Digital Commons Network^™

Harnessing Team Science In Dementia Research: Insights From The Alzheimer’S Disease Research Group In South Carolina, Sayema Akter, Eric Mishio Bawa, Nicholas Riccardi, Daniel A. Amoatika, Margaret C. Miller Ms, Ph.D., Otis L. Owens Mph, Ph.D., Caps, Lorie Donelle Phd, Rn, Fcan, E Angela Murphy, Daping Fan, Melissa Moss, Mihyun Lim Waugh, Sue E. Levkoff Scd, Msw, Sm, Freda Allyson Hucek, Jean Neils-Strunjas Ph.D, Ccc-Slp, Swann Arp Adams Ph.D., Ms, Face, Roger Newman-Norlund, Sarah Newman-Norlund Ph.D., James Hardin Ph.D., John Absher, Bankole A. Olatosi Ph.D., Xiaoming Li Ph.D., Lumi Bakos Ph.D., Quentin Mccollum, Chris Rorden, Leonardo Bonilha, Daniela B. Friedman

Publications

Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) are complex and rapidly growing public health challenges that require integrative, collaborative approaches. To meet this need, the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (ADRC) of South Carolina, a state-funded partnership across multiple institutions, has embraced a team science model that brings together expertise from four key disciplines: neuroimaging-neurology, health sciences, molecular biology, and engineering. This paper highlights the work at the University of South Carolina (USC) and how each discipline contributes uniquely yet collaboratively within a recurring loop model framework. Extending from USC's Cancer Prevention and Control Program, the framework guides scientific growth through four …

The Association Between Social Determinants Of Health And Hiv Risk Behaviors And Hiv Testing Among Sexual And Gender Minority Individuals: A National Survey Study, Edith Nnenna Utaka, Xueying Yang Ph.D., Fanghui Shi, Huiyi Xia, Qingyang Li, Brooks Yelton Ma, Lmsw, Daniela Friedman Ph.D., Lorie Donelle Phd, Rn, Fcan, Xiaoming Li Ph.D.

Publications

Social determinants of health (SDOH) predispose Sexual and Gender Minority (SGM) individuals to HIV infection through risky behaviors and less HIV testing. This study used data from the 2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey to evaluate the association between composite measures of SDOH and HIV risk behaviors and HIV testing among adult SGM population in the US. SGM individuals were identified through two questions that asked about respondents’ sexual orientation and gender identity. Two primary outcomes of interest were HIV testing behavior and HIV risk behavior. SDOH was measured by ten items which were summed to get a …

Variations In Postpartum Readmission By Individual Race, Ethnicity, And Rurality In South Carolina, Curisa M. Tucker Phd, Rn, Yunqing Ma, Jiajia Zhang Ph.D., Md Utba Rashid, Jihong Liu Sc.D., Berry Campbell, Xiaoming Li Ph.D., Peiyin Hung Ph.D, Msph

Publications

Importance Racial and ethnic disparities in postpartum readmission (PPR) remain a critical public health concern, with non-Hispanic Black individuals experiencing rates up to 3 times as high as non-Hispanic White individuals. PPR is often associated with mental health disorders (MHDs) and substance use disorders (SUDs), and barriers to care are particularly acute in rural communities. Objective To investigate intersections in the associations of individual residential rurality and race and ethnicity with all-cause, MHD-, and SUD-related PPR throughout 1 year post partum. Design, Setting, and Participants This statewide retrospective cohort study used data from birth certificates linked to all-payer hospital data …

Complex Role Of Digital Health Literacy In Awareness And Use Of Digital Sexually Transmitted And Blood-Borne Infections Testing: A Structural Equation Modelling Analysis Of The 2022 Getcheckedonline Survey, Ihoghosa Iyamu, Pierce Gorun, Sofia Bartlett, Geoffrey Mckee, Lorie Donelle Phd, Rn, Fcan, Hsiu Ju Chang, Rodrigo Sierra-Rosales, Devon Haag, Heather Nicole Pedersen, Nathan John Lachowsky, Catherine Worthington, Troy Grennan, Daniel Grace, Mark Gilbert

Publications

Background Although digital health literacy (DHL) is recognised as a determinant of access to digital sexually transmitted and blood-borne infection (STBBI) testing, empirical evidence about its contribution to access disparities remains limited. We applied multidimensional DHL measures to examine inequities in awareness and use of GetCheckedOnline, British Columbia’s (BC) publicly funded digital STBBI testing service. Methods We analysed data from GetCheckedOnline’s 2022 community survey of English-speaking BC residents aged ≥16 years who were sexually active in the past year. Outcomes were awareness and use of GetCheckedOnline (yes/no). DHL was measured using latent factors from the eHealth Literacy Scale: Information Navigation, …

