Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Commons^™

Manipulation And Power: A Comparative Analysis Of Toxic Leadership In Mean Girls And The Hunger Games, Madeline G. Schlyer, Kerstin R. Brown

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

This project employs a qualitative media analysis to compare two toxic leaders, Regina George from Mean Girls (2004) and President Snow from The Hunger Games series. Both characters exhibit manipulative leadership tactics to maintain control in different social contexts. Regina, the dominant queen bee of her high school, leads The Plastics through emotional manipulation and fear tactics. She employs a transactional leadership style, offering social rewards for compliance and punishing lack of agreement with exclusion. Her leadership is rooted in a need for validation, using her followers to reinforce her own status. In contrast, President Snow rules through violence and …

A Year In Review: Updates & Opportunities From The Generative Ai Task Force, Magdalene Moy

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

This poster presents the work for 2024-2025 of the Generative AI Task Force at Fort Hays State University, a multidisciplinary initiative dedicated to enhancing AI literacy and engagement across campus and the broader community. Our mission is grounded in three foundational pillars: education and outreach, policy development, and research and future careers. Over the past year, we have launched community workshops, AI literacy initiatives, and interdisciplinary research projects to foster responsible and informed use of generative AI tools.

This poster also highlights our efforts to identify both the opportunities and challenges of generative AI within academic contexts. A major outcome …

Projection Mapping Augmented Reality Golf Simulator, Honesty Beaton, Jonathan T. Hunnacutt, Juan D. Guzman-Duran

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Our Augmented Reality (AR) Golf Simulator combines projection mapping, computer vision, motion tracking, and game development to create an interactive mini golf experience played entirely on the floor. Using a series of short-throw projectors, we display a virtual mini-golf course on a flat surface. A player uses a real putter to "hit" a virtual ball, which responds in real time thanks to our custom tracking and physics system. This project allows players to experience mini-golf in a digital environment while still using real-world actions. By developing a physics-based motion tracking system, we make the gameplay feel natural and intuitive. This …

Corrupted Kings And Heroes: Toxic Leadership Of Scar And Homelander, Brandon Mckenna

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

This project uses a qualitative media analysis to look at toxic leadership through a comparative study of two characters: Scar, villainous usurper from “The Lion King,” and Homelander, publicly revered leader of superheroes and private psychopath from “The Boys.” These characters, despite their distinct contexts, exhibit toxic leadership styles. Drawing upon Haslam et al.’s (2020) "The New Psychology of Leadership," this analysis examines the context of their rule, their manipulation of identity, and their impact on followers. Scar’s thirst for power by any means necessary demonstrates a leader who manipulates others for personal gain. Meanwhile, Homelander’s narcissism and greed for …

Casey Anthony Case, Shelby L. Woodyard

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Casey Anthony is the mother of Caylee Anthony who went missing in 2008. Her mother called the police to report her missing 31 days after her last sighting. During the investigation, Anthony lied to police on multiple occasions which lead them to arrest her for the murder of her daughter. Anthony was then charged with first degree murder along with aggravated child abuse and aggravated manslaughter of a child. Caylee’s body was found shortly after the missing person's report, wrapped in a blanket near the Anthony’s home. Florida wanted the death penalty in the case against Casey Anthony with mostly …

The Impact Of Free Course Materials On Study And Financial Habits: A Survey Of Students Taking Z-Courses At Fhsu, Claire Nickerson

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

A z-course is a course that uses zero-cost course materials. In Fall of 2025, a study of students taking z-courses at FHSU was conducted. The goal was to determine how using free course materials affected students’ budgetary and study habits.

Examining Mental Health In Mass Shooters, Christina K. Robison, Brooke Mann

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Mass shootings are defined as shootings that cause 4 or more deaths not including the shooter (excluding those committed in connection to underlying criminal activity, such as gangs or drugs); examples include workplace shootings, school shootings, public shootings, shootings at places of worship, etc. There have been 195 mass shootings since 1966, with 1,398 reported deaths. While several factors influence mass shootings, research points to psychological, sociological, and economic influences. This analysis is over 3 separate studies, having between 172-177 shooters each with the same basic demographics, but separate focuses. Overall, the main focus is looking for patterns that could …

