Into The Ontology Of Nature, Kevin Mager

Dissertations

In this dissertation, I show that Merleau-Ponty’s philosophy of nature is also a radical critique of the metaphysical foundations of natural science. This critique leads us to a new ontology for science, grounded in the lifeworld. I focus on how his philosophy offers a detailed critique of both physicalism and mechanism. For Merleau-Ponty, mechanism is not just the strict adherence to classical causality, but any view that asserts that classical causality has any role to play in reality at all. To replace mechanistic causality, Merleau-Ponty argues that we must conceive of nature as grounded in meaningful possibility. Merleau-Ponty's emphasis on …

Responsive Rigor And Strategic Care: Faculty Praxis For Holistic Student Success In The Community College, Jennifer Elizabeth Kelley

Dissertations

This qualitative study examines how community college faculty conceptualize, communicate, and enact academic rigor and care in their teaching practice. While post-pandemic debates have positioned rigor and care as opposing forces—evident in the "Rigor Wars" that framed care as performative laxity and rigor as gatekeeping—community college faculty successfully integrate these practices to support holistic student success. This research addresses critical gaps in higher education scholarship, which has studied rigor and care separately, focused primarily on four-year institutions, and overlooked faculty perspectives on how integration occurs in practice. Drawing on a single-case study of 38 faculty members at a large Midwestern …

The Year Of Birth Age Grouping Policy: Its Impact On Participation In Us Youth Soccer, Murray James Findlay

Dissertations

In 2016, the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) implemented a nationwide year-of-birth (YOB) age grouping policy that aligned youth soccer teams with calendar years (January 1st –December 31st), replacing the traditional schoolyear (August 1st –July 31st) grouping system. This dissertation investigates the impact of that policy on youth soccer participation in the United States, addressing a critical gap in empirical research linking national policy interventions to participation outcomes. Framed through the Fun Integration Theory (FIT) (Visek et al., 2015), which conceptualizes youth sport engagement as driven by social and intrinsic enjoyment factors, the study examines whether the YOB policy caused …

Optimization Of A Calb Catalyzed Esterification Process For The Synthesis Of Methyl Glucoside Fatty Acid Esters: Green Metrics, Application And Antimicrobial Evaluation, Abinash Nayak, Luana Carnaval, Swarna Jaiswal, Julie L. Dunne, Michael Kinsella, Claire M. Lennon

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

Carbohydrate fatty acid esters (CFAE) are promising sustainable antimicrobials with potential therapeutic applications. Although enzymatic synthesis of CFAE offers advantages, issues such as substrate solubility, limited exploration of non-classical greener solvents, additional synthetic steps, and analytical challenges hinder applicability and scale-up. In addition, mono-protected monosaccharide/unsaturated fatty acid (uFA) based CFAE are underexplored for antimicrobial evaluation. Our study systematically investigated the Candida antarctica lipase B (CALB) catalyzed esterification of methyl α-d-glucopyranoside (MAG) and lauric acid (LA) as a model system, employing green chemistry concepts to generate a panel of potentially more sustainable antimicrobial products. Systematic reaction optimization was followed by its …

When The Safety Net Becomes A Barrier: Administrative Burdens In Snap And Medicaid, Stephen Roll, Mathieu Despard

Center for Social Development Research

The goal of the U.S. social safety net is to ensure that everyone can meet a basic standard of living, regardless of their economic, health, or life circumstances. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid, two key parts of this safety net, support low-income families in affording food and health care. This brief summarizes findings on seven dimensions of administrative burden in SNAP and Medicaid. The findings come from analyses conducted with data from the Workforce Economic Inclusion and Mobility Project’s survey of a nationally representative sample of low-wage U.S. workers. They suggest that administrative burdens are common, affect …

Essential Employer Benefits For Low-Wage Workers, Mathieu Despard, Stephen Roll

Center for Social Development Research

Employer benefits are important for supporting employees’ financial well-being, but are they accessible to low-wage workers? This brief presents findings from a survey conducted for the Workforce Economic Inclusion and Mobility (WEIM) project with low-wage workers in the United States. The findings reveal information on respondents’ access to employer benefits, including health insurance, paid sick leave, a retirement plan, and financial-wellness benefits.

