Digital Commons Network^™

Addressing Disparities Among Latine Students In Special Education, Jesabel Jannette Centeno

Educational Leadership Professional Doctorate Dissertations

This study used Improvement Science to understand and address the overrepresentation of Latine students identified with specific learning disabilities (SLD) in elementary school settings. It highlighted the processes and systems that impacted Latine students' educational opportunities and services--emphasizing the need for culturally and linguistically aligned instructional practices. The study was set in a suburban school district in the Pacific Northwest, where many Latine students received special education services. It investigated the root causes of SLD over-identification among these students. It suggested that enhancing educational outcomes required a focused effort to reduce over- and under-identification in special education. The document now …

Beyond Traditional Education: Graduation Rates At An Alternative High School, Kayla Dawn Marie Crook

Educational Leadership Professional Doctorate Dissertations

The study addressed the problem of practice of improving on-time graduation rates for students in alternative education settings. Traditional educational systems often fail to meet the unique needs of students in alternative education programs, which could lead to increased barriers towards on-time graduation. Based on improvement science principles, this research utilized Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles to systematically test and refine prioritized change ideas to mitigate these barriers with the goal of increasing graduation rates at the focus school. These change ideas included improving social emotional learning through teacher coaching, personalizing attendance calls, and developing individualized student success plans. Through rapid iterative …

The Flowers Of Being And Time: Nature And Heidegger’S Abandonment Of His Early Project, Robert J. Dostal

Philosophy Faculty Research and Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Review Of Historia De La Cumbia Peruana: De La Música Tropical A La Chicha, By Jesús Cosamalón, Juan Suárez Ontaneda

Spanish Faculty Research and Scholarship

No abstract provided.

La Reconquête Post-Coloniale De Góor-Jigéen: Repenser Le Queer Au Sénégal, Katrina Brazhnikov

Senior Honors and Award-Winning Theses

La question de la diversité des genres et de l’expression sexuelle au Sénégal est prise dans des récits contradictoires. De l'époque précoloniale à l'ère contemporaine, la variance des genres et des sexualités est de plus en plus perçue négativement dans le domaine socioculturel en raison des implications politiques et religieuses. Alors que la « capitale gay de l'Afrique » est devenue une enclave homophobe, quelques oeuvres littéraires et cinématographiques contemporaines déconstruisent les récits nationalistes et tentent d’évoquer un retour à la tolérance dans la période précoloniale à l'égard de l'homosexualité et de l’expression du genre non-binaire. Dans cette thèse, j'analyserai …

Hero Or Zero? Meta-Opinion In Terrorist Motivation, Clark Mccauley, Sophia Moskalenko

Psychology Faculty Research and Scholarship

What is the relationship between public opinion and political action? Drawing on cases where shifts in public opinion coincided with changes in the frequency of terrorist attacks, we argue that this connection stems from the normative power of public opinion. This power is evident in the bandwagon effect, where popular opinions tend to gain even more support over time. Governments and corporations signal their belief in this power by attempting to shape public opinion with tools like bots, sockpuppets, and troll farms. Importantly, the impact of public opinion does not depend on its actual distribution, but rather on how …

Review Of World Socialist Cinema: Alliances, Affinities, And Solidarities In The Global Cold War, By Masha Salazkina, Timothy Harte

Russian Faculty Research and Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Review Of Soviet Samizdat: Imagining A New Society, By Ann Komarom, Timothy Harte

Russian Faculty Research and Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Review Of Staging The Absolute: Ritual In Russia’S Modern Era, By Thomas Seifrid, Timothy Harte

Russian Faculty Research and Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Was Augustine Black?, Catherine Conybeare

Greek, Latin, and Classical Studies Faculty Research and Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Stakeholder Perspectives On Acceptability Of Implementing A Child Mental Health Intervention In Child Welfare Services: A Pilot Study, Kerry Lee, Caterina Pisciotta, Geetha Gopalan

Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research Faculty Research and Scholarship

