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April 2026 Cafe Newsletter, Missouri University Of Science And Technology

CAFE Faculty Newsletters

Center for Advancing Faculty Excellence (CAFE) newsletter April 2026

Analyzing The Framing Of President John D. Mahama’S Maiden Press Encounter In State And Independent Media Outlets, Daniel Ofosu Obeng

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

ABSTRACT Presidential press encounters are landmark moments in political communication which, as a result of media mediation, significantly impact people's perception of leadership and governance. The paper examines the depiction of the first press meeting of John Dramani Mahama, President of Ghana, during his second term by state-owned and independent media in Ghana. This study, with Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) and Media Capture Theory as its theoretical frameworks, delves into how the language and institutional orientations influence the portrayal of the president's communication to the public by the media. By using a qualitative research design, the study decided on sixteen …

Unpacking Faculty Perceptions: Disability Critical Race Theory & Adaptive Equity-Oriented Pedagogical In Teaching Practices, Courtney D. Gipson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Students with disabilities (SWD) encounter barriers in higher education despite federal legislation intended for equitable access. Community colleges enroll in a significant number of SWDs, who outstandingly are positioned to support different learners. However, the implementation of instructional practices and accommodations are shaped by false beliefs, inadequate training, and inequitable structures. Historically, research on disability and higher education have been analyzed from a deficit and ableist perspective, ignoring the intersectional experiences of SWDs and the important role faculty play in creating inclusive learning environments. This study addresses these gaps by examining community college faculty members' perceptions, beliefs, and pedagogical practices. …

An Empirically Validated Adjustment Factor Level Of Traffic Stress Framework For Urban Bicycle Network Planning, Logan Sirbaugh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Bicyclist safety remains a critical challenge for transportation agencies seeking to expand bicycle networks while reducing crash severity and risk. To address this need, planners have used a range of evaluation approaches; however, many are costly, time-intensive, difficult to scale, and limited in transferability across jurisdictions. In response, Level of Traffic Stress (LTS) frameworks emerged as a practical tool for evaluating bicycling comfort and identifying low-stress routes using widely available roadway data. Despite widespread adoption, most LTS approaches rely on assumed design thresholds and perception-based criteria rather than observed safety outcomes, limiting their empirical grounding and consistency. This dissertation addresses …

Developing Violin Exercises Informed By The Alexander Technique: A Study Of Maurice Ravel’S Tzigane Concert Rhapsody For Violin And Piano, Idil Belgin Kucukdogan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Playing-related musculoskeletal disorders are highly prevalent among professional musicians, with violinists particularly vulnerable due to the instrument’s asymmetry and repetitive demands. Although research in performing arts medicine has expanded in recent decades, preventive strategies are not consistently integrated into violin pedagogy. This dissertation presents a structured set of preparatory exercises for Maurice Ravel’s Tzigane Concert Rhapsody for Violin and Piano, informed by the principles of the Alexander Technique, as a model for integrating a somatic awareness method into advanced violin practice. As an expressive and virtuoso showpiece firmly established in the violin canon, Tzigane presents distinctive technical challenges. Composed in …

Prevalence And Correlates Of Dietary Behaviors And Association With Metabolic Syndrome Among Adult Childhood Cancer Survivors, Lindsey Corder

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Background: Adult childhood cancer survivors (CCS) face an elevated risk for metabolic syndrome (MetS), contributing to adverse long-term cardiovascular outcomes. Dietary behaviors are modifiable risk factors for MetS, yet investigations remain limited in this at-risk population. Notably, gaps persist in evidence regarding how overall adherence to preventive dietary behaviors and sex differences relate to MetS within the context of social determinants of health (SDOH). Methods: This retrospective, cross-sectional study analyzed baseline data from adult CCS enrolled in the St. Jude Lifetime Cohort. Dietary adherence was assessed using the Alternative Healthy Eating Index-2010 (AHEI-2010), derived from a validated block food frequency …

Writing And Singing The Self: Gendered Expression In The Songcraft Of Trans And Bisexual Singer-Songwriters In Memphis, Kara Leann Stewart Meredith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

