Does Match Matter? Examining The Role Of Student–College Match And First-Year Stem Retention, Christopher J. Shemanski

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This quantitative study examines how student–college match relates to first-year STEM retention in a nationally representative cohort of four-year, STEM-intending students from the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09) linked with institutional data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). Building on probabilistic approaches to college match, the study first estimates each student’s predicted probability of admission to institutions in five selectivity tiers using high school GPA, standardized test scores, highest mathematics course completed, AP mathematics credits, gender, and socioeconomic status. It then compares the predicted tier with the selectivity of the institution actually attended to classify students …

Potential Innate And Adaptive Roles Played By Γδ T Cells In A Bacterial Immunization Model, Lee Anne Talbot

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Francisella tularensis is a highly infectious intracellular bacterium and the causative agent of tularemia, with pulmonary infection resulting in severe disease and high mortality if untreated. While protective immunity to F. tularensis has been largely attributed to CD4⁺ T cell–mediated IFN-γ responses, the contribution of γδ T cells to mucosal immunity and vaccine-induced protection remains poorly defined. The objective of this study was to characterize the role of γδ T cells during primary pulmonary infection with F. tularensis live vaccine strain (LVS) and following intranasal immunization with inactivated F. tularensis (iFt) prior to LVS challenge.

Using a murine intranasal infection …

Exploring Health Insurance’S Role In Chronic Disease Management Among Hispanics, Romelyn Dones

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This qualitative study examined how insured non-English- and English-speaking Hispanic adults perceive the role of health insurance in the management of chronic disease. Chronic conditions remain a leading cause of morbidity in the United States, and although prior research suggests that insurance coverage improves access to care, it does not always enhance how individuals understand or utilize support for chronic disease management. Limited research has explored how individuals with chronic conditions interpret the role of insurance in their daily self-management practices, particularly among Hispanic populations. Guided by Andersen’s Behavioral Model of Health Services Use, this study explored how contextual, enabling, …

Quality Improvement (Qi) Project Aimed At Reducing Unnecessary Antibiotic Usage Among Older Adult Patients By Addressing Inappropriate Antibiotic Prescribing In Primary And Long-Term Care Settings, Pamela M. Thomas

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Antibiotic overuse among older adults remains a significant patient safety and public health concern. Recent national data indicate that approximately 30%–50% of outpatient antibiotic prescriptions may be unnecessary, particularly for viral or self-limiting conditions (Chua et al., 2021). Antimicrobial resistance has been associated with more than 1.27 million deaths globally (Murray et al., 2022). This quality improvement project evaluated a multifaceted antimicrobial stewardship intervention in primary and long-term care settings. Baseline review of 167 antibiotic cases revealed 37.1% were inappropriate or questionable, and 28.7% lacked adequate diagnostic documentation. The intervention incorporated provider education, electronic health record decision-support tools, audit and …

“The Hond Hire Helde”: Solidarity, Mirroring, And Foreshadowing Between Helen, Cassandra, And Criseyde In Chaucer’S Troilus And Criseyde, Mallory K. Warner

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Geoffry Chaucer’s Troilus and Criseyde has divided readers and critics alike when addressing the main female protagonist: Criseyde. The poem follows Criseyde and her love interest Troilus, during the final days of the Trojan War, as the two are thrust together into a tragic affair then ripped apart by outside forces and the consequences of their own choices. By the end of the narrative, Criseyde’s autonomy is stripped from her as she is traded in a hostage exchange to the Greek army. In her last present moment in the poem, Criseyde comes to the realization that remaining true to Troilus …

Nathaniel Hawthorne And The Limits Of Half-Feminism, Jessica Mckenzie

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This project argues that while Nathaniel Hawthorne creates intellectually complex and emotionally resilient female heroines in The Scarlet Letter and The Blithedale Romance, he ultimately reinforces the patriarchal structures he appears to critique. Through the figures of Hester Prynne and Zenobia, Hawthorne demonstrates a deep awareness of women’s societal oppression and the limitations imposed upon them within nineteenth-century America. However, despite moments of resistance and autonomy, these women are never permitted full liberation, agency, or lasting fulfillment. Their narratives ultimately become constrained by the patriarchal power that denies them independence and sustaining love. Thus, Hawthorne’s work coincides with the …