Improving Student Behavior And Safety On Bus Route 40 Through A Team-Based Climate Intervention, Kathleen M. Lopez Rodriguez

Theses and Dissertations

Student transportation is a daily yet often overlooked component of school climate, safety, and equity. This Dissertation in Practice (DiP), aligned with Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED) principles of inquiry, collaboration, and continuous improvement, examined how a structured, team-based intervention could improve student behavior and bus climate on Bus Route 40 at Pinecrest Primary School. Guided by improvement science principles and grounded in a commitment to equity, the study applied a 90-day Plan–Do–Study–Act (PDSA) cycle to test and refine strategies aimed at fostering safety, belonging, and accountability among students. The intervention organized students into color-coded teams that earned …

Black Adolecent Girls' Perceptions Of Dress Code Violations, Pat A. Carpenter

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the experiences of Black adolescent girls at Wellington Middle School (pseudonym) regarding dress code policies and the disciplinary actions associated with their attire. Through the analysis of disciplinary data, qualitative interviews, and a review of relevant literature, the research aimed to uncover potential racial biases within dress code policies and their enforcement. Preliminary insights indicated that such measures may contribute to broader patterns of racial discrimination and inequity in the education system, impacting the academic and social development of these students. The study goals were to emphasize the need for policy reforms and advocate for the development …

From Likes To Enrollment: How Social Networking Sites Shape College Decision-Making, David Hermann

Theses and Dissertations

This study applied Chickering and Reisser’s seven vectors of student development (1993), MacMillan’s existential framework (2009), and Chickering and Gamson’s principles for good practice in undergraduate education (1999) as guiding theoretical and conceptual frameworks. These perspectives informed the analysis of voices from young adults in rural communities and explored how recently graduated high school students perceived their use of social networking sites (SNSs) in the college search and decision-making process. I developed five overarching themes from the qualitative data: 1) informational role of social media, 2) visual media and campus impressions, 3) authenticity, peer influence, and human connection, 4) frustrations, …

The Effects Of Training And Peer Coaching On The Fidelity Of Explicit Instruction On Social-Emotional Learning In Early Childhood Education, Ashley A. Strausbaugh

Theses and Dissertations

The current study investigated how training and peer coaching could improve fidelity of explicit instruction practices in early education teachers for social-emotional learning. Three teams of preschool teachers were trained in the use of explicit instructional practices and paired up to provide coaching in these practices during the intervention. The training and coaching were based on the model by Dunst et al. (2019), which identifies that providing training that includes elements of information, demonstration, practice opportunities, coaching and feedback increases the likelihood of moving knowledge to practice. A multiple baseline design was used to investigate fidelity of explicit instruction for …

Enacting Change In Student Support Services To Meet The Needs Of Evolving Student Demographics, Justin Schuch

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study examined the change management leadership strategies employed by Chief Student Affairs Officers (CSAOs) to address the needs of an increasingly diverse student population at midwestern institutions of higher education. The change management leadership strategies employed by seven CSAOs to address the mismatch between the increasing diversity of college student populations and the institutions’ readiness to meet these students' diverse needs were drawn from using in-depth interviews, review of enrollment data, and institutional planning documents. The three research questions guiding this study yielded four major themes. The first theme is related to how CSAOs identify areas for development …

Stress And Behavior In Beef Calves During Weaning, Kathleen E. Tierney

Theses and Dissertations

Animal welfare in commercial livestock operations has been an increasing topic of concern. It is well known that stress can have significant behavioral and physiological repercussions. It is especially important in commercial operations to reduce stress, as animal efficiency is the leading priority. In an effort to reduce stress on animals and improve welfare in livestock operations, several studies have evaluated common husbandry practices. One of the most widely studied practices is weaning, which encapsulates the process of removing the young from the dam. Several studies have evaluated the effects of weaning on beef cattle through a variety of behavioral …

Normalizing Delinquency And Risky Behaviors In Adolescents: An Application Of Neutralization Theory To Parents, Audrey Cheatham

Theses and Dissertations

Sykes and Matza’s Neutralization theory (1957) was originally developed to explain juvenile involvement in delinquency, with extensions of this theory being used to understand crime in other offending groups. Although neutralization theory has been widely applied to offenders, far less research has examined how neutralizations may be used by non-offending groups. This study applies Sykes and Matza’s framework to parents to explore whether neutralizations are being employed to justify risk taking or delinquent behavior among their adolescent children. This study also examines how parents differentiate risky behavior from delinquent behavior, as well as their attitude towards seven major risk factors …