This dissertation contains four case studies of trans and/or bisexual singer-songwriters in the Memphis, Tennessee area. Trans and bisexual people break down the gender binary through sexual attraction or through gender identity, and must constantly “come out” to maintain visibility. The artists interviewed for this project are W1ND0W (she/they), also known as Jill Johnson, a mostly-sapphic bisexual and nonbinary singer-songwriter of hyperemo, electronic, and improvisational performance music; Suroor (she/her), a trans woman singer-songwriter of hyperpop music; Alex da Ponte (he/him), a trans man solo singer-songwriter of pop and indie rock; and Maggie Trisler of the band Mystic Light Casino (she/her), …

The Social Constructions Of Musical Listening: Audience Etiquette From The Nineteenth Century To Today, Catherine Elise Balsamo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Audiences and performers of the twenty-first century are primarily of the belief that the cultural norms of the concert hall are rules of etiquette that have been codified for centuries when they are newer than we think. Researchers have studied the background of audience behavioral trends to try to trace back to when the rules of audience etiquette became commonplace, with some scholars citing the French Revolution as a primary catalyst and others tying it to nineteenth and twentieth century conductor “cults.” By analyzing primary source material and synthesizing existing research on cultural shifts in the Western concert hall, I …

Louise Farrenc’S Symphony No. 2 In D Major, Op. 35: A Historical Informed Performance Guide, Fabian Schneider

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Schneider, Fabian. DMA. The University of Memphis. March 2026. A historical informed performance guide Louise Farrenc’s Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 35. Major Professor: Daniel Brier. This project develops a historically informed performance framework for Louise Farrenc’s Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 35. Through close structural and stylistic analysis, the study situates the work within the broader symphonic traditions of nineteenth-century France and Germany, comparing Farrenc’s compositional strategies with those of selected contemporaries. Particular attention is given to formal design, thematic construction, orchestration, and harmonic language to assess both shared conventions and individual characteristics. Engaging with …

Nikolai Medtner's Skazki, Op. 51: Three Movements Transcribed For Wind Band With Commentary, Erin Nicole Duke

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

This dissertation contributes to the wind band’s long-standing tradition of transcription by producing a performable wind ensemble transcription of three movements of Nikolai Medtner’s Six Skazki, op. 51 (Nos. 1, 3, and 6) and documenting the orchestrational decisions that shape the transfer from piano to band. Although transcriptions have historically been a staple in wind repertoire, major composers and styles are still missing, and contemporary wind culture increasingly champions the revitalization of old standards. The selected skazki offer narrative and folk-like motives that can be heard as conceptually adjacent to early twentieth-century wind literature, while remaining singular to Medtner’s distinctive …

Tone And Resonance In The Congregational Singing Pedagogical Strategies For The Church Choir Context, Karen Zeferino

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

This study explores pedagogical strategies in vocal technique for church choir. In the context of church choral ensembles, congregational singing plays a crucial role in worship, fostering community building. Therefore, developing vocal tone and resonance is essential for enhancing both musical expression and participant engagement. This dissertation argues that, despite the limitations of weekly rehearsal time, church choir directors should prioritize specific vocal exercises to address members' interests in improving tone, blend, vowel, and resonance. By incorporating pedagogical strategies tailored to the church setting, directors can promote individual vocal growth without extending rehearsal sessions. Drawing on vocal pedagogy literature and …

Evolution Of Korean Dansaekhwa Monochrome Painting: Are Contemporary Korean Artists Still Carrying The Torch?, Mary Anne Mccraw

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

The first abstract and uniquely Korean artistic movement to emerge from South Korea, Korean Dansaekhwa is now globally popular and can be considered the embodiment of Korean contemporary art. The original founders developed a practice that was groundbreaking in its significance, involving both a new relationship between art and materials and a distinctly Korean ideology. Dansaekhwa artists in the 1960s and 1970s imbued their painting rituals with an intense study of the materiality of the art tools and supplies, infused it with the Korean meditative practice of ancient ink painting and calligraphy, and immersed it with a connection to nature. …

Supporting School Readiness: A Visual-Motor Integration Program For Children Ages 2.5-10, Bailey Williams, Wendy Tremaine, Carla Hamilton

Spring 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

This capstone project focused on supporting school readiness through the development and implementation of a visual-motor integration (VMI) program for children ages 2.5–10 with developmental delays. A needs assessment was conducted to identify gaps in caregiver knowledge and resources related to VMI development. In response, a 6-week educational program was created, incorporating targeted activities and caregiver education to promote VMI skill development. Findings indicated improved caregiver understanding of VMI concepts and increased confidence in implementing strategies at home. These results highlight the importance of early intervention and caregiver involvement in supporting children’s academic readiness and overall developmental outcomes.