Murder On The Plains: The Murdock Farmhouse Slayings, Tatum L. Sander

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

On April 17, 2006, Wayne and Sharmon Stock were murdered in Murdock, Nebraska, shocking the community. The investigation was complicated by wrongful arrests and mishandled evidence. Initially, Matthew Livers, the victims’ nephew, and his cousin Nicholas Sampson were wrongfully accused after Livers gave a false confession during an 11-hour interrogation. There was no physical evidence linking them to the crime, and the case relied on a fabricated blood sample. However, forensic evidence later revealed that the real killers were Jessica Reid and Gregory Fester, two teenagers from Wisconsin. Livers' confession was deemed unreliable due to his low IQ and the …

Resurrecting The Past: Engineering Ancestral Enzymes For Modern Bacterial Applications, Gregory M. Gladkowski Iii, Masa Watanabe

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Ancestral Sequence Reconstruction (ASR) is a computational technique that infers and resurrects ancient protein sequences to explore molecular evolution and enable protein engineering. By integrating phylogenetics and statistical modeling, ASR produces stable, mutation-tolerant enzymes ideal for directed evolution. This poster presents a workflow for reconstructing enzymes from pathogenic bacteria and highlights ASR’s value in uncovering novel functions and advancing applications in drug discovery and synthetic biology.

Virtual Victor: Bringing Our Mascot To Life, Juan D. Guzman-Duran, Jonathan T. Hunnacutt, Honesty Beaton

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

In this project, we transformed the Fort Hays State University tiger mascot into a fully rigged, animated virtual character. Using Adobe’s character animation tools, we created a model that can mirror and perform human movements in real time. The system uses a camera to track facial expressions and body motion, which are then mapped onto the tiger character. This poster includes the following: "Why We Made Virtual Victor," "Procedure," "Why is Victor Useful," and "What We Learned."

Virtual Reality & Cybersecurity, Jonathan T. Hunnacutt, Honesty Beaton, Juan D. Guzman-Duran

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

This poster includes how it was created, what we learned, and why it is useful. This project is a collaboration with the Cybersecurity Institute and Technology Incubator (CITI). Our team is developing a virtual reality version of CITI to support a hands-on learning space for information technology and cybersecurity education both in person and online.

Understanding Microsoft's Qubit, Alexander Escobedo, Eric Deyo

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

In this presentation, we attempt to understand the device that was recently developed by the Microsoft Azure Quantum group that creates, manipulates, and measures qubits using Majorana Zero Modes (MZM).

Like A Zombie To The Flame: A Comparative Analysis Of Toxic Leadership In Negan And Alpha, Skylar Z. Fletcher

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

This presentation provides context into a deeper understanding of human behavior when it comes to the psychology of leadership. It further explains the dynamics groups face when in a position with someone as a toxic leader. In addition, it identifies qualities of a toxic leader and what might cause them. This presentation over The Walking Dead (television show), in the AMC universe which went through many stages of character change and development, will go to further show these characters' motivations and reasoning. Using the information provided in Haslam et al.’s (2020) "The New Psychology ofLeadership," one can use real life …

Mental Health First Aid With Criminal Justice Students, April N. Terry, Troy Terry

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Mental illness is a major contributor impacting overall health, affecting more than 1 billion people globally (Papish et al., 2013). Research suggests more than 80% of people who die by suicide had a mental illness with suicide being the second leading cause of death for those between the ages of 15-29 (Isometsä, 2001). Yet, many individuals do not seek professional treatment for a variety of factors, including lack of awareness of warning signs and symptoms, mental health stigma, and unavailable services (Baumann, 2007). One method for addressing barriers to mental health treatment includes targeted efforts to improve mental health literacy …

Apathy Or Arrogance? Why High Schoolers Are Uninformed About Current Events, Delia Dixon

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

This study analyzes the associations between high school student confidence levels on international current events, their motivations to learn more, optimism for the future, and their general understanding of international current events. Using a survey, I first asked students how confident they felt about their understanding of current events, their level of desire to learn more, why they felt that way, and their level of optimism for the future. The second section had the participants list 3-10 current events that they felt were the most important. The third section tested their general awareness of current global events by having them …

The Dark Side Of Leadership: Thanos’ Destruction And Underwood’S Deception, Mason Haxton, Minhaj Ahmed

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

This project looks at the leadership styles and use of power in two well-known fictional villains. Firstly being Thanos from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and also, Frank Underwood from House of Cards. Thanos is both an authoritarian and visionary leader, believing it is his responsibility to restore balance to the universe, even though his plan involves mass destruction. His leadership connects to power orientation and action-oriented leadership theories, showing both prosocial intentions and antisocial actions. While he thinks he is being fair and ethical, his leadership is actually destructive and creating chaos throughout the universe. His refusal to consider other …