From Columbia To Usc, Palestine Will Be Free: Capturing The Palestinian Student Narrative, Deena Ata

Theses and Dissertations

In 2024, student groups across colleges organized encampments demanding their institutions cut financial and academic ties with Israel and the Israeli military, a call rooted in resistance to the ongoing occupation and violence against Palestinians. These student-led actions were met with harsh retaliation from university administrations and state authorities, including graduation deferments, suspensions, censorship, and arrests. Clear attempts to silence dissent and suppress Palestinian solidarity. This study centers the voices of Palestinian college students by examining their lived experiences and counter-narratives in the face of backlash, anti-Palestinian rhetoric, and institutionalized acts of disenfranchisement. Their stories reveal how repression of pro-Palestine …

Turning The Page On Toxic Friendships: How Stories Can Transform Female Friendships, Ericka Renee Bush

Theses and Dissertations

Relational aggression, subtle behaviors such as gossip, exclusion, and social manipulation, can significantly undermine female students’ sense of belonging, peer relationships, and engagement in school. At Sinclair Intermediate School, Illinois 5Essentials Survey data revealed a sharp decline in peer relationship scores among female students, along with evidence gathered through student interviews, analysis of bullying report forms, and observation from an SEL lesson. This Dissertation in Practice investigates how a targeted intervention, Turning the Page on Toxic Friendships: How Stories Can Transform Female Friendships, can strengthen female peer relationships through bibliotherapy. Grounded in Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate principles and …

The Moderating Effects Of Need-Supply And Demand-Ability Fit On The Relationship Of Vocational Interest Fit And Job Satisfaction, Munkhjin Bat-Ireedui

Theses and Dissertations

The current study examined the relationship between vocational interest fit and global job satisfaction and explored how demand-ability fit and need-supply fit moderated this association. The results showed that there was a significant positive relationship between vocational interest fit and job satisfaction. Furthermore, while demand-ability fit and need-supply fit were positively associated with job satisfaction, their moderating effects were non-significant. This study showcases the importance of different types of fit in relation to global job satisfaction. The discussion provides future research ideas, including longitudinal or time-lagged study design and development of fit scales via artificial intelligence.

Weighted Suffixation And Symbiosis In Morphology: The Suffixes -Meister And -O, Zachary Dukic

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on derivational morphology, specifically the historical development and current status of the suffixes -meister and -o in Present-day English. I approach this research from the perspective of language as a complex adaptive system and apply a network model of linguistic storage and processing. I identify semantic domains for each suffix via exemplars which demonstrate the semantic range and variability of -meister and -o. I propose definitions for weight and delexicalization as they pertain to the evolution of these suffixes. Both have gained lexical weight via cumulative semantic associations determined via the network …

The Blue And Grey On The Silver Screen: Civil War Memory And National Reconciliation In American Cinema, 1910-1915, Wade B. Kirchner

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines film depictions of the American Civil War in the early 1910s. In this time period, around three hundred films about the Civil War were released by American film companies. My thesis studies the cultural themes in these films and public response to them in order to understand why so many were made in such a short period of time. This thesis is primarily concerned with the field of Civil War memory. The field itself arose in the mid-twentieth century as historians were attempting to reconcile the continued disenfranchisement of African-Americans with the abolition of slavery at the …

Preschool Developmental Play And Autism, Michelle Brooks Peterson

Theses and Dissertations

This school improvement project applies the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED) model to explore strategies to increase peer engagement among preschool students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in a developmental playroom setting. Play is a cornerstone of early childhood development, fostering cognitive, social, and emotional growth. However, children with ASD often encounter challenges in engaging with play environments due to social communication difficulties and sensory processing differences. Grounded in Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, this project adopts a Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Intervention (NDBI) framework to facilitate peer interactions and enhance engagement in inclusive play settings.

The intervention focuses on guiding …

Savior To Ally: Exploring White Students' Decisions To Major In Social Work Through The Lens Of White Saviorism, Amy S. Dennison

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study explored how white students chose social work as a major and how white savior ideology reinforced or challenged students’ choices. The study contributes to a gap in the literature regarding white saviorism and social work education. Using a phenomenological approach, data were collected through semi-structured interviews from five undergraduate social work students at one Midwestern state university. Transcripts were analyzed thematically using Moustakas’ data analysis for phenomenology framework. The findings revealed that participants chose social work because of an intent to help others, as well as a desire for their work to have a meaningful impact. White …

The Choice Process Of A Higher Education: Latine College Women And The Effects Of Marianismo, Karina Trujillo