The Ultimate Advertisement: Comparing The Effectiveness Of Simple And Complex Designs In Instagram Reels, Caroline Green

Honors Projects

This study investigates whether simple or complex design is more effective in portraying in short form video advertisements on social media. The purpose of this research is to inform organizations how to more effectively and efficiently create social media advertisements to best communicate their brand and products. An experimental design was used to test short video advertisements for a fictional brand. The ads differed by Feature Complexity, i.e. the basic visual features, such as color, luminance, or edges; and Design Complexity, i.e. the more elaborate shapes, objects, and patterns (Pieters et al., 2010). High feature complexity was more effective in …

The Legend Of Emanuel Loewner “Cap” Klingstein: “The Al Capone Of The Shenandoah Valley?”, Josh Payne

Honors Projects

Emanuel Loewner “Cap” Klingstein (1894-1971) was a notable Jewish entrepreneur in the area, owning multiple businesses and real estate between the 1920s and 1970s.  However, possible shady business practices and criminal activities, such as tax evasion and alcohol possession during prohibition, as well as local stories and legends, have raised questions about how he should be remembered. At times, he was even referred to as “the Al Capone of the Shenandoah Valley.” By utilizing primary source archival letters, genealogical records, court documents, and personal testimonies, as well as secondary sources on Jewish business in the area, organized crime, and the …

Book Bans In U.S. Prisons: A Legacy Of The Prisoners' Rights Movement, Allison Jansen

Honors Projects

The 1950s-1970s saw an unprecedented spike in organized resistance by American prisoners. This long era of rebellion, along with thousands of judicial appeals, made up the “prisoners’ rights movement”-- a political, legal, and social struggle that challenged the conditions of American incarceration and its penological paradigm. The timeline of the movement is abstract and difficult to measure. Nonetheless, what is certain is that it lost its momentum by the 1980s due to overhauling policy changes that quelled prisoner activism without achieving meaningful progress. This research examines the evolution of prison censorship policies within that paradigm shift and how they sought …

Depressive And Anxiety Symptomatology Among Caregivers Of Children 0-3 Years In Nairobi City County: Community-Based Prevalence Study, Esther Chongwo, Japhet Adina, Kevinson Mwangi, Tabitha Shali, Edwin Dzoro, Cynthia Shitote, Vibian Angweny, Rachel Odhiambo, Margaret Kabue, Amina Abubakar

Institute for Human Development, East Africa

Caregivers of young children in low-resource urban settings face multiple stressors, which can affect their mental health. There is limited population-based evidence on the prevalence and correlates of depression and anxiety among caregivers of young children in these contexts. This study assessed the prevalence and associated factors of depressive and anxiety symptoms among caregivers of young children in Nairobi City County. We conducted a cross-sectional household survey with 2,903 primary caregivers of children 0–3 years. Depressive and anxiety symptoms were assessed using validated Swahili versions of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and the Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7, respectively, with a cut-off score …

Building A Better Faculty Management System: Insights From One Institution’S Experience, Myles Chandler, Enam Haddad, Jacqueline Hill

Presentations

Background: Faculty affairs and development offices frequently lack proper tools to quickly and accurately complete data-related tasks. While far from best practice, Excel is often the only tool available to teams to track faculty academic appointment history and contact information. Goal: To build a custom faculty management system that transforms our Excel-based faculty data into accurate, integrated data while avoiding excessive costs of external data system solutions. Approach: We built our own cloud-based faculty management data system that integrates with other institutional data systems and automates collection and reporting of faculty onboarding, appointment, and promotion data using Microsoft’s Model Driven …

Navigating Academic Promotion: Identifying The Winning Combination For Volunteer Faculty, Enam Haddad, Jacqueline Hill, Sarah Tsai, Ruba A. Abdelhadi, Sarah Braet, Eric T. Rush