Christopher Tapp, Haley Schoenberger

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Christopher Tapp was wrongfully convicted for the murder and rape of 18-year-old Angie Dodge and the use of a deadly weapon in Idaho. This took place in 1996. This highlights the damages and dangers of coerced confessions and failures within the criminal justice system. Tapp was convicted even though there was no physical evidence linking him to the crime. He was sentenced to 30 years to life because of a confession extracted by the police’s interrogation and a false witness statement. The DNA at the scene did not match Chris but he was still imprisoned for 20 years. In 2019, …

Piloting Free Ai Tools For Open Student Course Applications, Christine Hober

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Objective: The purpose of this mixed-methods, quasi-experimental pilot study was to analyze practice outcomes after incorporating the university sponsored artificial intelligence (AI) adaptive learning platforms and assistants with the major course project of the student nurse educator development course. The study’s aim was to implement AI tools without increasing student perceptions of course work stress.

Methodology: Utilizing a convenience sample of 10 graduate students from a mid-western rural, public university following structured implementation of normally assigned coursework, process modifications for implementing AI tools were shared. Surveys analyzed student perceptions of stress (specifically linked to new technology implementation) alongside the perceived …

22 Years Lost: The Story Of Paul House, Mariah A. Carrillo

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

This project outlines the wrongful conviction of Paul House and his eventual exoneration after 22 years on death row in Tennessee. The murder of Carolyn Muncey occurred in 1985 in Luttrell, Tennessee and House was an immediate suspect with the finding of multiple pieces of forensic evidence. Namely, it was ABO serology testing that was used to tie House to the crime. Advancements in this form of testing showed that House was innocent. It was in 2006 that the Supreme Court ruled in favor of House’s exoneration due to the flaws in the original forensic evidence. This project exemplifies the …

Patterns Within The Collatz Conjecture, Kiel Harrison

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

The Collatz Conjecture, also known as 3n+1, one of the most famous unsolved problems in mathematics, has been forever out of reach of being truly solved. However, through the application of traces, there is now a new pathway forward to working out a potential solution. This study shows how this pathway was found, and what steps need to be taken to follow it.

Quantitative Analysis Of Evidence-Based Interventions For School-Age Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A National Survey Of School-Based Speech-Language Pathologists, Katie Ecord, Ran An

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

This study explores the use of evidence-based practices (EBPs) in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) intervention by speech-language pathologists (SLPs). Despite strong research backing, a gap exists between evidence and practice, especially in schools or under-resourced settings. Data from 84 SLPs were analyzed to assess EBP adoption rates, identify barriers, and examine the impact of training and experience on implementation. The results highlight challenges such as limited training and support, with varying adoption depending on clinician experience and setting. The findings aim to guide professional development and policy improvements to close the research-to-practice gap in ASD intervention.

Barry Gibbs' Wrongful Conviction And Exoneration, Gracie Rains

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Barry Gibbs was wrongfully convicted in the murder of Virginia Robertson in 1986 based primarily on forced testimony of a single witness. The witness had been tutored by NYPD detective Louis Eppolito, who possessed ties to organized crime. Gibbs was sentenced to life imprisonment but acquitted in 2005 based on forensic evaluation and evidence of corrupting witnesses. Forensic re-testimonies, in the form of inconsistencies in the witness’ statement and forensic evidence, were crucial for proving his innocence. Neither the judge nor the prosecutor questioned the testimony’s credibility, while the lawyer of the accused failed to forcefully object to the investigative …

The Listening Challenge: Fostering Soft Skill Development Through A Four-Week Practice And Reflective Journaling Assignment, Monica A. Hodis, Patricia L. Wollan

AMTP Proceedings 2025

In response to the growing emphasis on soft skills in business, this study addresses the persistent gap between employer needs and graduates’ abilities by introducing the Listening Challenge. This four-week individual learning assignment, grounded in Kolb’s experiential learning model, aims to enhance students’ listening skills through intentional practice and reflective journaling. Conducted over three semesters with 101 undergraduate students in a Personal Selling course, the study utilized qualitative data analysis to assess the effectiveness of the assignment. Results indicate significant progress in students’ listening abilities, increased self-awareness, and heightened motivation to improve. Students reported enhanced listening self-efficacy and expressed intentions …

