Educational Administration and Supervision Commons^™

Magnetic Separation Of Lunar Regolith Simulants With Applications To In Situ Resource Utilization On The Moon, Peter Bachle, Jeffrey Smith, Fateme Rezaei, David Bayless, William Schonberg, Daoru Han

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The development of in situ resource utilization (ISRU) for metal extraction is imperative as a steppingstone for habitation construction in lunar and non-terrestrial environments. Separation of minerals by chemical composition is important to optimize metal and oxygen liberation from lunar ore. to this effect, devices capable of separating aluminum bearing minerals from iron-bearing minerals from the lunar regolith simulants have been developed. Twenty-eight different simulants have been used in this study. a dual-belt separator was designed to reduce middlings. Para-magnetic minerals were reliably separated using a neodymium N52-magnet-separator system. Effective separation of aluminum-bearing minerals from iron-bearing minerals was greater than …

A Concept Of Producing Aluminum In-Situ On The Moon Through Molten Salt Electrolysis, Jacob N. Ortega, Jeffrey Smith, Fateme Rezaei, David Bayless, William Schonberg, Daniel Stutts, Daoru Han

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper presents a concept of producing aluminum in-situ on the lunar surface, namely, the Lunar In-Situ Aluminum Production through Molten Salt Electrolysis (LISAP-MSE) method developed at Missouri University of Science and Technology. This paper aims to demonstrate the use of electro-deoxidation to reduce aluminum oxide (i.e., alumina) into aluminum and oxygen gas via electrolysis in a molten salt bath for the production of aluminum on the Moon. It is shown that with a steady supply of hydrogen chloride, this in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) method could supply several necessary materials consumed in the electro-deoxidation process except hydrogen chloride to produce …

Becoming Transfer Friendly: Evaluating Four-Year Higher Education Institution Strategies To Support Community College Transfer Student Success, Aarti V. Dhupelia

Dissertations

Four-year higher education institutions (HEIs) nationwide must become more transfer friendly so that more community college transfer (CCT) students persist and complete their bachelor’s degrees, as a path to more students’ economic mobility and to equity across communities. This study aims to provide learnings to support achievement of this imperative. The research question studied here is: What is the relationship between community college transfer (CCT) student support strategies at a four-year higher education institution (HEI) and the first-to-second-year retention of CCT students at their four-year HEI? Through quantitative analysis of a broad set of variables’ ability to predict student retention …

When Education And Qualifications Are Not Enough, Carla Hamilton-Yates

Theses and Dissertations

African-American women face substantial career barriers when seeking ascension to educational leadership. Numerous factors contribute to career advancement barriers, such as systemic, institutional challenges, organizational factors, personality, and individual contributors. Various systemic and managerial aspects, directly and indirectly, were considered barriers for African-American women when attempting to gain equity in the ascension process to leadership. Microaggressions, racism, and overt harassment in the workplace inhibit African-American women from advancing to leadership positions. The percentage of African-American principals is proportionately low compared to White principals. African-American employees are less likely to be promoted, wait longer for promotion, or are passed over for …

“Hopes And Fears”: What Do Writing Center Administrators Think Of Merging With Or Converting Into A Learning Center?, Jenny Goransson

The Writing Center Journal

This article shares findings from a survey study (n = 73) focused on writing center administrator (WCA) perceptions of two phenomena we see on many secondary and postsecondary campuses in recent years: writing centers expanding to become learning centers, and writing centers consolidating or merging with other tutoring services on campus. Through analysis of the qualitative, open-ended survey responses, the study revealed that WCAs’ views of these trends are greatly impacted by local conditions and levels of autonomy, as well as WCAs’ beliefs about expertise. Also, consolidation and expansion are seen by WCAs as shifting writing center identity in …

Understanding The Role Of Cultural Competence In Peer Mentorship Programs For International Students: A Student Development Theory Perspective, Nikheal Patel, Daniel Calhoun, Steven Tolman

