Social and Behavioral Sciences | Open Access Articles

2025 December, Morehead State University. Office Of Communications & Marketing.

Morehead State Press Release Archive, 1961 to the Present

Press releases for December of 2025.

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Little Did I Know, Christopher V. Hollister

Communications in Information Literacy

Christopher Hollister, co-founder and co-editor-in-chief, reflects on his time with CIL in this farewell editorial.

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Searching For Change: Exploring Historical Silences And Counterstorytelling Through Youth-Led Social Justice Movements, Ariana Varela

Communications in Information Literacy

During a first-year engagement program, a librarian and a cohort of students worked towards a shared understanding of dominant narratives, historical silences, and creating counterstories through research to center marginalized stories and complicate existing narratives. As information literacy professionals, we should design interactive lessons that demonstrate critical search and evaluation skills through topics that are relevant to students and encourage them to work with issues that impact their communities. Incorporating critical information literacy, feminist pedagogy, and critical race theory, this two-day micro-seminar introduced first-year students to the legacy of youth community activism in the neighborhoods around their university. They practiced …

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Unraveling The Links Between Substance Use And Academic Motivation In Higher Education, Melissa Lynn Goins

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

Self-Determination Theory (SDT) posits that the quality of students’ motivation regulation (i.e., autonomous versus controlled) shapes both learning and health behavior, yet few studies have examined the relations among motivation regulation, alcohol and cannabis use, and achievement. In this study, I surveyed 459 undergraduates at a mid-sized public university in the southeastern United States. Participants completed the Academic Motivation Scale-College version 28 to assess autonomous and controlled motivation regulation, a typical-week alcohol grid, a seven-day cannabis grid, and self-reported grade point average (GPA). Results indicated that autonomous academic motivation was uniquely related to GPA; however, neither motivation variable related to …

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Finding Utopia: An Examination Of Pedagogical Approaches To Teaching Utopianism In U.S. College Classrooms, Brittany Page Brake

Dissertations

This dissertation investigates how, and if, utopianism is being taught in college classrooms across the United States. Long considered impractical, overly idealistic, and/or politically dangerous, utopianism has been largely marginalized in political science and American culture. However, this project finds that there are instructors teaching utopianism and they are using the concept to challenge students to think differently about governance, justice, and institutional design. Drawing from political theory literature, course syllabi submitted by faculty from different U.S. universities, interviews with instructors, and personal case studies of my own courses at Central State University and Manchester University, I explore how utopian …

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Navigating The Ethical Landscape: A Field Reflection On The Dynamics Of Informed Consent In Qualitative Research, Khim Raj Subedi, Peshal Khanal

The Qualitative Report

Our paper analyses the practical dimensions of obtaining informed consent in qualitative research, drawing on the reflective insight from fieldwork conducted as part of a study on the professional identity of primary (elementary) teachers in community schools in Nepal. Our study builds on and extends the understanding of informed consent as a legal and ethical requirement (Kadam, 2017) while considering the complexities of fieldwork. Drawing on interactions with six teachers and using the first author's detailed fieldnotes and reflexive memos, our study explores the challenges researchers face in securing consent during qualitative interviews. We argue that the consent-seeking process should …

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Sustaining Momentum While Dissertating: The Journey Of Two Women Scholars, Tasha Egalite, Kristin L. Kew

Intersections: Critical Issues in Education

This paper is a narrative reflection on some reasons for earning a doctorate and writing a dissertation. We are two scholars interested in sustaining educational change and dedicated to better understanding and supporting the process and growth of students in doctoral programs. In our pláticas, we share and reflect on our own doctoral journeys, the critical issues we encountered, and the hoops we jumped through while completing our dissertations.

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Considerations And Guidelines For Clinical Training And Professional Practice In The Area Of Psychotherapy Termination, Elyssa L. Jampolsky

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

Treatment termination occurs, invariably, in every psychotherapy relationship. Closing the therapy relationship is often a complex process and requires targeted training for psychotherapists to terminate treatment competently and in a way that preserves gains made and fosters continued client growth. Discontinuation of psychotherapy services requires practitioners to apply ethical knowledge, clinical expertise, and relational boundaries. Further, the nuances of forced, end-of-year termination in clinical training environments necessitates targeted supervision and explicit guidelines. Surprisingly, termination practices are underemphasized in training programs and in the literature. The current paper will review the extant literature related to psychotherapy termination broadly as well as …

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A Research Note On The Impact Of Chicana Femtoring In Chicana And Chicano Studies, Elizabeth González Cárdenas

Regeneración: A Xicanacimiento Studies Journal

A Research Note on the Impact of Chicana Femtoring by Elizabeth González Cárdenas.