Keeping Sight Of The Middle Waters: The Osage Nation's Strategy To Survive Indian Territory, Hannah N. Maxwell

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

The nineteenth century brought novel changes to the whole word, and Indigenous nations were no different. As the United States began the Reconstruction period’s wave of Indian Removal, the Osage Nation employed all sorts of strategies for continued autonomy and provision. Some were governmental, such as signing treaties and seeking new forms of representation. Other times, the Osage made deals with big businesses for an economic boost. The Osage Nation carefully created a new balance to keep settlement from taking their rights to the land. Mostly, however, the Osage Nation accepted new methods and lifestyles while keeping their own culture …

(The) Invisible Threads: Portraiture, Memory, And Relational Endurance, Behnaz Ghasempour

Masters Theses, 2020-current

(The) Invisible Threads is an MFA thesis investigating how invisible interpersonal bonds, collective traces, and communal endurance can be made perceptible through drawing, material, and immersive installation. Drawing from my lived experience as an Iranian woman who has witnessed everyday constraint, collective uprising, and migration, the project asks how the presence of others continues to inhabit the body and shape identity even in conditions of separation and distance. Large-scale self-portraits, layered with other faces on transparent fabrics, copper plates, and stitched threads, position the artist’s own body as a site where personal and collective histories converge, allowing the self to …

Queer Ballroom In 1980s-90s New York City: Connections To Joy And Education, Maya A. Gary

Masters Theses, 2020-current

This master's thesis project delivers a concise history of the development of Queer Ballroom in the 1980s–1990s in Harlem, New York City, primarily focusing on low-income Black and Latino queer individuals and how they created spaces of belonging and joy during the HIV/AIDS crisis. This work illustrates how ballroom culture functioned as both a space of refuge and a network for mutual aid, outreach, and advocacy. In addition to the historical analysis, this project includes a free-to-use educational website and lesson plans aligned with the Virginia Standards of Learning for grades 6 and 11. This work demonstrates the importance of …

Machine Learning Assisted Development Of Al0.2cufemnni High Entropy Alloy Through Selective Laser Melting, Hareharen K Mr

Theses and Dissertations

High Entropy Alloys (HEAs) are an emerging class of advanced materials that have gained significant attention due to their exceptional mechanical strength, thermal stability, and structural performance. Unlike conventional alloys based on a single principal element, HEAs are composed of multiple elements in a near-equiatomic ratio. Despite these advantages, designing HEAs with tailored properties is difficult because of the enormous number of possible combinations and the limitations of traditional trial-and-error methods. To overcome these challenges, this study presents a machine learning (ML) based approach to accelerate the design and development of an HEA.

In this work, a newly designed composition, …

The Co-Existing Of Religious And Secular Systems: An Ethnographical Study Of The Kalvária V Topoľčanoch And Religious Community In Topoľčany, Slovakia, Ruzena Zatko

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

During the communist era in Slovakia from 1948 to 1989, religion was forced into the private sphere and then re-entered into the public sphere when the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia (KSČ) collapsed in 1989. This research aims to answer how the communist state and religious community interacted during communism and how a democratic state and religious community interacted post-communism. This paper focuses on how people preserved their religion, how secularization was rejected, and how religion re-entered the public sphere after communism ended. To answer these questions, I conducted oral interviews, primarily with the townspeople of Topoľčany, Slovakia, and this includes …

Transboundary Groundwater Flow Between Niger And Nigeria In The Iullemeden Aquifer System, Gare Ambrose-Igho

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Groundwater is important in regions where water resources are not abundantly distributed such as arid and semi-arid regions. In many countries in Africa, groundwater serves as the most reliable source of water supply and supports over 50% of the African population. Groundwater is stored in underground water-bearing permeable rocks, rock fractures, or unconsolidated materials known as aquifers. Groundwater can be transboundary, meaning it crosses international political boundaries between two or more sovereign states. Transboundary aquifers are prone to overexploitation that depletes the groundwater resource and can cause a lowering of the water table and possible ground subsidence. Overexploitation in transboundary …