“Being An Arab Is Like Fighting For Your Joy”: Exploring Bicultural Identity, Racialization, And Psychological Well-Being Among Us-Born Arab Americans, Hisham Nsier

Master's Theses

Bicultural identity development in Arab Americans, who must manage sometimes conflicting cultural expectations, is understudied. Even less is known about Arab Americans born in the United States (US-born AA), who are American by birth yet are alienated from society due to differences between their ‘white’ racialization and their cultural identities. The current study aimed to examine the relationship between bicultural identity, racialization, and psychological well-being at the intersection of US-born AA’s co-existing identities. Eight adult US-born AAs (Mage = 28 years, SD = 4) were recruited from professional Listservs and WhatsApp affinity groups. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted and analyzed …

Articulating The Future: How The Techno-Optimist Manifesto Constructs Ai Hegemony, Christian Noel Yeomans

Master's Theses

This paper analyzes two recently published digital manifestos—the Techno-Optimist Manifesto (TOM) by Marc Andreessen and the Bitcoin Whitepaper (BW) by Satoshi Nakamoto—and how they articulate political visions for the respective rising technologies of artificial intelligence (AI) and cryptocurrency. I apply Laclau and Mouffe’s discursive articulation theory to both manifestos, analyzing how they contribute to the formation of hegemonic ideological visions among the elites of these two technological sectors. In the context of AI elites, TOM transforms an existing Silicon Valley ideology, techno-optimism, into a radical new form of accelerationism, which I coin t/opt. This shift is examined within the context …

Counting Your Chickens Before They Hatch: Understanding Anticipatory Savoring And How And Why People Approach Or Avoid The Anticipation Of Future Positive Events, Asura Louise Osborne

Master's Theses

In this study, discretion between the styles used to anticipate positive events is the focus of a Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) conducted on the Index of Anticipatory Styles (IAS). The IAS is a 45-item survey used to measure types of savoring in response to future positive events. This work expands the savoring literature to examine approach- and avoidant-type anticipatory savoring. Approach-type anticipatory savoring discriminates between Enjoyment, Coping, Control, Recalled Anticipation, and Downplaying. Avoidant-type savoring parses between Avoidance of anticipation because events may not occur, Avoidance of anticipation because events may fail to live up to expectations, Jinxing, and Counterproductivity. CFA …

Growing Through Systemic Adversity: Evaluation Of Developmental Trauma Assessment Among Black And/Or Latiné Adolescents With Adhd, Victoria Grant O'Daniel

Master's Theses

Black and Latiné youth are disproportionately impacted by targeted harm and trauma exposure, which is further exacerbated by stigma, biases, and punitive actions towards youth with attention deficit/hyperactive disorder (ADHD). This presents an urgent public health concern, as frequent exposure to trauma across development can lead to difficulties with behavior regulation, interpersonal relationships, impulse control, emotion regulation, and attention and cognition. Developmental trauma disorder (DTD) was proposed to capture the adverse developmental outcomes experienced by youth exposed to chronic trauma; however, there is a dearth of research on how to assess DTD. Thus, the current study aimed to establish support …

Identity Conflict In Student-Athletes: Athletic And Academic Identity Salience As Predictors Of Stress, Alaina Abel

Master's Theses

The goal of the current research is to explore the dual identities of collegiate student-athletes. More specifically, it aims to examine how the salience of the two identities may impact identity conflict and stress levels. Balancing the demands of academics and athletics presents unique challenges to this population. Academically, time constraints, missed classes, pressure to maintain GPA, and mental fatigue present barriers to academic success, while athletically, rigorous training schedules, frequent travel, and the pressure to perform consistently present obstacles to excel in their sport. The constant tug and pull between balancing the responsibilities of two roles that significantly shape …

Pubertal Timing, Physical Activity, And Internalizing Symptoms In Adolescent Girls, Kirby Knapp

Master's Theses

Puberty brings marked changes in physical appearance, biological functioning, psychological well-being, and behavior, making it one of the most pivotal transitions in adolescence. Those who experience puberty earlier than their same-aged peers are at an elevated risk of psychological disorders and physical inactivity. Research shows that there are links between physical activity and psychological disorders, yet few have examined the directional relations between physical activity and internalizing symptoms or whether a certain amount of physical activity is necessary to prevent internalizing symptoms. Therefore, the current study examined (1) the directional relations between internalizing symptoms and physical activity, (2) the degree …

Safety Evaluation Of Dofetilide Administration Per Enteral Tube., Megan E Labreck, Katherine Crawford, David M Nemer, Auroa Badin, Anish Amin

Heart and Vascular Articles

No abstract provided.

Get Ready To Lead: Human-Centered Leadership In An Ai-Driven World, Ellen Ramsey

Faculty and Staff Publications & Presentations

As AI becomes increasingly integrated into our daily lives, online students continue to seek instructors who consistently appear, genuinely care about them as individuals, and provide guidance, challenge, and support. AI tools can help with speed and structure, but human-centered leadership keeps connection and meaning at the forefront of the learning experience. 

This interactive workshop invites online instructors and faculty leaders to explore how human-centered leadership can support their teaching in the middle of rapid technological change.