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The Current - Volume 36 Issue 5, Nova Southeastern University

Student Newspapers

No abstract provided.

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Getting Started In Graduate School: An Online Tutorial For New Graduate Students, Jill Mcmillan, Elana Geller, Angie Gerrard, Nazreen Beaulieu

Journal of Graduate Librarianship

In August 2024, our library launched an asynchronous online tutorial, Getting Started in Graduate School. The purpose of the tutorial was fourfold: to complement existing student orientation programming at the library and the university; to situate the library as a valuable resource for graduate student academic success; to align with a similar library-designed online tutorial for new undergraduate students; and to provide practical information about graduate school expectations, framed through existing library resources and programming. The tutorial was created using the Springshare LibGuide and LibWizard platform and features a mix of static and interactive elements, which were developed and …

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Perspectives On Teaching Academic Publishing Skills: Helping Graduate Students Navigate The Hidden Curriculum, Martha Stuit, Christie Hurrell, Jill Cirasella, Christy Caldwell

Journal of Graduate Librarianship

Many graduate students feel pressure to publish but need guidance on navigating the scholarly publishing process, which often is not covered in their graduate curricula but rather learned in conversation with faculty mentors. In other words, publishing is often a hidden curriculum—not explicitly taught but a learn-as-you-go venture. In this article, we describe our individual approaches to teaching publishing literacy to graduate students, highlighting how our efforts are both responsive to the specifics of our campuses and informed by our own and others’ research. We also discuss how we spread the word about our services and how we advance equity …

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Teaching With Challenged Books: Connections With Marianist Values, Jeanne Holcomb

Research and Reflection on Learning and Teaching in Higher Education

The focus of this reflective commentary is the use of banned and challenged books as the key reading assignment and pedagogical tool in teaching SOC 101, Principles of Sociology. Although it is estimated that the number of book challenges decreased between 2023 and 2024, there has been a significant increase since 2020, with many of the challenged books portraying issues central to the field of sociology. Starting in the fall 2024 semester, I have incorporated challenged books into my SOC 101 courses, with over 100 students being in those sections during the 2024-25 academic year. In this paper, I provide …

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Educating Using The Discipleship Of Equals: Dialogue For Social Justice And Change, Leslie H. Picca, Leah Ward

Research and Reflection on Learning and Teaching in Higher Education

This reflection explores the experiences teaching a course focused on social justice and change grounded in the Marianist principle of discipleship of equals. Students, faculty, and staff enroll in a semester-long credit-bearing course as equal participants, disrupting traditional hierarchical models of education. This essay explores the class structure, impact on participants, challenges, and recommendations.

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Adapting And Addressing Pedagogy To The Needs Of The Day: George Floyd And American Literature And American Civilization To 1877, Alexis C. Jones, Don Bouchard

Essays in Education

This article explores a unique educational response to the racial and social tensions ignited by George Floyd’s death and the subsequent protests and civil unrest in 2020. Two professors at a small private college near Minneapolis/St. Paul collaboratively redesigned their American Literature to 1870 and American Civilization to 1877 courses, aiming to foster a space for civil discourse, critical inquiry, and social awareness among students. Employing Paulo Freire's concept of “conscientização” and Parker Palmer's vision of a community-centered classroom, the professors created a curriculum focused on primary sources and research-based journaling, which allowed students to critically examine America’s history of …

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A Qualitative Study Of College Student-Athletes Using The Job Demands-Resources Model: A Case For Understanding Student-Athletes As Employees, Michael Spooner, Asia Eaton, Anthony Weems, Tiffany Munro

Journal of Athlete Development and Experience

This research conceptualizes the NCAA Division I student-athlete position as similar to a position of employment utilizing the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model developed by Bakker & Demerouti (2017) from the field of Industrial-Organizational Psychology. We utilize qualitative methods to conduct an exploratory study that assesses the characteristics of student-athletes through analysis of perceived role demands, role resources, and personal resources using a sample of using a sample of 30 student-athletes (15 men, 15 women) at mostly large Division I universities across the U.S. Data were analyzed utilizing thematic analysis and revealed the various demands that student-athletes faced, as well as …

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From Isolation To Integration: The Influence Of Community Engagement With Special Olympics On Ncaa Athletes Experiencing Role Conflict, Grace Fetherstonhaugh, Kirsten Hextrum