Theses and Dissertations

Latine women have significantly increased their enrollment in higher educational institutions throughout recent years. Castillo and colleagues (2010) developed the Marianismo Belief Scale centered around five pillars: “Family,” “Virtuous and Chaste,” “Subordinate to Others,” “Self-Silencing to Maintain Harmony,” and “Spiritual.” The purpose of this study is to (1) provide insight into how Latine women make the vital decision to attend college and (2) explore how marianismo may limit or act as a protective factor. This study interviewed 12 Latinx college women who shared their experiences on how the role of marianismo impacted their decision regarding their college choice process. Content …

Understanding The Influence Of A University-Based Reading And Literacy Center Literacy Tutoring Program On Students’ Literacy Behaviors, Beliefs, And Skills: Stakeholder Perspectives, Wanda D. Turk

Theses and Dissertations

A convergent mixed-methods study designed with a networked systems theory framework investigated the influence of a university-based reading and literacy center literacy tutoring program on students’ literacy behaviors, beliefs, and skills. The study examined stakeholder perspectives of changes in students following their participation in the literacy tutoring program. A convergent mixed-methods design collected and analyzed quantitative and qualitative data separately before merging for interpretation. Quantitative data came from students’ pre-assessment scores and post-assessment scores. The results indicated that students’ scores increased, decreased, or remained the same from pre-assessment to post-assessment. Qualitative data came from tutor interviews and parent surveys. The …

Perceptions And Treatment Decisions For A Drug Offender Based On Social Class, Cocaine Type, Personal Characteristics, And Compassionate Love: A Vignette Study, Yasmin A. Odeh

Theses and Dissertations

Problem: The shift from a focus on rehabilitation to the more punitive, “tough on crime” approach to illegal behavior in the U.S. has been enacted in no small way by policies connected to the use and abuse of drugs. The disparities between crack and powder cocaine—two chemically similar substances—have headlined this shift (Vagins and McCurdy 2006). However, research is scarce on laypeople’s approval of deterrence approaches for drug offenses, including as a function of types (e.g., powder vs. cocaine possession). This study examined people’s perceptions of prosecutorial decisions for drug offenders—whether they are punished, rehabilitated, or both—and whether people perceived …

At The Mercy Of All Things: Nurturing Experimental Queer Writing On Embodied Mothering, Charley Koenig

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is an exploration of the ability of experimental queer writing to grow and transform expressions of mothering and care. The moves made here—both in the scholarship and anchor texts examined herein and in my own contributions to this effort—work to dethatch those toxic dominating narratives on motherhood, enforced and reinforced by our current Western society and culture, that contaminate and restrict our constructions of what it means to be and do mother. The collective work of experimental queer writers makes possible more nuanced, realistic, messy, complex, varied, embodied, liberating, and literally and figuratively dirty renditions of mothering and …

Building Student-Teacher Relational Trust Through The Promotion Of Student Voice Initiatives, Scott Scherquist

Theses and Dissertations

This Dissertation in Practice investigated how student voice initiatives can strengthen student–teacher relational trust within an urban Pre-kindergarten through eighth grade (PreK-8) school serving a predominantly Black student population. Grounded in Khalifa’s (2018) Culturally Responsive School Leadership framework, the study implemented a 90-day cycle of inquiry focused on a three-part pathway intervention: the establishment of a Student Voice Committee, professional development on culturally responsive practices, and Student Consultation for School Change. A convergent mixed methods design was employed, combining two administrations of the 5Essentials Survey with pre- and post-intervention interviews of students and teachers. Findings revealed disparities between student and …

Categorical Perception Of The Index Finger As An American Sign Language Phonological Construct, Lareina Hingson, Jeffrey Jack Green, Brooklyn Lorenc

Faculty Publications

In American Sign Language, specific handshapes found in the manual alphabet and/or numbering system (such as the pointed index finger—the number “1”—and its bent counterpart—the letter “x”) are assumed to be phonologically distinct under the rationale that bentness of the finger(s) constitutes a phonemic distinctive feature. This study investigates this notion, building on previous behavioral studies of American Sign Language categorical perception of bentness of the index finger. We examined varying levels of bentness between 180◦ and 90◦ using a scale ranging from the signs BLACK and SUMMER in the standard dialect. Experiment 1 found that when presented with all …

How Overcoming Linguistic Discrimination Benefits The World, Joseph A. Stanley, Lisa Morgan Johnson, Eve Okura Koller, Vashti Wai Yu Lee, Hallie Davidson, Valeria Prieto Hurtado, Sam Keddington, Hazel Mattson, Abigail Mueller, Sydney Jo Pederson, Maryn Perschon, Reese Rugg, Eliza Whiting

Faculty Publications

What is linguistic discrimination?