Principal Perceptions Of Autonomy And Its Relationship To Job Satisfaction, Kay H. Barlow

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study examined the relationship between principal perceived job autonomy and principal job satisfaction through the lens of Self-Determination Theory. Specifically, it addresses the research question: What is the relationship between principal autonomy and principal job satisfaction? Using bivariate correlations and Ordinary Least Squares regression analyses, the study investigated overall and domain-specific autonomy, including human resources, instructional leadership, facilities, and finance, and their association with overall and subscale measures of job satisfaction including salary, promotion, supervision, benefits, contingent rewards, working conditions, coworkers, the work itself, and communication. Findings indicate a positive and statistically significant correlation between perceived job autonomy and …

Digital Literacy And Language Proficiency As Factors Of Accessible Digital Training In The Hospitality Industry: Employee Perspectives Of Training And Working In A Diverse Industry, Gillian Bowden

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This explanatory sequential mixed methods study explored how digital literacy and language proficiency impact employees’ access to and engagement with digital training, as well as how these experiences influence their perceptions of training and the organization. In the quantitative phase, survey data were collected from hourly employees at a large foodservice corporation (n=67). Four constructs were assessed: digital literacy, language proficiency, accessibility, and engagement. Results indicated strong, statistically significant relationships with higher levels of digital literacy and language proficiency associated with greater accessibility and increased engagement with digital training materials. The large effect sizes suggest these competencies play a meaningful …

Exploring Ai-Driven Scaffolding For Critical Questioning In Argument Evaluation, Ebenezer A. Belete

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The fast-paced changes caused by generative AI (GenAI) innovations call for exploring the potential benefits of GenAI in empowering 21st-century pedagogical strategies. Previous studies in the field of argumentation have shown how students can benefit from using critical questions. However, scaffolding argument evaluation through custom GenAI using critical questions has not been systematically investigated. This study involved two components: (1) designing and determining the usability of a GPT-powered conversational assistant (CQMAA Conversational Assistant) and (2) testing its impact on participants' efficacy for argument evaluation and their acceptance of GenAI as a learning tool through a pretest–posttest experiment. A convergent mixed-methods …

Developing Vocal Technique Through The Canción Ranchera In The Middle School Mariachi Classroom, Perry Chacon Jr.

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Mariachi is taught in more than 500 public school programs across the United States, yet current scholarship on the mariachi voice primarily focuses on defining and analyzing performance practice, offering limited guidance for classroom instruction. This study provides a methodology for developing healthy vocal technique in the middle school mariachi classroom. Grounded in established vocal pedagogy and informed by teaching practice, this approach first builds student confidence through participation in group vocal exploration that encourages active vocal participation. Instruction progresses from foundational skill development, including aural skills, breath coordination, and healthy vocal projection, to the application of these skills through …

Enhancing Independence: A Home Environmental Safety Program For Stroke Survivors, Ka'iulani-Joy Genevieve Conlu

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Background: Stroke is a common cause of physical limitations, leading to decreased independence and participation in daily activities. Individuals post-stroke transitioning from inpatient to outpatient care typically do not receive in-person home safety recommendations to decrease environmental challenges and improve overall well-being. Methods: Participants were recruited conveniently during the inpatient and outpatient care process at Post Acute Medical (PAM) Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Henderson. The Home Falls and Accidents Screening Tool (HOME FAST) was administered to identify environmental hazards and to guide individualized home safety recommendations. Participants will complete a questionnaire before and after the program within 14 weeks to …

Evaluation Of Two Bioaerosol Sampling And Analysis Methods For The Collection Of Airborne Bacteria And Viruses, Elizabeth Detrick

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Bioaerosols, defined as airborne particles of biological origin, include bacteria, fungi, viruses, and their byproducts. They are ubiquitous in both indoor and outdoor environments and can cause respiratory infections, allergic reactions, and toxin-mediated illnesses. Air sampling plays a vital role in bioaerosol monitoring by enabling the collection and analysis of airborne microorganisms to assess exposure risk and inform mitigation strategies. The objective of this study was to determine the relative collection efficiency of two air samplers, the MD8 Airscan, a filtration sampling method, and the SKC BioSampler, an impingement sampling method. Aerosolization tests were conducted in a controlled test chamber …