Journal of Athlete Development and Experience

Role conflict is prevalent for college athletes across varying competitive levels, sport types, and identities. Recent reform to the collegiate athletic model, such as enabling college athletes (CAs) to profit from their Name, Image, and Likeness, may create additional demands and conflicts for participants. Despite the plethora of research into college athletes’ experiences with role conflict, few studies examine possible solutions. This study offers a novel intervention to role conflict through a community engagement (CE) program. Short, immersive, contributions to one’s local environment can improve social connections, limit negative mental health effects, and generate a higher sense of purpose, all …

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“People Need To Hear More About This Esports Team”: Exploring Esports College Athletes’ Transition Experiences, Kibaek Kim, Rhema Fuller, Nick Davidson

Journal of Athlete Development and Experience

With the increase of attention towards esports in both industry and academia, volumes of research have been conducted to support professional esports athletes and esports college-athletes (ECAs). Although studies exploring professional esports athletes' transition experiences were available, little to none was known about this experience for ECAs. Based on Schlossberg’s transition theory and previous studies exploring the transition experiences of traditional sports student-athletes, this study aimed to provide a deeper understanding of ECAs’ transition experience. This study conducted three focus group interviews with four ECAs in each group who played the same game. The result of this study showed there …

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Navigating Intersections: How Stereotypes And Oppression Shape Black Women Student-Athletes’ College Journeys, Tomika Ferguson, Cherese Fine

Journal of Athlete Development and Experience

Black women college athletes navigate intersections of race, gender, and athletic ability within predominantly White institutions (PWIs). They can face stereotype threat, racialized academic expectations, and pressures to conform to dominant institution norms. This qualitative study explores the college experiences of Black women college athletes at a predominantly White institution (PWI), focusing on how intersecting oppressions and stereotypes influence their academic, social, and athletic lives. Guided by Black feminist thought (BFT) and stereotype threat theory, the research addresses two questions: What are the college experiences of BWCAs, and how do stereotypes affect these experiences? Findings reveal that pre-college experiences in …

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Budget And Collection Management Communication Strategies, Tools, And Methods, Evan Rusch, Heidi J. Southworth, Daardi Sizemore Mixon, Lisa Baures, Nat Gustafson-Sundell, Joe Holtermann

Library Services Publications

Many libraries face challenging budget situations. Communication with departments and administration about budget management and related changes to collections can be crucial to maintain constructive relationships and to improve cooperative planning. Academic libraries often rely on librarian liaisons to communicate directly with departments, but additional communication efforts are sometimes pursued. Libraries could learn from one another by sharing their communication strategies, tools, and methods. Our library has recently focused on collections communication across a range of projects and audiences. These projects have included a budget reduction plan and major print deselection project, as well as ongoing, prospective budget management. The …

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"We Blink With One Eye Open. They Sleep With One Eye Close": A Qualitative Analysis Of Conflict And Resolution From The Perspective Of Correctional Staff, Staci M. Richardson

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the Caudill College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree Master of Arts by Staci M. Richardson on November 17, 2025.

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Introducing Neuro Sscial Work: A Brief Reflection On Neuroscience And The Profession, Priscila Llamosa

Social Work Faculty Publications

This reflection introduces and contextualizes the term Neuro Social Work, which I coin to name a specialized practice area at the intersection of social work, neuroscience, and neurodiversity. Drawing on my experience as a social work educator and practitioner, I discuss social work’s uneasy relationship with neuroscience, marked both by the opportunity to deepen our understanding of trauma, development, and healing, and by the risks of using brain‑based evidence to individualize structural harms or justify surveillance of marginalized communities. I outline, in broad strokes, what distinguishes Neuro Social Work from general neuroscience‑informed practice. The note is intended as a concept …

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Evaluating And Supporting Transformative Agreements: Five Institutional Perspectives In Discussion, Anna R. Craft, Peggy Kain, Danica Lewis, Camille Mccutcheon, William Joseph Thomas

Libraries Professional Work

Transformative—or Read and Publish—deals are impacting the open access (OA) publishing landscape, allowing libraries to test new models for funding and incentivizing OA publishing, while also providing direct benefits for authors, including discounts and waivers on article processing charges (APCs). But how sustainable are transformative deals in light of library materials budgets and workloads for personnel who negotiate these deals, manage the implementations, and support campus authors? And how can libraries evaluate the perceived value of these deals in relation to the specific needs of their institutional users?