Journal of Higher Education & Student Affairs

International students often face challenges while pursuing higher education in a foreign country. These challenges can negatively impact their sense of belonging and community, resulting in social disconnection. Examining the role of culturally competent peer mentoring programs for international students can foster a sense of belonging among international students. Peer mentorship may provide international students with a supportive environment and community, helping them navigate university life. In contrast, student development theory can inform the design of programs and services that support international students in their transition to American higher education. These strategies can create a more inclusive and welcoming environment …

Student Loan Debt: Exploring The Economic Influences On Federal Student Loan Default For Students That Attended Public, Two-Year Institutions, Brian Perry

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

Over the past 30 years, a shift occurred in higher education that saw more of the burden for paying for postsecondary education placed on students. Combined with rising tuition and fees, this has led students to take on increasing amounts of student debt. Despite the historic rise in student loans, surprisingly little attention has focused on those students who default on their student loans. Additionally, the academic literature on student loans has predominately focused on traditional students at four-year institutions, despite the fact that nearly half of all undergraduates attend public two-year institutions. Finally, those studies that include economic factors …

Leveraging Leadership To Retain Early Career Teachers In Stafford County Public Schools, Christopher Gannon, Caroline Canning, Andrew Hoyt, Lauren Johnson, Thomas Mcauley

Doctor of Education Capstones

Stafford County Public Schools requested an evaluation of their current support of Early Career Teachers (ECTs) with one to three years experience, and its potential impact on retention efforts. They stamped this request with urgency, noting the COVID-19 pandemic and teacher pay as two driving factors, specifically, impacting retention of teachers within their first three years. Our Capstone team sought a deeper understanding of the following issues in three research questions: 1) types of support across their division and within their school buildings, 2) the impact of current practices of support, and 3) division-wide considerations for enhancing current systems of …

Combating Chronic Absenteeism: A Practical Approach To Improving Attendance In A Mid-Sized Virginia School Division, Alissa Fraser, Caroline Goddard, Brian Raska, Michael Sidebotham

Doctor of Education Capstones

Chronic absenteeism poses a significant public health challenge in the United States, impacting educational outcomes and student well-being. This research explores strategies to address chronic absenteeism within Client Public Schools (CPS) before and after the COVID-19 pandemic (2015-present). Using a mixed-methods approach, the study integrates a literature review, quantitative analysis of CPS attendance data, and qualitative insights from focus groups and interviews. Findings reveal disparities among student groups, increased absenteeism post-pandemic, and multifaceted barriers to attendance, including school-related challenges and non-school-related factors. The study underscores the necessity for a unified strategy to track attendance data, consistent implementation of the Multi-Tiered …

Reimagining On-Campus Student Employment As A Foundation For Career Readiness: Student Employment In Virginia Commonwealth University’S Division Of Student Affairs, Jaedda Hall, Mary Lee Magee, Sean D. Mays, Kimberly C. Young

Doctor of Education Capstones

Many undergraduate students participate in on-campus employment while pursuing their academic programs. Increasingly, institutions of higher education recognize student employment not only as a resource to address institutional workforce needs or students’ pressing financial needs, but also to promote students’ overall learning, development, and success. To better understand on-campus undergraduate student employment in the context of Virginia Commonwealth University’s (VCU) Division of Student Affairs (DSA), this descriptive study employed a mixed-methods approach using surveys, interviews, focus groups, secondary data analysis, and artifact analysis. These methods were applied to explore the perspectives of multiple stakeholders, including undergraduate student employees, supervisors of …

Methodologizing Transnationality: Relational Writing As Collective Inquiry, Sun Young Lee, Minhye Son, Taeyeon Kim, Jin Kyeong Jung, Soo Bin Jang

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

How can we take transnationality as a space of in-betweenness to generate new possibilities, moving beyond geographically bounded spans between countries? This article presents five authors’ collective inquiry on transnational positionalities, which we practiced through the relational, transformative, and reflective writing of the self in a community space. We staged the collaborative writing into two processes: the emergent process of thematic writing and the relay writing. Interweaving “I” and “we” voices that cannot be captured through categorical thinking, our collaborative quest resists normative identity politics, proposing writing as a method of collective inquiry for the nuanced understanding of the transnationality …

Navigating Emotional Discomfort In Developing Equity-Driven School Leaders: A Conceptual-Pedagogical Framework, Taeyeon Kim, James Wright

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

Abstract

Background: Given that K–12 schools necessitate leaders who can advance equity and justice, preparation programs in higher education institutions have prioritized the development of eq-uity-oriented school leaders. However, there has been relatively limited exploration of peda-gogical approaches that equip educational leaders to navigate adverse emotional responses and utilize their discomforting emotions as a source of transformation toward equity-oriented principles. When negative emotions are suppressed and/or unexplored within leadership de-velopment programs, adult learners will likely miss crucial opportunities for personal growth and transformative change.

