Digital Commons Network^™

Occupy Your Life: Increasing Independence After Intimate Partner Violence, Jovianna E. Bagaglio

OTD DEx Reports - College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is an ongoing public health crisis that significantly disrupts survivors' physical health, mental well-being, and participation in everyday occupations. This project, Occupy Your Life, developed and implemented a six-week, individualized telehealth occupational therapy program for IPV survivors in collaboration with Inner Balance Psychotherapy in Rhode Island. Grounded in trauma-informed care and Social Cognitive Theory, the program aimed to increase participants' self-efficacy, independence, and occupational participation through tailored virtual sessions addressing coping strategies, emotional regulation, problem-solving, and daily functioning. A mixed-methods design incorporating the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE) and open- and closed-ended survey questions was used to …

Connecting Minds: A Stroke Survivor Support Group To Promote Mental Health And Improve Quality Of Life, Anna Collier, Alexis M.F. Morin

OTD DEx Reports - College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

To meet an individual’s needs in healthcare, all aspects of their challenges and strengths must be considered. This project titled Connecting Minds: A Stroke Survivor Support Group to Promote Mental Health and Quality of Life, will discuss the outcomes of a 6-week educational support group. The American Stroke Association (2024), states that 30% of stroke survivors develop post-stroke depression. If left untreated, it can affect quality of life, intervene with recovery, and can be underdiagnosed if not detected early on. Stroke survivors receive minimal support and consideration for mental health post-stroke. When an individual experiences a stroke, an interruption …

Flowing Forward: Adaptive Aquatic Recreation Program Empowering Individuals Living With Neurodegenerative Conditions, Katharine Buchanan, Alexis M.F. Morin, Jenna Digirolamo

OTD DEx Reports - College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

Neurodegenerative conditions are characterized by progressive dysfunction and degeneration of the nervous system, often resulting in a combination of physical, cognitive, and psychosocial challenges that significantly impact quality of life. Common examples include Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and Parkinson’s Disease (PD), both of which present with complex and variable symptom profiles. Despite advances in pharmacological management, there remains a critical gap in interventions that address mental health, social participation, and overall well-being for individuals living with these conditions. This capstone project, Flowing Forward, was developed as a community-based adaptive aquatic recreation program aimed at addressing these gaps through participation in meaningful, …

Preventing And Reducing Substance Use Disorders In The Foster Youth Population: An Educational Program For Residential Staff, Allyson E. Ferraro, Alexis M.F. Morin

OTD DEx Reports - College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

Foster youth encounter various challenges such as adverse childhood experiences (ACES), which increase their prevalence of developing substance use disorders (SUDs). The importance of implementing trauma-informed care techniques and harm reduction approaches in residential settings for foster youth will be highlighted. The literature emphasizes a clear need for residential staff and care partners to understand and apply trauma-informed strategies and harm reduction approaches. Implementing these evidence-based strategies while also enhancing foster youth’s protective factors can strengthen resiliency among foster youth, ultimately improving their overall well-being and life outcomes. Additionally, the impact of stress and burnout among residential staff and care …

The Emerging Practice Of Canine Assisted Therapy (Cat) Benefiting Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder (Asd), Amanda Chaves

OTD DEx Reports - College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

This project explores the impact of Canine-Assisted Therapy (CAT) on meaningful occupational participation of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In previous literature, CAT has been found to support the development of social and communication skills, emotional regulation, behavioral management, and self-care abilities, promoting growth in critical developmental areas. By integrating CAT into occupational therapy (OT), this study highlighted the potential of personalized, engaging interventions to empower children with ASD, promoting greater independence, community engagement, and an improved quality of life for both children and their families. Done through a qualitative case study consisting of interviews and observations, the research …

Breaking The Silence: Examining Sociocultural Barriers And Comfort With Sexual Health And Intimacy In Adolescents, Marcos D. Pena Veras, Kimberly Gross

OTD DEx Reports - College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

Over the past three decades, adolescent pregnancy rates in the United States (U.S.) have decreased across all ethnic groups (Livingston & Thomas, 2019). However, in the United States, rates among the Hispanic population remain higher than those of other major ethnic groups. Review of the existing literature describes cultural barriers that prevent Hispanic young adults and their parents from engaging in sexual health and intimacy education. These barriers include gender roles, educational attainment and healthcare access, and lack of parental communication (Alzate et al., 2018; Langellier et al., 2021; Durante et al., 2023).