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The Long And Winding Road: Planning A Successful Library Orientation For Graduate Students, Kristen Adams, Roger Justus

Journal of Graduate Librarianship

All new university students would benefit from an orientation focusing on library resources, which should look different for undergraduate and graduate students. But finding a place for incoming graduate student library orientations within the larger campus landscape can be challenging for librarians. Contributing to this struggle is that there is frequently an overemphasis on undergraduate orientations, with the misconception that graduate students have less need for orientations. This article will review how other institutions approach their graduate student orientations and share how ours have developed over five years and will continue to do so as the needs of the library …

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Improving Student Resumes: Evaluating The Effectiveness Of The Ai-Assisted Wisedoc Platform, Juan Munoz, David Earnest

River Cities Industrial and Organizational Psychology Conference

Resume quality is a critical factor in students’ transition into the workforce, yet many struggle to create documents aligned with employer expectations and validated competency frameworks. At the same time, most large organizations now rely on artificial intelligence (AI)-driven applicant tracking systems (ATS) to screen resumes. Because these systems filter applications before a human reviews them, resumes that are poorly formatted, lack keywords, or fail to highlight relevant competencies are often rejected automatically. This creates a barrier for students who may have the skills employers seek but lack the resume-writing expertise to communicate them effectively. This study investigates whether using …

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What Is The Point Of Reading War Literature In The Military Academy: Reflection Of Contemporary Warfare Through The Siege Motif In Serhiy Zhadan’S How Fire Descends: New And Selected Poems, Dong-Ha Seo

Journal of Peace, Conflict, and Security Studies

This study argues that war poetry, when critically read in military education, enables cadets to engage with the ethical, psychological, and human dimensions of war. Rather than serving as propaganda or glorification of battle, war poetry voices the unspoken suffering of soldiers and civilians and preserves the memory of trauma. Drawing on Nil Santiáñez’s recent work on the symbiosis between war and language, this article situates war writing as a space where questions of knowledge, ethics, and survival are inevitably confronted. In particular, the works of Serhiy Zhadan and Cho Ji-hoon demonstrate how poetry transforms urban conflict into a record …

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Book Review Of: Univision, Telemundo, And The Rise Of Spanish-Language Television In The United States, Elizabeth Sotelo

Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy

Craig Allen’s Univision, Telemundo, and the Rise of Spanish-Language Television in the United States (2020) meticulously encapsulates the business challenges and subsequent success of Spanish-language television networks in the United States. Grounded in hard data, archival research, reporting, and interviews, the author expands the study beyond the U.S. to trace the initiatives’ roots to Mexico. The book’s nine chapters weave a chronological narrative that covers the period from 1961 to 2012. Throughout the book, Allen explores the beginning of Univision in San Antonio in 1961, the birth of Telemundo in 1986, the pioneers and the investments involved, and the creation …

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Finding Solutions: Meeting Essential Needs To Overcome Health And Educational Inequities Among College Students, Nicholas Freudenberg, Rashida Crutchfield

Publications and Research

Many economic, academic, and social factors influence college completion, and scholars have documented that a significant cause of students leaving school before graduation is that many do not have their basic needs for food, housing, and health care met. These barriers undermine their academic success by forcing students to reduce the time spent on their studies, work more hours, or stop out of school to support themselves or their families. Unmet essential needs jeopardize academic and life success for students in higher education across the United States and widen racial/ethnic and class inequities in college completion and health. Our review …

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Investigating The Relationship Between Noun Classes And Plant Folk Taxonomy In Chasu Language Of Kilimanjaro Region In Tanzania, Peter Rabson Mziray

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

The current study investigates the relationship between noun classes and plant folk taxonomy in Chasu (G 22). The study focuses on two objectives: the first objective is to describe the plant folk taxonomy in Chasu and the second objective is to determine the relationship between noun classes and plant folk taxonomy in Chasu. Data were collected from rural villages in Same and Mwanga districts by using free listing, field interviews (jungle-walk-and-identify), and written texts containing Chasu plant names. The findings reveal that Chasu folk taxonomy reflects different ethnobotanical categories; including a unique beginner which is mmea/mimea ‘plant(s)’, and three life …

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Fraggin’ The Superhero Genre: Parody And Carnival In Dc’S Lobo, Ryan L. Johnson

Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy

This essay examines the DC anti-hero Lobo as an ideal example of the constructive, creative power of parody and Bakhtinian carnival. Unlike Bakhtin’s assertion that carnival since the Renaissance has lost its spirit of play and become purely destructive, Lobo uses grotesque violence to create just as much as he destroys social norms. Ultimately, the mini-series under consideration provide a valuable tool for students to understand carnival, parody, and its power as criticism.