Relativistic Transients From Compact Objects: Radiation Processes And Geometric Effects, Connery Chen

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Relativistic transients from compact objects probe the most extreme regimes of physics, where strong gravity, ultra-relativistic outflows, and high-energy radiation operate simultaneously; understanding the underlying radiation mechanisms and extrinsic geometric and relativistic effects is essential for interpreting observations and constraining source properties. I develop theoretical and computational frameworks to quantify how geometry and relativistic motion shape observed emission from fast radio bursts, gamma-ray bursts, and neutron star mergers. I analyze fast radio bursts from the Galactic magnetar SGR J1935+2154 and show that emission geometry strongly governs burst energetics and detection probability, and influences the link between radio and X-ray emission. …

Voices Under Constraint: College Students’ Self-Censorship, Empowered Resistance, And Solidarity, Richard Chang

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Self-censorship, empowered resistance, and solidarity are critical yet understudied phenomena that shape the lived experiences of college students from racially marginalized communities. The present research comprises three studies examining the interconnected roles of these constructs in the psychosocial well-being and collective action of racially marginalized college students in the United States, specifically in the context of students’ activism behaviors during the 2023 and ongoing genocide in Gaza. Chapter 2 will present findings from an online mixed-methods study that examines college students’ self-censorship and psychological distress factors that support or hinder open discussion during the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Results suggest …

The Lotus Project: An Occupation-Based Online Module To Support Healthy Matrescence, Virginia Genato

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Becoming a mother is a meaningful life event that occurs amid complex physical, psychological, and social changes. During this period, individuals undergo an occupational role transition as they assume new caregiver responsibilities while navigating contextual demands. The ease of this transition influences overall maternal adjustment. The dominant sociocultural model of intensive mothering promotes child-centered caregiving, often at the expense of maternal well-being and adjustment. Efforts to meet these expectations may disrupt an individual’s transition into motherhood and place them at risk for developing postpartum mental health challenges.

The concept of matrescence provides a developmental framework that views motherhood as an …

The Impact Of Youth Sport On Occupational Balance: A Survey Study, Sean Jones

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Youth sport has been highly researched, exploring both positive and negative health impacts (Adetunji & Akendutire, 2017; Brengtsson et al., 2025; Conway, 2024; Hoffman et al., 2022). Despite the high prevalence of youth sport participation, and variability of health-related outcomes, there has been no research regarding the impact youth sport participation has on occupational balance, an occupational therapy concept that has been linked with overall health and well-being (Park et al., 2021). A mixed-methods, cross-sectional survey study was used to gain better insights into the impact youth sport participation may have on occupational balance. A sample size of 466 Nevada …

Racial Autobiographies And Readiness To Be A Social Justice Leader, Traci Holloway

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This qualitative dissertation investigates how engaging in racial autobiography writing influences pre-service educational leaders’ readiness to enact social justice leadership. Situated within the persistent racial mismatch between increasingly diverse student populations and predominantly White school leadership, the study responds to the educational debt owed to communities of color and the limitations of traditional leadership preparation. Grounded in critical race theory, social justice leadership frameworks, and concepts of critical consciousness, the research examines how structured racial autobiographical reflection can disrupt color-evasive narratives, surface formative racial experiences, and deepen candidates’ understanding of systemic inequities. Using an action-research design within a university-based leadership …

Inclusiveness With Sensory Maps; Enhancing Engagement In A Children's Museum, Victoria E. Davila

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Sensory processing challenges can affect a child’s ability to engage in play, especially when participating in community activities. When a child feels overwhelmed by sensory features in an environment, such as noise or bright lights in a community space, they may experience sensory overload. Caregivers often observe this behavior but may not have access to resources to help their child navigate these challenges. This capstone project aimed to implement a program development initiative at the Discovery Children’s Museum focused on developing sensory-inclusive resources for caregivers visiting the museum with a child. The role of occupational therapy in this project is …

Interpretable Deep Learning Models For Trustworthy Prediction Of Enzyme Functions, Louis Dumontet