This study utilized a mixed-methods approach and …

Art-Based Emotional Regulation Through An Occupational Lens, Lucas M. Totoro

OTD DEx Reports - College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

Emotional dysregulation is common among children in outpatient therapy, affecting up to 20% of youth ages 0–19, with prevalence increasing to 33% in outpatient settings and 67% in mental health settings (Baroud, 2024; Haeyen, 2020). Contributing factors include adverse childhood experiences, anxiety, trauma, and symptoms of mental health and developmental disorders (Beiderman, 2019; Moehler, 2022; Paulus, 2021). This project aims to address gaps in literature by identifying effective art-based interventions for emotional regulation. It does so through a program designed to educate outpatient pediatric clinicians and explore practical strategies to support clients experiencing emotional dysregulation. Overall, this study synthesizes the …

A Two-Stage Screening Approach Integrated With Gwas For Rare Phenotypes Such As Spontaneous Haploid Genome Doubling In Maize, Mercy Fakude, Tyler L. Foster, Yu Ru Chen, Ann Murithi, Siddique Imran Aboobucker, Ursula Karoline Frei, Philip M. Dixon, Thomas Lübberstedt

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Spontaneous haploid genome doubling (SHGD) is a valuable trait in maize breeding, enabling the development of doubled haploid (DH) lines without chemical chromosome doubling. However, SHGD is a rare phenotype, expressed in only a small fraction of maize germplasm, making its identification resource-intensive. This study evaluated the efficiency of a two-stage field screening approach designed to identify maize genotypes with high haploid male fertility (HMF), a key indicator of SHGD potential. Simulation analyses showed that evaluating 50 haploid plants per genotype, combined with a 25% HMF threshold, provides an optimal balance between detection accuracy and resource efficiency. Across three growing …

Population Genomics Of A Cosmopolitan Weed Provides Insights Into Its Local Adaptation And Recent Demographic History, Marilia Souza Lucas, Christoph Rosche, Isabell Hensen, Stefan G. Michalski, Dávid U. Nagy, Diana Gamba, Renske E. Onstein, Karime Abidkulova, Mohammad Al-Gharaibeh, Ali A. Al-Namazi, Sirwan Babaei, Fernando Bastida, Caio Brunharo, Aurélien Caillon, Ragan M. Callaway, Sam St Clair, Darron A. Cullen, Ryan Donnelly, Alyson Ennis, David J. Ensing, Özkan Eren, Andrey Erst, Rita Filep, Luke Flory, Lauren J. Frazee, Yusufjon Gafforov, Fidji Gendron, Zigmantas Gudžinskas, Christopher Matt Guilliams, Avni Hajdari, Jian Hua Hao, Erin Haramoto

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Invasive plant species present a growing ecological and economic challenge, and often adapt rapidly to their novel environments through complex demographic and evolutionary processes. Invasion genomics offers powerful tools to disentangle these processes, but most studies rely on geographically narrow sampling across native and non-native ranges. Erigeron canadensis is a cosmopolitan weed native to North America that has successfully invaded diverse climates worldwide. We used double-digest restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (ddRADseq) to investigate the genetic diversity and structure of 280 E. canadensis populations across the Northern Hemisphere. We found that native and non-native populations maintained comparable genetic diversity. Population structure …

Seed Dormancy Cycling, Jingshi Yang, Yan Luo, Jerry M. Baskin, Carol C. Baskin, Andreas Prinzing, Luping Liu, Chaohan Xu, Keliang Zhang

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Timing of seed germination is critical for survival of annual plants in seasonal climates. We tested the hypothesis that seeds of the winter annual species Cardamine impatiens (Brassicaceae) “track” their thermal environment and synchronize germination with favorable growth conditions. We predicted that seeds buried in the field from maturity to autumn germinate best at autumn temperatures, while those buried from maturity to spring germinate best in early spring. We monitored seasonal changes in germinability by exhuming field-buried seeds monthly for 30 months and incubating them under laboratory conditions. The effects of temperature on the transition of dormancy status also were …

Triacontanol Boosts Soybean Nodulation Via Gmhsp26-Mediated Antioxidant Enhancement, Bingjie Niu, Minglei Cheng, Xudong Lu, Lili Sun, Shuang Lu, Jinke Guo, Hongyan Zhu, Lixiang Wang

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) is a globally crucial food crop and a model plant for studying symbiotic nitrogen fixation in legumes. Triacontanol (TRIA) is a natural plant growth regulator that enhances photosynthetic efficiency, stress tolerance, antioxidant enzyme activities and yield in crops. However, its regulatory role in nodulation and nitrogen fixation in legumes remains unclear. In this study, soybean seedlings inoculated with Bradyrhizobium japonicum strain USDA110 were treated with different concentrations of TRIA (0, 0.33, 0.5, 1 and 2 μg/mL). Then, oxidative stress indicators and comparative transcriptomic analysis were performed to check the oxidative status and screen the candidate …

2026 Commencement Program, Columbia College Chicago

Commencement Programs

The commencement program of the 2026 Columbia College Chicago graduation ceremonies.