Grounded in a six-pillar leadership model that encompasses conscious self-awareness, relational intelligence, ethical influence, adaptive growth, transparent communication, and empowered action, this session …

Treatment Times For Rural And Urban Patients With Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage In A Provincial Hub-And-Spoke Network, Alexander D. Rebchuk, Hugh Mchugh, Michael A. Rizzuto, David Chen, Kelsey Cruz, Erik N. Vu, Peter A. Gooderham

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH), aneurysm rebleeding leads to very poor clinical outcomes. Ruptured aneurysms must be urgently secured either by open microsurgery or endovascular techniques to prevent re-rupture. The objective of this study was to compare time-to-treatment and functional outcomes following aSAH between rural and urban patients treated at a quaternary neurosurgical centre with a large geographical catchment.

METHODS: We analyzed patients enrolled in the Vancouver Ruptured Aneurysm Database (VRAD) between December 2022 and September 2025. Demographic, clinical, radiographic, treatment and functional outcomes were compared between groups. Time from ictus-to-presentation, ictus-to-neurosurgical centre, ictus-to-treatment and transfer times were collected. …

A Pedagogical Exploration Of Haydn's Early Keyboard Sonatas: No.7 In C Major, No.8 In G Major, And No.11 In G Major, Chun Ka Lam

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study examines the pedagogical exploration of Joseph Haydn’s early keyboard sonatas, Sonata No. 7 in C Major (Hob. XVI:7), Sonata No. 8 in G Major (Hob. XVI:8), and Sonata No. 11 in G Major (Hob. XVI:11). These Sonatas target intermediate-level piano students. In this study, I am going to explore Classical-era techniques, including articulation, phrasing, dynamic contrast, and ornamentation, which mainly focus on technical and musical challenges. This study highlights the development of important skills for more advanced repertoire.

Crisis Of Command: Shaef, Strategy, And The War In Northwest Europe, Fall 1944, Josh Glover

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation examines the strategic debates among the Supreme Allied Commander, U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower, and his subordinate commanders, British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery and U.S. Generals Omar Bradley and George Patton, in the fall of 1944. Most historians have focused specifically on the military campaigns throughout the fall of 1944, the commanders who executed them, and the missed opportunities and failures that occurred. The question left unanswered is why the Allies missed the opportunity to end the war in 1944. To answer this, I analyzed the numerous strategic debates among these four commanders and many others that took …

The Role Of Resilient/Protective Factors In Adolescence As A Buffer Among Adults With A History Of Childhood Trauma And Symptoms Of Depression In Adults, Michaela L. Fox

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Childhood trauma includes adverse experiences during early development, such as physical, emotional, sexual, or verbal abuse and neglect, and is associated with negative outcomes, including depressive symptoms in adulthood. This study examined whether protective factors during adolescence are related to adult depressive symptoms among individuals with a history of childhood trauma. Two research questions guided the study: (a) Is there a difference in adult depressive symptoms between individuals with minimal versus significant protective factors during adolescence, and (b) Is there a statistically significant relationship between adolescent spirituality and adult depressive symptoms? A quantitative, correlational design was used with self-report surveys …

Successful Organizational Performance With The Influence Of Cultural Diversity On Leadership, Amelia Diann Smalls

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Organizations increasingly rely on culturally diverse teams to support global collaboration and innovation. However, many organizations continue to struggle to translate workforce diversity into improved communication, team cohesion, and performance outcomes. This study examines how leadership behaviors influence communication dynamics and relational processes within culturally diverse teams in multinational organizational environments. Guided by transformational leadership theory, servant leadership theory, and leader–member exchange (LMX) theory, the research explores how leadership practices shape communication clarity, team cohesion, and organizational effectiveness. A qualitative research design supported by descriptive survey data was employed. Data was collected from 33 professionals working in multinational organizational contexts …

The Effects Of Exercise-Related Interventions On The Treatment Of Mental Health, Physical Wellness, And Quality Of Life: A Quantitative Study, Leah Elizabeth Starr

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This research study includes the overview, literature review, methodology, findings, and discussion of a six-week study pending defense. The purpose of the study is to further support Pilates as an evidence-based treatment to enhance physical and mental wellness and improve quality of life. This includes specific variables of interest such as anxiety, depression, dissociative and posttraumatic stress symptoms, stress, and improvements in overall quality of life and physical health. The theoretical framework for the study is somatic psychology and polyvagal theory. The importance of this study is to validate the use of Pilates as an effective form of treatment for …

Violent Tides: A Novel, Teal Rose

Masters Theses

Violent Tides is a coming-of age fantasy novel that invites readers to navigate themes of identity, forgiveness, and compassion