This study examined the acceptability of a modified 4Rs and 2Ss behavioral parent training intervention within a Child Welfare (CW) placement prevention service. Twelve child welfare staff (caseplanners, supervisors, administrators) and 12 CW-involved families completed surveys, interviews, and a focus group. All quantitative benchmarks for high acceptability were met (e.g., treatment satisfaction, acceptability and appropriateness). Staff valued the intervention’s content and support, but noted concerns about consultation time, training, and role conflict. Families appreciated recruitment, logistical support, group environment, and child/ family wellbeing, but cited barriers with parent-child separation during sessions, group size and duration, certain activities, and the program’s …

Indigenous Sovereignties In The Wife Of Bath’S Tale, Jamie K. Taylor

Literatures in English Faculty Research and Scholarship

This essay examines Chaucer’s Wife of Bath’s demand for “sovereyntee,” a central term around which both her Prologue and Tale rotate. Critics have long disagreed whether Alison’s demand for sovereignty is met, and this essay seeks new ways of thinking about the theoretical contours of her demand. It argues that turning to heretofore unrecognized structures of sovereignty articulated via Indigenous Studies can help us review the feminist politics of the Wife of Bath’s Tale. By reading the Tale’s temporal alternatives to settler timeframes, this essay shows how the Tale revises the structures of justice that seem to exonerate …

What The Earth Remembers: Landscape And Materiality In The Work Of Sally Mann, Mark Bradford, And Tacita Dean, Elliot Krasnopoler

Bryn Mawr College Dissertations and Theses

This dissertation triangulates the complex relationships among materiality, place, and history in works of contemporary landscape. I analyze three case studies: Sally Mann’s photographs of the American South, Mark Bradford’s iconoclastic paintings after the Gettysburg Cyclorama, and Tacita Dean’s film of the Great Salt Lake. I contend that these contemporary works of art are capacious in their temporal and narrative reach, holding multifaceted histories of America, including those of environment, war, oppression, and extraction. A key part of my thesis is that by looking at how these works were made and what they are made of—their materials, places, and processes—we …

Eugenol Loaded Calcium Citrate Particle As A Ph Triggered Drug Release System And A Reducing Agent For Au (Iii), Sadia Afrin

Dissertations and Theses

The study demonstrated that eugenol affects the morphology of calcium citrate particles during their formation, as confirmed by SEM micrography and PXRD analysis. Coating of eugenol loaded calcium citrate particles (CaCit MPs) with casein improves their known pH-dependent drug release profile, as confirmed by UV absorption spectroscopy. The casein-coated eugenol-loaded CaCit MPs (CCaCit(eu) MPs) can effectively control and sustain drug release under different pH conditions, particularly at acidic pH values (4.8 and 5.5), which mimics the environment of tumor tissues. To further explore the biomedical applications of calcium citrate, a bulk nanostructured precursor to the known anti-cancer calcium citrate phosphate-based …

Periconceptual Nutrition And The Preimplantation Embryo: Approaches For Intervention And Generational Health, Abigail Klein

Dissertations and Theses

The typical American diet exceeds dietary fat recommendations, contributing to the rising rates of obesity. This negatively impacts fertility, pregnancy and fetal growth, and lifelong offspring health. During pregnancy, this also increases risk of co-morbidities like gestational diabetes. Despite this, lipids are not screened during pregnancy and limited research exists evaluating these co-exposures on offspring health. Our lab used a rat model of maternal high fat (HF) diet with late-gestation diabetes (DM) to demonstrate that mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress incite lifelong cardiometabolic disease risk in offspring. To determine the timing of damage, we hypothesized that maternal overnutrition incites mitochondrial …

January 2025, Pacific Alumni Association

Alumni News & Events

No abstract provided.

Empowering Youth Aging Out Of Foster Care: A Needs Assessment To Improve Transitions To Independent Living, Parker Brady, Amy Six-Means, Julia Durante, Anubha Sood, Philip Day, Nora Gimpel, Jill Mcleigh, Kimberly Stone

Health Status, Outcomes, and Literacy and Healthcare Utilization

We aimed to assess the health literacy (HL) of youth transi- tioning out of foster care and how they interact with health information. The Newest Vital Signs survey was administered online to 26 youth who experi- enced foster care. Seven youth and 15 stakeholders also com- pleted focus groups discussing how youth handle health infor- mation. Results indicate that 42% of youth may have lim- ited HL, which places them at risk for poor health outcomes. Future studies should further characterize this population’s HL and study physician and technology-based interventions to address limited HL.