Purpose: This theoretical article aims to enhance and expand existing scholarship on the ped-agogies …

The Impact Of Financial Wellness On Student Success, Holly Hamilton

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

For many traditional-aged students, college can be their first major financial undertaking. Along with navigating the task of funding a college education, traditionally aged students may face additional financial challenges while entering adulthood. This financial responsibility can cause added stress for students and have a bearing on their financial wellness. This study explored the impact of financial wellness on students' abilities to succeed in college. Through the exploration of four financial wellness measures, financial self-efficacy, financial socialization, financial strain, and financial optimism, the researcher sought to first understand the relationships among the various wellness measures and then to determine what …

Loosely Defined: Neoliberalism, Democracy, And Discursive Contestation In Post-Brown Education Reform, Laura E. Kalmes

Faculty Publications - College of Education

This critical policy analysis examines how U.S. education reform in the post-Brown v.Board of Education era co-opted civil rights language to advance neoliberal and White supremacist agendas. By tracing the evolution of key terms like equality, freedom, and choice in influential policy texts from 1954 to 1965, the paper illuminates discursive strategies used to naturalize market-based reforms and deflect attention from structural racism. While focused on the U.S. context, the analysis has broad international relevance, as similar processes of rearticulating civil rights language to serve neoliberal ends can be observed in education reforms globally. The analytical framework developed here can …

Performance Management Through Service Quality Perspective, Tanaporn Supanichrattana

Faculty Publications - College of Education

This research report examines performance management in educational facilities through a service quality framework. Drawing on the SERVQUAL model, it conceptualizes service quality across five dimensions: reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy, and tangibles. The report identifies performance measures associated with each dimension and demonstrates how these measures can inform the assessment of facilities operations and service delivery. The research emphasizes the strategic selection of performance measures that align with organizational priorities and goals rather than the adoption of standardized measures across institutional contexts. Through this framework, the research positions service quality as a foundational lens for data-informed decision-making, continuous improvement, and …

Exploring Black Queer Doctoral Student Experiences With Utilizing Campus Services, Mitchell Everett

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This study utilized narrative inquiry to examine the experiences of Black Queer Doctoral Students (BQDS) with campus services and their ability to ameliorate minority stress and establish community with other students minoritized by their sexual or gender identity. I used the minority stress model and intersectionality as frameworks to understand how students minoritized by their race and sexual identities experienced campus services. The minority stress model provided an explanation of the stress BQDS may experience due their minority identity (Meyer, 2003, 2013). Connecting to community is also an ameliorating factor in reducing minority stress. In addition, structural intersectionality addressed the …

Unmasking Challenges Of African American Women At Predominantly White Institutions (Pwis) Unveiling Phenomenological Realities And Prioritizing Well-Being, Alicia C. Perry

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation addresses African American women's intricate challenges at predominantly white institutions (PWIs), exploring the outcomes of navigating a sense of belonging which eventually affects one's well-being within this professional context. The study employs a qualitative approach to delve into the experiences of those who work or have worked in the environment. By capturing the personal narratives of African American women in various roles at PWIs, the research aims to understand the intersectionality of race and gender dynamics impacting their professional lives. The literature review contextualizes the study by discussing the challenges identified in existing research, including the marginalization experiences …

An Examination Of High School Principals And The Influences That Supported Their Leadership Capacity, Jodiann Beeson