Optimizing Citriculture In South Texas With Endemic Hlb, Ruth Lilia Galan

Theses and Dissertations

The Texas citrus industry has a long history of resilience, rebounding from environmental and economic disasters. Over the last decade it has endured several hurricanes, freezes, pests and diseases. Huanglongbing (HLB), a graft-transmissible disease caused by Gram-negative bacterium Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus which is vectored by the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) (Diaphorina citri Kuwayama), is an endemic citrus disease posing serious threat to the long-term viability of the industry. Rapid production of high quality nursery trees and effective protection of young citrus transplants from HLB are critical for long term sustainability of citriculture in this region. Studies were performed to improve …

Phenotypic Contribution And Regulation Of Vibrio Parahaemolyticus Cold-Shock Protein Homologue Vp1889, Oleg Borisovich Ermolinsky

Theses and Dissertations

Vibrio parahaemolyticus is the primary causative agent of a form of gastroenteritis called vibriosis commonly acquired from ingestion of raw and undercooked seafood. The primary mitigation of seafood-borne illnesses is immediate storage on ice following catch, which inhibits bacterial metabolism and replication. Mesophilic bacteria such as V. parahaemolyticus induce expression of cold-shock proteins in a process named the cold shock response, which facilitates survival at low temperatures. V. parahaemolyticus bears 3 homologues of the major Escherichia coli cold-shock protein CspA, an RNA chaperone. Induction of E. coli CspA at low temperatures depends on autogenous modulation by its mRNA structure, which …

Learning Adaptive Control For Safe Collaborative Autonomous Driving, Fabian Alexis Hernandez

Theses and Dissertations

Connected autonomous vehicles improve urban driving through collaborative perception via Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) communication. Frameworks such as V2Xverse leverage this collaboration for planning and perception, yet their controllers rely on fixed parameters that cannot adapt to varying traffic. Control Barrier Functions (CBFs) enforce safety by constraining actions within a safe set, but a fixed barrier gain imposes a single operating point: conservative settings reduce throughput while permissive settings under-react to hazards.

This research proposes an adaptive CBF framework that learns state-dependent, class-specific barrier gains via constrained Reinforcement Learning (RL). A compact policy outputs separate gains for vehicles, pedestrians, and bicycles, parameterizing …

“Oh, Hey, Miss, Why Am I Taking This Test?”: Amplifying The Critical Voices Of Long-Term Emergent Bilinguals From The Rgv On Telpas, Luisa Adriana Valdez

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative narrative study examines the lived experiences of seven Long-Term Emergent Bilinguals (LTEBs) in Texas public schools, with a particular focus on the TELPAS test and its role in shaping students’ academic trajectories. Grounded in decolonial theory and a raciolinguistic ideological perspective, the study investigates how state-mandated English proficiency assessments and identification practices reproduce inequities and racialized linguistic hierarchies. Using pláticas as a culturally sustaining methodological approach, narrative accounts were collected from seven U.S.-born, Spanish-English bilingual Latinx students from the Rio Grande Valley. Findings reveal that the home language survey and TELPAS language proficiency assessment function as colonial sorting …

Combinatorial Statistics Witnessing An Infinite Family Of Congruences For A Sum Of Partition Functions, Jena M. Gregory

Theses and Dissertations

In 2007, Kronholm established The Interval Theorem, infinite families of congruences in arithmetic progression, modulo any prime ��, for ��(��, ��), the function enumerating the partitions of �� into parts whose sizes come from the set {1, 2, … , ��}. In 2022, Eichhorn, Kronholm, and Larsen proved there are combinatorial statistics described in terms of the multiplicities of the part sizes that witness Kronholm’s Interval Theorem. Here, “witness" means given a congruence of the form ��(��, ��) ≡ 0 (mod ��), we can use these statistics to classify the set of partitions of �� into �� equally sized subsets …

Developing Ai Literacy In Preservice Stem Teachers: Exploring The Role Of Pedagogically Grounded Engagement With Generative Ai In Lesson Planning, Omar Raul Elizondo

Theses and Dissertations

The rapid advancement of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is introducing new opportunities and challenges in education. This qualitative multiple-case study explored how preservice STEM teachers developed AI literacy through structured engagement with GenAI during inquiry-based lesson planning. Grounded in Ng et al.’s (2021) four-domain AI literacy framework, the 5E instructional model, and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), the study examined how preservice teachers conceptualized, applied, evaluated, and ethically reasoned about GenAI-supported outputs while designing lessons aligned with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS).