• Restricting access or opportunities based on speech (e.g., accent, pronunciation, grammatical system, tone or pitch)
• One of the last socially acceptable discriminatory practices in the international community
• A source of injustice that impacts many of God’s children every day

Linguistic discrimination is real! Here’s what it looks like…

In Healthcare:

• More questions about insurance coverage; later appointments (Wisniewski and Walker 2020)
• Lower access to mental health services (Kugelmass 2016)
• More referrals for speech therapy (Charity Hudley et. al. 2018)

In Education:

• Students receiving negative judgments from teachers (Bowie & Bond 1994; Cecil 1988; Wheeler 2019)
• Teachers …

Redesigning Executive Incentives: The Rising Role Of Subjective Performance Measures, Zackery D. Fox

Faculty Publications

Despite the growing use of subjective performance incentives used in executive bonuses, empirical evidence on their effectiveness remains inconclusive. This study explores three aspects of subjective metrics in bonus plan design: their prevalence, the goals they target, and their impact on managerial behavior and firm outcomes. First, I document 53.8 percent of CEO bonus plans include at least one subjective performance measure, and among these plans, an average of 38.9 percent of total bonus weight is allocated to these measures. Using machine learning, I show subjective metrics target incentives related to employees, firm culture, and executive performance. Second, using the …

Origami Folding Pattern Development For Gossamer 18 Structures, Larry L. Howell, Ivy Running, Carolina Wright, Robert J. Lang, Spencer Magleby

Faculty Publications

Gossamer structures for satellites are large, thin deployable structures that are attractive for space applications because they can be stowed compactly for transportation and deployed to have large functional surface areas. Reflectarray antennas, in particular, are candidates for gossamer structures because they can be realized on thin membranes. However, the efficiency of reflectarray antennas decreases with any deviations from a flat plane, including those induced by plastically deformed creases. Rolling membranes can prevent some plastic deformation, but requires relative slipping between layers that are rolled together. In this work, we describe, analyze, and demonstrate two rolled configurations for deployable gossamer …

Passive Remote Monitoring Technologies’ Influence On Home Care Clients’ Ability To Stay Home: Multiprovincial Randomized Controlled Trial, Lorie Donelle Phd, Rn, Fcan, Bradley Hiebert, Grace Warner, Michael Reid, Jennifer Reid, Salimah Shariff, Emily Richard, Sandra Regan, Lori Weeks, Kathleen Ledoux

Publications

Background: Researchers in Nova Scotia and Ontario, Canada, implemented a passive remote monitoring (PRM) model of home care unique to their health system contexts. Each PRM model integrated tailored PRM devices (eg, motion sensors, cameras, and door alarms) into home care patients’ residences with the aim of linking patients, family and friend caregivers, and health care providers to support older adults’ aging in place. Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the use of PRM technologies in the home to support older adults’ safe aging in place and avoidance or delay of higher levels of care. Methods: This …

Price Transparency And Patient Engagement: Social Messaging Matters, Jace B. Garrett, Keaton C. Helquist, Steven D. Smith, William B. Tayler

Faculty Publications

OBJECTIVES: To examine the effects of price transparency and prosocial messaging on price-protected consumers’ health care choices as a potential cost-saving strategy to manage rising US health care expenditures.

STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. Participants were recruited to complete a basic questionnaire via Amazon’s Mechanical Turk program. Participants’ selections were subsequently collected and analyzed.

METHODS: Participants (N = 567) selected a sleep study provider from 5 options, with manipulations including financial responsibility, provision of price information, and a prosocial message encouraging high-value options.

RESULTS: Price transparency increased the selection of lower-cost options among participants who were solely responsible for paying for …

Designing For Relational Ethics In Online And Blended Learning: Levinas, Buber, And Teaching Interfaith Ethics, Michael Hubbard Mackay, Jason K. Mcdonald, Andrew C. Reed

Faculty Publications

Online and blended learning (OBL) overemphasize the process of creating artifacts, producing strategies, or otherwise utilizing a “making” orientation in education. As an alternative to this making-orientation, we offer a model for relational course design founded in the philosophies of Emmanuel Levinas and Martin Buber. We examine an OBL course design focused on interfaith leadership and ethics that lends itself to the need for relational pedagogy. The focus on asymmetrical and symmetrical relationships that separate Levinas and Buber’s philosophies enable rich ways of designing relational pedagogies and for resisting the making orientation. By focusing on human relationships, we demonstrate design …