For questions about this study or …

Reflective Teaching As A Catalyst For Change: Inspiring New Approaches In Library Instruction, Alicia G. Vaandering, Amanda Crego-Emley

Public Services Faculty Presentations

How do you improve as a teacher? How do you know if learners have really understood or connected with the material? Adapting and honing pedagogical approaches can feel daunting, but a reflective teaching practice offers a pathway to making thoughtful, iterative adjustments to our instruction. Reflective teaching can inspire strategic new directions, increase equity in the classroom, and promote a holistic evaluation of instruction methods and materials. Despite these benefits, library instructors face unique challenges in adopting reflective practices. The varied nature of library responsibilities presents barriers to this work including time constraints, lack of institutional support, and the diverse …

Development Of Audiovisual Media For Child Marriage Prevention To Improve Knowledge, Perception, And Motivation Among Junior High School Students In Malang Regency, Chabibah Ilmiyah, Windi Chusniah Rachmawati, Sapto -. Adi, Nurnaningsih Herya Ulfah

Preventia: The Indonesian Journal of Public Health

Child marriage is an issue that significantly impacts adolescent well-being and is often attributed to low levels of knowlede, poor perception, and low motivation among adolescents regarding its prevention. This study aimed to develop an audiovisual medium in the form of an animated video as a health promotion tool to prevent child marriage among junior high school students in Malang Recenty. The Research and Development (R&D) method, specfically the the ADDIE model (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation), was employed in this study. The results of expert validation indicated that the video medium was categorized as “highly Feasible:, with percentages …

Administrability Over Testamentary Freedom Of Disposition, Kevin Bennardo

Faculty Publications

This Article challenges the widely accepted view that testamentary freedom is the dominant principle of American inheritance law. It argues that administrability—the need for a predictable, efficient probate system—frequently overrides freedom of disposition. Examining executor selection, procedural constraints, contest doctrines, settlement mechanisms, and the pervasive role of judicial and statutory oversight, the Article shows that testators have far less control over the disposition of their estates than traditional rhetoric suggests. Because process shapes outcomes, limits on testators’ ability to control the probate process constitute significant limits on testamentary freedom. The Article also demonstrates how doctrines such as intestacy and settlement …

Death And Debts, Kevin Bennardo

Faculty Publications

This Article analyzes how inheritance law treats debts owed to and by a decedent, focusing on the Uniform Probate Code’s treatment of unpaid purchase-price balances associated with specifically devised property. While UPC §2‑606(a)(1) automatically gives the outstanding balance to the specific devisee, the Article argues that this rule is inconsistent with modern intent‑based ademption doctrine and with the Code’s treatment of debts owed by the estate. It contends that only outstanding balances secured by the devised asset reflect a meaningful connection to the testator’s likely intent. Unsecured balances, by contrast, should not automatically avoid ademption. The Article proposes amending the …

A Patent System For Temple Grandin, Andrew Chin

Faculty Publications

This article explores the intersection of neurodiversity and innovation through the lens of Temple Grandin’s contributions to livestock handling systems and her philosophical alignment with the U.S. patent system. Drawing on cognitive research by Simon Baron-Cohen, archaeological insights from Penny Spikins, and personal reflections, I argue that autistic cognitive styles—characterized by heightened “folk physics” aptitudes and visual thinking—have historically driven technological progress. Grandin’s patented inventions, motivated by sensory-based empathy for animals, exemplify how neurodivergent inventors seek to embed their conceptions of ethical utility into the nation’s technological infrastructure. The article critiques modern patent litigation trends, advocating instead for a system …

Plastics, Carbon, Politics, And Experimentation In Environmental Governance, Donald T. Hornstein

Faculty Publications

This Article analyzes two major international environmental negotiations that concluded in late 2024 and uses them to explore emerging directions in plastics policy, carbon markets, and experimental forms of environmental governance. It examines the redesign of global carbon offset markets following the adoption of Article 6 mechanisms at COP 29, highlighting how new international standards and domestic U.S. initiatives seek to address longstanding concerns about offset quality while insulating climate policy from drastic federal political swings. The Article then evaluates the failed Busan negotiations toward a global plastics treaty, explaining how disagreements over production caps, consensus procedures, and the complexity …