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Trustworthy prediction of enzyme function from protein sequences remains a central challenge in computational biology, particularly when annotated data are limited, imbalanced, or incomplete. This dissertation develops interpretable deep learning methods for enzyme discovery and enzyme function prediction from amino acid sequences. First, it introduces PEPIC, an interpretable convolutional neural network for substrate-level prediction of hydrolytic plastic-degrading enzymes. Using curated and expanded sequence datasets, PEPIC improved predictive performance over benchmark methods, identified sequence regions aligned with catalytic and substrate-binding residues, and supported the discovery and experimental validation of a previously uncharacterized PET-degrading enzyme. Second, this dissertation investigates the integration of …

Student-Athlete Flourishing In Intercollegiate Athletics: A Mixed Methods Study, James Hines

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Comprehending the complexities associated with student-athlete well-being while competing on campus is important for both institutions of higher education and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Studies relating to student-athlete well-being have researched many different areas such as suicide prevention (Gross et al., 2020), mental health treatments (Ryan et al.,2018), and injury recovery (Martin et al., 2021). Few studies have examined student-athlete flourishing which focuses on helping individuals thrive and reach their greatest potential. This study employs an explanatory sequential mixed method design to examine student-athlete flourishing along with factors associated with student-athlete flourishing. Survey data (N=89) provided insight on …

Understanding Chinese Students’ Intent To Study Abroad: Case Study Of A Collaborative Chinese & U.S. University Program, Jaekeun Cho

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study examined how Chinese undergraduate students enrolled in a Sino-Foreign Cooperative Program (SFCP) made decisions about studying abroad and selected a U.S. institution, with particular attention to institutions in less traditional destinations, such as Nevada. International student enrollment has become a critical strategy for U.S. higher education institutions facing declining state appropriations, demographic contraction in domestic enrollment, and increased global competition. Although China has remained the largest source of international students to the United States for decades, states such as Nevada enroll comparatively few international students and lack empirical research on recruitment pathways. This study addressed this gap by …

Harnessing Backcasting To Identify Drivers Of Critical Warming At Hoover Dam Using Hydrodynamic And Machine Learning Models, Eunice Ledres

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Elevated water temperatures can pose a significant threat to dam infrastructure, potentially damaging turbines, overheating internal components, and forcing generator shutdowns. This study uses a backcasting framework to evaluate how future scenarios may result in elevated water temperatures. Backcasting defines undesirable outcomes and works backward to identify the conditions that lead to them. The developed backcasting framework integrates 3D physics-based simulations with a Long-Short Term Memory (LSTM)surrogate model and SHapely Additive exPlanations (SHAP) interpretation. The combination captures temporal water temperature dynamics and quantifies the contributions of different drivers to elevated water temperature releases. As proof of concept, these methods are …

A Technical Analysis Of Ground Stone From The Group Iv Neighborhood At Palenque, Mexico, Alexandra Castillo Espinoza

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Ground stone tools (manos and metates used to grind food) are among the most recovered yet least studied artifacts in Classic Period Maya archaeology. Their consistent association with women's domestic labor has contributed to their analytical neglect, producing a gap in what is known about daily food production, household organization, and the lives of the people most responsible for both. This thesis addresses that gap through a technical analysis of 211 ground stone artifacts recovered from the Group IV neighborhood at Palenque, Chiapas, Mexico, by the Proyecto Regional de Palenque (PREP) between 2016 and 2025. It is the first systematic …

Promoting Classroom Management Through Elementary Teacher Education On Movement-Based Social-Emotional Learning, Daija Renee Georgette

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This doctoral capstone project addressed a knowledge gap among K–5 th–grade teachers at Cornerstone Christian Academy (CCA) regarding the purpose, benefits, and educational value of movement-based brain breaks. Although CCA currently incorporates social–emotional learning (SEL) frameworks such as the Zones of Regulation, teachers have received limited training on how structured movement opportunities can enhance student engagement, attention, and regulation. This program aimed to strengthen teachers’ understanding and confidence by providing a series of evidence-informed workshops that explored the connections among movement, self-regulation, and classroom management.

The project consisted of orientation, teacher recruitment, needs assessment, workshop development, and program delivery over …