Posters

Introduction/Background: Academic promotion is an arduous and time-consuming process. Implementation of support resources is essential for faculty success. Supporting faculty through the process, we developed multiple promotion resources, including a robust online resource catalogue, peer coaching sessions, and detailed weekly email reminders. Goals/Hypothesis: To examine which resources faculty find most helpful in preparing their academic promotion application. Methods/Approach: We surveyed promotion applicants from 6 cycles (2020-2025). Faculty rated the usefulness of promotion resources, how prepared they felt at different points in the promotion timeline, and provided feedback about the overall promotion preparation process. Results/Outcomes: 258/354 (73%) applicants responded to the …

Can Mentoring Improve Professional Skills For Mentors And Mentees?, Emilie Keeton, Msod, Myles Chandler, Eric T. Rush, Susan B. Hathaway, Jacqueline Hill

Posters

Introduction/Background: We implemented a structured 10-month mentoring program at our pediatric academic hospital designed to assist faculty in actualizing professional and personal goals through developing trusted, mutually rewarding relationships. Goals/Hypothesis: To evaluate if faculty participants in the 2 inaugural mentoring program cohorts improve scores on 6 behavioral competencies related to maintaining effective communication, aligning expectations, assessing understanding, addressing diversity, fostering independence, and promoting professional development. Methods/Approach We used pre- and post-program Mentoring Competency Assessments to assess changes in 26 skills across 6 competencies and gather feedback on program elements from participants. Results/Outcomes: 19/35 (54%) mentees and 15/29 (52%) mentors completed …

Non-Redundant Rovibrational Hamiltonians By Molien Generating Functions And Gröbner-Basis Reduction, Leandro Ajo

University Libraries Undergraduate Research Award

High-resolution molecular spectroscopy requires an effective Hamiltonian whose operator content is both complete, containing every term allowed by molecular symmetry and nonredundant, free of any algebraically dependent operators that would cause ill-conditioned parameter fits. Traditional derivations based on Van Vleck contact transformations satisfy neither criterion automatically. This paper develops a rigorous, algorithmic pipeline that guarantees both properties simultaneously. Starting from the permutation– inversion (PI) group GPI of a molecule (Longuet-Higgins, 1963), we apply Molien’s theorem (Molien, 1897) to the symplectic normal-coordinate representation to obtain the vibrational generating function Φvib(t); integrate over the Haar measure of SO(3) (Weyl, 1946) to obtain …

Greenwich Village, Thomas Rhett Kee

Bridgewater Review

Short story written by a Bridgewater State University faculty member from the Theater Department, Thomas Rhett Kee.

Why We Should Care About Lgbtqia+ Aging, Breana Bietsch

Bridgewater Review

As a gerontological social worker, I aim to support the health of older adults. I want to dispel myths about ageism in our society, advocate for better health equity within our social systems, and support the dignity and worth of older adults in our communities. I also want our students, as well as broader fellow community members in our society, to understand that to respect people who are aging is to respect themselves. I always say to folks that describe their age, especially on their birthdays, that it is a new day, a new opportunity, a new age to grow …

Culturally Responsive Care For Jewish Patients And Colleagues In Speech-Language Pathology, Irene Brettman, Victoria Littman

Bridgewater Review

Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) is an ever evolving profession in the healthcare and educational landscape. Typically, individuals who have not required SLP services may be unaware of the practice’s specific scope. In a medical setting, among other urgent communication needs, an SLP often provides critical care for patients who are at risk for dysphagia. Dysphagia is a medical condition that interrupts normal swallow function when eating, drinking, and/or taking medication, and can result in negative consequences such as weight loss, malnutrition, eating disorders, and respiratory decompensation. Food is deeply personal and embedded across worldwide culture. For many people, eating and drinking …

2026 Commencement Program - Spring, Morehead State University. Registrar's Office.

Morehead State Commencement Programs

2026 Spring Commencement program for Morehead State University.

Satori 2026, Lupema Celis Castillo, Amity Collins, Lydia Domaille, Grace Emiliusen, Alysen Endres, Holly Foss, Jenifer Frick, Benjamin Hagen, Linda Hang, Ely Herrick, Axel Hillis, Eva Hodnick, Sarah Huderle, Dylan Jackson, Kira Kainz, Sayeeda Khan, Greta Kirsch, Reianna Larson, Jacinda Lundeen, Kendra Mcclure, Marissa Mcclure, Linda Moua, Kaylee Nickisch, Ella Page, Kari Plumley, Caleb Reed, Reagan Roesler, Sarah Schmick, Mandie Schmidt, Elizabeth Schneider, Lucy Severson, Gracia Sonderup, Emily Sowers, Celia Stern, Shelby Svien, Liz Tischler, Jackie Velishek, Allen Wedekind