Winning By Losing: The Strategy Of Adverse Private Letter Rulings, Noah Hertz Marks

Faculty Publications

Every year, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issues hundreds of Private Letter Rulings (PLRs) responding to formal taxpayer inquiries about how tax law will apply to their proposed situations and transactions, which functionally bind the IRS with respect to the taxpayer. Although the Internal Revenue Code formally forbids relying on PLRs as precedent, taxpayers and practitioners closely monitor and structure their operations and advice around PLRs. Taxpayers can withdraw a PLR request at any time for any—or no—reason, and they generally know in advance whether the PLR will be favorable or adverse. Conventional wisdom assumes adverse PLRs should be extremely …

Service Trade Dress: Demystifying The Tertium Quid, Dustin Marlan

Faculty Publications

Trademarks are often brand names or logos. Yet other marks involve the overall appearance of a product or business — a concept called “trade dress.” Courts and scholars have long struggled with how to determine whether trade dress is distinctive enough to function as a legally protectable trademark. In attempting to clarify this murky area, Justice Scalia articulated three types of trade dress in Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. v. Samara Brothers, Inc. These include (i) product packaging (e.g., a candy wrapper) and (ii) product design (e.g., an iPhone’s unique shape). The trouble lies in understanding the third category — what …

Where Torrens Failed, John V. Orth

Faculty Publications

The early days of the Torrens system in the United States looked promising. Its spread through the country was rapid — by the early 20th century, it had been adopted in almost half of America’s states. Today, however, Torrens is all but obsolete in America. This article examines what went wrong. For one thing, a workable, if cumbersome, system of title assurance — relying on recorded deeds, warranties of title, and title insurance — already existed. For title holders, the process of petitioning for Torrens registration was unfamiliar, often expensive and protracted, and invited risk from adverse claimants. Pragmatic factors …

Civic Duties And Cultural Change, Daniel B. Rice

Faculty Publications

What duties do Americans owe the state? Today, this question seems almost incomprehensible. Compulsions in the common interest are received coolly in our rights-obsessed culture, and the Supreme Court has never announced a framework for identifying the burdens of citizenship. Yet the concept of civic duty has played a central role in America’s constitutional tradition. From shoveling snow to repairing roads to fighting overseas, private individuals have long been forced to serve the public in ways menial and profound. Strangely, the discourse of obligation that legitimated numerous compulsions has faded from professional view. Judges’ mawkish tributes to liberty pay no …

The Art Belongs To The Artists, Deborah M. Weissman, Louis A. Pérez

Faculty Publications

This Article examines the rights of detainees interned at the Guantánamo Bay Naval Station to claim ownership of cultural work produced during their imprisonment. Through a series of arbitrary policies, the U.S. government alternately punished detainees for creating works of art, confiscated paintings and drawings, and otherwise denied detainees’ rights to control their creative works. This Article suggests the need to understand these policies as acts akin to plunder—that is, as a practice long associated with colonialism as a means through which the artifacts of the material culture of conquered peoples were expropriated and claimed as “trophies” of conquest. It …

Tax Compliance, Social Norms, And Influencers, James Alm, Jay A. Soled, Kathleen Delaney Thomas

Faculty Publications

While attaining perfect tax compliance is unachievable, more can and must be done. In the past, the country has relied primarily on a traditional system of sticks (e.g., audits and penalties) and carrots (e.g., refunds and whistleblower awards) to help narrow the “tax gap,” or the difference between what taxpayers owe in taxes and what they actually pay. Now, in the social media era, Congress and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) should look beyond these traditional enforcement mechanisms. To achieve an even higher voluntary compliance rate, this Article advocates for policymakers to invest greater resources to enhance the social norm …

Notice, Consent, And Choice-Of-Jurisdiction Clauses In The United States, John F. Coyle

Faculty Publications

Although choice-of-jurisdiction clauses are routinely enforced by courts in the United States, there are circumstances where they are subject to special scrutiny. One of these circumstances is when the party resisting the clause was not provided with proper notice as to the existence of the clause or the identity of the chosen jurisdiction. This Article first reviews the existing case law in this area and shows that while some U.S. courts have refused to enforce clauses for lack of notice, others do so as a matter of course. It then discusses several decisions where U.S. courts have held that notice …