Participants were three preservice STEM teachers enrolled in the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley’s …

From Homeland To The Foreign Classroom: The Salaysay Of Filipina Immigrant Teachers In Texas, Shanna Cui Miranda

Theses and Dissertations

Filipina immigrant teachers are a growing presence in Texas schools, especially as districts respond to teacher shortages by recruiting internationally trained educators. This narrative study explores the salaysay of Filipina immigrant teachers in Texas and examines how their funds of knowledge inform their teaching practice. Guided by the research question, What are the salaysay of Filipina immigrant teachers in Texas, and how do their funds of knowledge inform their teaching? The study uses Funds of Knowledge (Moll et al., 1992) as the central framework and resizes it to focus on teachers as holders of culturally developed knowledge. The resized framework …

Haciendo Caras Y Hablando Para Atrás: Conceptualizing Espacios Coyunturales/Bridged Spaces As Teachers Resistance To Contemporary Reactionary Legislative Initiatives In K-12 Social Studies, Brittney Louise Thornton-Guzman

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines how teachers in the Rio Grande Valley engage in subversive resistance within the context of contemporary legislative constraints regulating discussions of race, identity, and history in K–12 classrooms. Grounded in Chicana Feminist Epistemology (Delgado Bernal, 1998) and informed by Aoki’s distinction between curriculum-as-plan and lived curriculum (Aoki, 2005), this qualitative study employs critical narrative inquiry (Clandinin & Connelly, 2000) and analysis of narrative to explore how educators navigate stateimposed restrictions. Drawing on teacher narratives, the study centers hablando para atrás (hooks, 1989) as a pedagogical stance through which educators sustain critical engagement under conditions of constraint. Findings …

Overreliance On Standardized Testing And Its Impact On The Classroom Experience, Cassia Guajardo

Theses and Dissertations

High-stakes standardized testing has become a dominant force in U.S. education system, shaping curriculum, pedagogy, and accountability systems in ways that can narrow instructional breadth and constrain teacher autonomy. This study examined how these dynamics are experienced by educators working in a predominantly Latinx, border-region district in South Texas. The purpose was to explore K–12 teachers lived experiences with standardized testing and their perceptions of its effects on curriculum, teaching methods, and classroom assessment practices within McAllen Independent School District (ISD).

Using a basic qualitative design, data was collected through an anonymous, open-ended questionnaire. Twenty-five practicing teachers from elementary, middle, …

“Now I Know The Kind Of Leader I Want To Become”: Leadership Development And Professional Growth Through The Lens Of Transformational Leadership Theory, Manuel Angel Saenz

Theses and Dissertations

Organizations increasingly rely on leadership development programs to strengthen succession planning and prepare middle managers for expanded responsibilities, yet limited research has explored how participants experience these initiatives in fast-paced, customer-centric environments. This qualitative descriptive case study examined the lived experiences of 11 middle managers and directors participating in the LEAD Forward program within a Government Contact Center. Guided by Transformational Leadership Theory, the study investigated (a) how participants perceived the program’s impact on their professional development and leadership skills and (b) the challenges and opportunities they encountered during participation. Data was collected through two written narrative reflections and 11 …

Faculty Perspectives On Co-Teaching Mathematics: A Focus On Corequisite Education, Aleksandra Shchelkunova

Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to contribute to the literature by expanding the knowledge on coteaching practices to the area of higher education. Traditionally, co-teaching was considered uncommon in college courses. However, with the increasing popularity of corequisite courses - often structured as linked classes taught by two different instructors - co-teaching has become a new popular trend in higher education. In this research, I compared co-teaching models utilized in K-12 settings with those applied at the college level mathematics courses and analyzed the reflections of faculty members who have experience with team teaching.