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Research indicates that high school principals play a crucial role in a school’s success by shaping its culture, influencing teacher retention, and impacting student attendance and academic performance. The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to explore the phenomenon of the lived experiences of high school principals, understand their perceptions of the influences that supported developing their leadership capacity, and identify the barriers that prevented them from developing their capacity to lead. This study investigated the experiences of eight high school principals in California to understand their perceptions of the influences that factored into developing and sustaining their leadership …

A Mixed Methods Investigation Of Administrators’ And Teachers’ Perceptions Of Teacher Leadership, Jori S. Beck, Kaavonia Hinton, Peter D. Wiens, Brandon Butler

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

Teacher leadership has received attention for empirical and practical reasons. However, despite the evolution of the concept over the last several decades, there is still dissonance regarding the concept of teacher leadership. This study was grounded in the theory of professional identity to understand how administrators and teachers conceptualize teacher leadership. We studied the perceptions of administrators and teachers about teacher leadership using a survey and interviews. While there was some overlap in how administrators and teachers perceived teacher leadership, administrators viewed teacher leadership as occurring outside of the classroom while teachers located it inside of the classroom. Teachers also …

Examining The Influence Of Secondary Math And Science Teacher Preparation Programs On Graduates' Instructional Quality And Persistence In Teaching, Danielle M. Rhemer, Will Rogers, Sherry Ann Southerland

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

This quantitative, non-experimental study explored the relationship between the features of math and science teachers’ preparation programs and their graduates’ instructional rigor and persistence in teaching. Five math and science teacher preparation programs from across the United States were examined. Six sets of instructional tasks were collected from forty-six recent graduates of these programs to provide insights into novices’ instructional rigor, and employment data were collected for thirty-seven of these graduates three to eight years after graduation. Regardless of the program’s features, all teachers could design and implement instruction with moderate to high rigor. However, this ability was not the …

School Culture: Identifying The Barriers To Belonging At Boarding Schools And Shifting The Culture, Kyle Connolly

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

School Culture: Identifying the Barriers to Belonging at Boarding Schools and Shifting the Culture is a theoretical application of sociological concepts to boarding school social spaces. The social environment in schools is a venue where students are subjected to endless influences that play a major role in shaping their social realities. Though much debate in education focuses on the curriculum in public school settings, there is far less attention given to small boarding school communities and even less attention on the culture of belonging, or the obstacles to belonging that exist within it. As American society grows more diverse, economically …

Aba Standard 303(C) And Divisive Concepts Statutes And Regulations: Challenges And Opportunities, Andrew King-Ries, Karen Tokarz, Becky L. Jacobs, Sherley Cruz, Kendall Kerew, Carwina Weng

Faculty Law Review Articles

This article by six clinicians discusses the challenges and opportunities of new ABA Standard 303(c), including the implications of and interactions between Standard 303(c) and divisive concepts laws and other threats to representation, academic freedom, and free speech in legal education. The article also highlights the intersection of  Standard  303(c) and Standard 303(b)(3), which addresses professional identity formation; discusses opportunities to adapt current curriculum and teaching and create new curricular responses to meet the new accreditation standards and interpretations; and explores ways to resist increasing limitations and find a supportive academic community to sustain hope and resilience.

Internal Funding Newsletter, Academic Year 2023-2024, Uno Office Of Research And Creative Activity

Internal Funding Newsletters

The University of Nebraska at Omaha is committed to providing students and faculty unique, hands-on opportunities, internships, service learning, applied research, and other collaborative activities that enhance time in and out of the classroom. The 2023-2024 Academic Year saw many exciting opportunities for us to invest into even more programs promoting research and creative activity. This year's programs provided over $800,000, more than double the funding in 2022-2023, for student and faculty projects.

Effective Strategies For International Phd Applications, Srinivas Sulugodu Ramachandra, Shelly Arora, Vijay Kumar

Health Professions Education

Introduction: This article introduces a fresh perspective on the digital and communication challenges faced by international PhD applicants. This article focuses on issues such as digital literacy, email etiquette, and communication barriers, offering practical strategies to help applicants effectively navigate online applications and remote interactions with supervisors and Graduate Research Schools. This article provides insights for international doctoral applicants in navigating the complex process of approaching potential supervisors and applying to PhD programs at top-ranking international universities.