Satori Literary Magazine

The Satori is a student literary publication that expresses the artistic spirit of the students of Winona State University. Student poetry, prose, and graphic art are published in the Satori every spring since 1970.

The Satori 2026 editors and creators are:

Design and Technical Editors: Elena Armstrong, Jenifer Frick, Eva Hodnick, Sarah Huderle, Linda Moua

Prose Editors: Shaela Eriksen, Linda Hang, Camden McDonald, Callie Sahlstrom

Poetry Editors: Lydia Domaille, Dylan Jackson, Reagan Roesler, Allen Wedekind

Art Editors: Kendra McClure, Jade McElmury, Charlie Lund

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Liberty Kohn

WINONA PRIZE WINNERS 2026

• Allen Wedekind (Nonfiction) -  Pleasant Transgender Man
• Mandie …

"Black History Is Black Horror": Hauntology And Cultural Trauma In 20th And 21st Century Black Women's Gothic Horror, Destini S. Beckwith

Theses

Octavia Butler’s Afrofuturistic, gothic horror, neo-slave narrative Kindred (1979) vividly illustrates the story of a woman, Dana, involuntarily time-traveling from her home in 1976 Los Angeles, California, to a plantation in 19th-century Maryland. The interactions that she has with her ancestors, such as Alice, a free Black woman, and Rufus, a white man who enslaves Alice, leave Dana mentally and physically scarred. The 20th-century novel is meant to graphically reflect on the horrors of enslavement and the mental and physical effects that Black people endured/still endure because of it (i.e., grief, racial violence, and post-traumatic stress disorder). Furthermore, the novel’s …

Toward Understanding Faculty Engagement In Professional Development: A Mixed-Methods Study Of Conference Attendance By Community College Faculty, Jared Durden

Dissertations

Conference attendance is often framed as an individual choice, but this community college-focused study found it operates as a system. Institutional supports, signals, and constraints either make attendance more feasible or reinforce barriers to attendance. Using a convergent mixed-methods design, I integrated a faculty survey, policy document analysis, and faculty panels (moderated small-group interviews) to identify what most consistently separates attendance from non-attendance and what institutions can change. Survey results included 56 complete responses (analytic n = 54) from full-time faculty working at Missouri community colleges. Faculty reported moderate to moderately high perceptions of institutional support, professional value, and belonging …

Investigating The Role Of Sk-3 Interval I401 In Gene Drive By Neurospora Spore Killer-3, Alexandra Spriggs

Senior Theses – Biological Sciences

Neurospora crassa is a fungus that has been used to study genetics, more specifically, meiotic gene drive through its spore killing abilities. Meiotic drive describes a process in which selfish genetic elements bias Mendelian genetics to increase transmission to their offspring, eliminating any alleles that are sensitive. The spore killing mechanism of Neurospora’s Spore killer-3 (Sk-3) is an example of how meiotic drive works through a poison-antidote model. The Sk-3 genetic element consists of both a killing (poison) gene and a resistance (antidote) gene. The location of the resistance gene has been identified while the killing gene has not. To …

Investigating The Role Of Interval I402 On Sk-3-Based Spore Killing And Gene Drive In Neurospora Crassa, Ellana Tobin

Senior Theses – Biological Sciences

Neurospora crassa is a useful model organism for genetic research due to its haploid life cycle and its ability to produce large numbers of sexual spores called ascospores. The haploid ascospores form within asci, which typically contain eight ascospores at maturity. However, selfish genetic elements known as meiotic gene drivers have been discovered in Neurospora fungi, and some of these alter the number of viable ascospores that form in each ascus. There are two known meiotic gene drivers in N. crassa: Spore killer-2 (Sk-2) and Spore killer-3 (Sk-3). Spore killing occurs when a killer strain mates with a sensitive …