This qualitative single-case study was conducted using convenience …

General Chemistry Students' Perceptions Of How Various Course Resources Affect Their Learning And Exam Preparation, Jennifer Scoggin Cortez

Theses and Dissertations

The tertiary-level first-semester general chemistry course has a large range of material with different complexities that can be difficult for students to master within one semester. In the general chemistry I course under study here, students were provided with a variety of resources to help with their learning and understanding, with various components of the course, including the lecture, online textbook, Peer-Led-Team-Learning (PLTL) study sessions, and exams, having associated resources. This study aims to analyze students’ experiences with these various resources. Students were given semi-structured interviews where they talked about their experiences with the resources and provided insight into more …

Chatbots In The Classroom: Understanding The Impact Of Chatbot Integration In Writer’S Workshops On High School Students’ Writing, Gabriel Cerda

Theses and Dissertations

Writing is a complex developmental skill, and much research has been conducted to understand in which ways to best close the gaps that national data indicates exist for students in K-12 education. This quasi-experimental study explored how integrating chatbots as dialogue agents within a writer’s workshop framework influences the quality of written compositions among Grade 12 students. The research was grounded in the Direct and Indirect Effect Model of Writing (DIEW) and the Writer(s)-Within-Community (WWC) model, which emphasize both the cognitive and social-emotional dimensions of the writing process.

Participants received real-time, individualized feedback, with pre- and post-test essays evaluated using …

Assessing Water Quality And Nitrogen Dynamics In Bahia Grande, Texas Using Field And Remote Sensing Data, Sk Taufiqul Islam

Theses and Dissertations

An 8,220-acre estuary in South Texas, Bahia Grande has recently been restored from a disconnected hypersaline basin to a tidal estuary. A spatially explicit water quality index (WQI) was developed and in situ physicochemical data coupled with remote sensing data from Sentinel-2 were used to determine ecological integrity. A WQI from 29.45-53.20 yielded a spatial distribution of water quality that displayed a non-linear spatial trend throughout the estuary. Water quality close to the Brownsville Ship Channel inlet yielded values of 'Moderate/Stressed' water quality (> 50). These areas represent local zones of disturbance where ammonium concentrations were more than 11 µmol/L. …

Curriculum, Power And Pedagogical Becoming: An Autoethnographic Inquiry Into Lived Curriculum, Teacher Agency And Institutional Constraints, Norma Ochoa Urban-Palomarez

Theses and Dissertations

My dissertation, Curriculum, Power, and Pedagogical Becoming, examines the complex relationship between institutional curriculum structures, teacher agency, and the lived realities of classroom practice within U.S. public schooling. Situated at the intersection of curriculum theory and critical pedagogy, the study investigates how power operates through scripted curricula, pacing mandates, and fidelity-driven instructional models, and how these mechanisms shape pedagogical decision-making, professional identity, and the educational experiences of Hispanic students of poverty, language, and color. While standardization is frequently framed as a vehicle for equity and accountability, this research explores how institutional constraints may simultaneously regulate teacher practice and delimit possibilities …

Inclusive Perspectives In Early Childhood Special Education: Navigating Experiences Of Families And Educators In The South Texas Community, Jessica Ann Garza

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the relationship between family systems and inclusive outcomes in Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) programs in South Texas. Guided by Family Systems Theory and the family life cycle perspective, the research explores how family structures, cultural values such as familismo, bilingualism, and cross‑border healthcare access influence educational engagement and student progress. The South Texas region, characterized by its majority Hispanic population, bilingual households, and proximity to the U.S.–Mexico border, presents a unique context for understanding how cultural assets and systemic barriers shape ECSE collaboration. Using a convergent parallel mixed‑methods design, the study integrates quantitative survey data on …

Bayesian Change-Point Detection In Stock And Cryptocurrency Markets Using Shrinkage Priors, Yosalin Sanchez

Theses and Dissertations

Financial markets often undergo abrupt structural changes driven by political, economic, and geopolitical events, leading to substantial volatility. Detecting such change-points is crucial for identifying structural breaks, improving risk management, and enhancing forecasting performance in financial time series. This study proposes a Bayesian change-point detection framework that incorporates both the t-shrinkage prior and the Horseshoe shrinkage prior. These priors enforce strong regularization on successive differences in mean parameters, enabling the identification of piecewise constant structures in time series data. Posterior inference is conducted using Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods, specifically a Gibbs sampling algorithm, which iteratively samples from the …

Essays On Ai-Driven Analytics For Enhanced Healthcare Delivery: From Onset To Outcomes In Neurological Diseases Management, Gabriel Owusu

Theses and Dissertations

Chronic neurological diseases, particularly Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRDs), pose mounting global healthcare burdens. Despite advances in AI and health information technologies, early detection, precise diagnosis, and effective caregiver support remain elusive. This dissertation proposes innovative AI-enabled analytical frameworks to address these challenges across the full ADRD continuum.

The first essay designs an explainable AI-enabled clinical decision support system (CDSS) using a graph neural network for early AD identification, evaluated through usability studies demonstrating improved risk awareness and clinical engagement. The second essay introduces MADT-RNN, a multi-level attention-based deep transfer recurrent neural network that fuses convolutional and recurrent architectures …