A Reimagined Course On Sales Technology, Austin Hostetter, Christopher A. Wilkey

AMTP Proceedings 2025

In response to the evolving business landscape's demand for skilled sales professionals, university-level marketing and sales programs are adapting their teaching methodologies. This paper explores a case study from a Midwestern university where a sales technology course was redesigned to integrate digital marketing and social selling strategies. By merging these disciplines, the course aims to equip students with comprehensive skills in marketing technology and sales. The study evaluates the impact of this integration on student comprehension and readiness for the sales profession, offering insights for educators and curriculum developers. Grounded in Merriam's framework for case study research, the methodology employed …

Institutionalizing Normality: Disability, Productivity, And Higher Education, Ashley Dirzis

Student Theses

This thesis examines how capitalism and neuronormative domination shape the structures and values of academic institutions, affecting faculty, students, and research subjects alike. By privileging productivity, conformity, and efficiency in the pursuit of income, universities often marginalize those who diverge from normative standards of thinking, behavior, and embodiment, particularly disabled individuals. Drawing on Marta Russell’s Disability and Capitalism and the shaping of disability by capitalist systems, Robert Chapman’s notion of the "Empire of Normality" and Jay Dolmage’s concept of the retrofit from Academic Ableism, this paper analyzes how academia reinforces ableist norms. It explores the realities and barriers that …

Preparing Preservice Teachers For Rural Teaching Through Professional Learning During Teaching Practice, Blandina Daniel Mazzuki

The Rural Educator

Resource deficit in rural schools has been reported to affect recruitment and retention of teachers. However, many researchers focus on external factors that can attract teachers to teach in rural schools. This study explores teacher educators’ and preservice teachers’ perspectives on strategies that may equip preservice teachers with professional learning during their teaching practice to attract them to teaching and staying in rural schools. The study was conducted at the University of Dar es Salaam (Dar es Salaam University College of Education-DUCE). Data were collected through face-to-face interviews and focus group discussions conducted with 5 teacher educators and 33 preservice …

A Word From The Writing Team (April 2025), Pam Walter, Mfa, Hemma Murali, Ms

A Word From the Writing Team (Newsletter)

This issue includes:

• Publication Spotlight
• Sign up for the April 4th Writing Retreat (Online)
• Check out the Health Humanities Consortium (HHC) Conference
• Come to the 3rd Annual Jefferson Science Slam
• Visit the Write that Baby in 9 Weeks Workshop Canvas Page

Everyday Storytelling: The Function, Meaning, And Impact Of College Student's Storytelling And Storylistening, Sophie K. Richards

Department of Communication Studies: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The current study investigated the stories that 102 college students heard and told through the course of a 1-day diary study with surveys administered at four timepoints. Investigated through the perspective of the small story framework (Bamberg & Georgakopoulou, 2008), everyday talk (Goldsmith & Baxter, 1996) and Communicated Narrative Sense-Making (CNSM) theory (Koenig Kellas, 2022), participants reported about the stories that they heard and told throughout their day, as well as completed self-report measures of well-being. The study aimed to understand the characteristics of everyday stories, the functions they serve, the meanings they hold, and their impact on well-being. Participants …

Leading And Collaborating In A Complex Space: Developing And Evaluating A Course Materials Program, Catherine Fraser Riehle, Melissa Gomis

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Faculty Publications

Librarians at a large public university describe ongoing efforts to develop a strategic, multi-pronged Libraries Course Materials Program to reduce course material costs for students. These efforts include the integration of course materials in the university’s learning management system in addition to offering course materials reviews, consultations, and grant opportunities for instructors. A pilot program in the College of Business provided a path for direct outreach to instructors as well as significant potential student cost savings and revealed challenges related to communication and recruitment. Authors share their approach to program evaluation for understanding and communicating impact and for estimating the …

I Really Try To Model Good Practices: Reflecting On Journal Article Publication From Mid-Career, Margaret K. Merga, Shannon Mason, Julia Morris

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Publishing research in scholarly journals takes up much time and energy for many academics, and the early career phase may be particularly challenging, as researchers navigate the processes and politics of academic publishing for the first time. We previously explored these challenges as early-career researchers in a collaborative autoethnographic study in 2018. Now, 6 years later, we have once again reflected on our shared and divergent experiences, this time from our positions as mid-career researchers, socialised into the world of scholarly publishing and with longer histories of success and failure in scholarly publication. Our critical discussions revealed a continued commitment …