Methods: The availability of limited number of positions, supervisors and funding opportunities compared to the number of applicants makes the competition …

From Lived Experiences To Social Activism: Latino Fraternity Brothers Critical Service To The Latinx Community, Regina L. Suriel, James Martinez, Christian Bello Escobar, Jamie L. Workman

Journal of Higher Education & Student Affairs

Colleges and universities are seeing growth of Latinx students actively engaged in Greek life. In this study, six Latino participants share their testimonios as members of different Chapters of a Latinx Greek Letter Organization (LGLO) nestled within Predominantly White Institutions located in the state of Georgia, USA. Informed by LatCrit theory, this qualitative study uses member’s testimonios to shed light on their varied and sometimes politically charged and racist lived experiences. The researchers draw on these experiences to show how the LGLO supported these members’ character and leadership development and their desire and commitment to critical service and socially just …

Enhancing College Students’ Eaccessibility In Higher Education: Transfer Students And Transfer Admissions Counselors' Perspectives, Sevinj Iskandarova, Margaret F. Sloan

Journal of Higher Education & Student Affairs

There is a paucity of research on institutional e-accessibility and transfer-credit-software adoption. This paucity poses a challenge in understanding how these technologies impact college students and professionals. Drawing on connectivism theory and Karp and Fletcher's (2014) and Kezar's (2013) three-way approaches (changing-in-advice, institutions, and students' willingness to use technology tools) investigate how technology product adoption affects students' and transfer admission counselors' experiences during the transfer process. This study, conducted at a public institution in the mid-east Atlantic region, utilized a convergent-parallel mixed-methods design to assess students' and professionals' perceptions of transfer credit evaluation products. Results indicate that an e-transfer system …

2024 Merc Annual Report, David Naff, Jesse Senechal, Paula L. Ogston-Nobile

MERC Publications

This is the annual report of the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium (MERC) in the School of Education at Virginia Commonwealth University for the 2023-2024 academic year. It includes vignettes depicting MERC activities in the past year that align with each of its five principles: research, relevance, rigor, multiple perspectives, and impact. It concludes with a discussion of MERC's commitment moving forward.

Trends, Challenges, And Evidence-Based Strategies For School Dropout Prevention In Virginia, David B. Naff, Thea Racelis, Regina Frazier, Meleah Ellison, Christina Tillery, Andy Bristow, Audra P. Lancaster, Sabrina Evans, Leah Wiedenhoft, Dina Abdul Rahman, Sharrie Merritte, Karli Johansen, Sooyeon Moon, Jean Samuel, Tara Davison

MERC Publications

This MERC research and policy brief explores school dropout prevention by focusing on recent trends and research. It addresses the following questions:

1) What are recent trends in school dropout?
2) What factors contribute to school dropout?
3) What are the consequences and implications of school dropout?
4) What are evidence-based strategies for school dropout prevention?
5) What are federal, state, and division-level policies related to school dropout prevention in the MERC region?

It concludes with a series of key takeaways and recommendations.

Stereotypes Of A Black Man Misunderstood: The Experiences And Development Of Black Men With Bipolar Disorder On College Campuses, Gerron Scott

Theses and Dissertations

Black men graduate from universities at a lower rate compared to other groups. Students with disabilities also graduate at a lower rate. When the two groups intersect, the results can be disastrous. Black men with bipolar disorder face a host of problems on college campuses. From a lack of sense of belonging to trouble in class, they struggle to stay afloat in college. The purpose of this study was to document the experiences and development of Black men with bipolar disorder on college campuses. A grounded theory approach was used in this study. Grounded theory was chosen because it leads …

Using Asset-Based Community Development To Increase Student Engagement And Improve Student Experience In Schools, Jacqueline Hopkins

Theses and Dissertations

The following is a dissertation in the three-paper dissertation format. The first section will give background information on the issue of alienation in schools and how asset-based community development (ABCD) could be an effective tool for educators to combat alienation and disengagement, especially with students with marginalized identities. This first section will also show the significance of the three papers as a whole and how they connect to one another. The first paper is the conceptual literature review, the second paper is an empirical study of the ABCD model in schools, and the dissertation will end with a practitioner's article …