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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

2025 December, Morehead State University. Office Of Communications & Marketing.

Morehead State Press Release Archive, 1961 to the Present

Little Did I Know, Christopher V. Hollister

Communications in Information Literacy

Searching For Change: Exploring Historical Silences And Counterstorytelling Through Youth-Led Social Justice Movements, Ariana Varela

Communications in Information Literacy

Unraveling The Links Between Substance Use And Academic Motivation In Higher Education, Melissa Lynn Goins

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

Finding Utopia: An Examination Of Pedagogical Approaches To Teaching Utopianism In U.S. College Classrooms, Brittany Page Brake

Dissertations

Navigating The Ethical Landscape: A Field Reflection On The Dynamics Of Informed Consent In Qualitative Research, Khim Raj Subedi, Peshal Khanal

The Qualitative Report

Sustaining Momentum While Dissertating: The Journey Of Two Women Scholars, Tasha Egalite, Kristin L. Kew

Intersections: Critical Issues in Education

Considerations And Guidelines For Clinical Training And Professional Practice In The Area Of Psychotherapy Termination, Elyssa L. Jampolsky

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

A Research Note On The Impact Of Chicana Femtoring In Chicana And Chicano Studies, Elizabeth González Cárdenas

Regeneración: A Xicanacimiento Studies Journal

The Current - Volume 36 Issue 5, Nova Southeastern University

Student Newspapers

Getting Started In Graduate School: An Online Tutorial For New Graduate Students, Jill Mcmillan, Elana Geller, Angie Gerrard, Nazreen Beaulieu

Journal of Graduate Librarianship

Perspectives On Teaching Academic Publishing Skills: Helping Graduate Students Navigate The Hidden Curriculum, Martha Stuit, Christie Hurrell, Jill Cirasella, Christy Caldwell

Journal of Graduate Librarianship

Teaching With Challenged Books: Connections With Marianist Values, Jeanne Holcomb

Research and Reflection on Learning and Teaching in Higher Education

Educating Using The Discipleship Of Equals: Dialogue For Social Justice And Change, Leslie H. Picca, Leah Ward

Research and Reflection on Learning and Teaching in Higher Education

Adapting And Addressing Pedagogy To The Needs Of The Day: George Floyd And American Literature And American Civilization To 1877, Alexis C. Jones, Don Bouchard

Essays in Education

A Qualitative Study Of College Student-Athletes Using The Job Demands-Resources Model: A Case For Understanding Student-Athletes As Employees, Michael Spooner, Asia Eaton, Anthony Weems, Tiffany Munro

Journal of Athlete Development and Experience

From Isolation To Integration: The Influence Of Community Engagement With Special Olympics On Ncaa Athletes Experiencing Role Conflict, Grace Fetherstonhaugh, Kirsten Hextrum

Journal of Athlete Development and Experience

“People Need To Hear More About This Esports Team”: Exploring Esports College Athletes’ Transition Experiences, Kibaek Kim, Rhema Fuller, Nick Davidson

Journal of Athlete Development and Experience

Navigating Intersections: How Stereotypes And Oppression Shape Black Women Student-Athletes’ College Journeys, Tomika Ferguson, Cherese Fine

Journal of Athlete Development and Experience

Budget And Collection Management Communication Strategies, Tools, And Methods, Evan Rusch, Heidi J. Southworth, Daardi Sizemore Mixon, Lisa Baures, Nat Gustafson-Sundell, Joe Holtermann

Library Services Publications

"We Blink With One Eye Open. They Sleep With One Eye Close": A Qualitative Analysis Of Conflict And Resolution From The Perspective Of Correctional Staff, Staci M. Richardson

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

Introducing Neuro Sscial Work: A Brief Reflection On Neuroscience And The Profession, Priscila Llamosa

Social Work Faculty Publications

Evaluating And Supporting Transformative Agreements: Five Institutional Perspectives In Discussion, Anna R. Craft, Peggy Kain, Danica Lewis, Camille Mccutcheon, William Joseph Thomas

Libraries Professional Work

The Long And Winding Road: Planning A Successful Library Orientation For Graduate Students, Kristen Adams, Roger Justus

Journal of Graduate Librarianship

Improving Student Resumes: Evaluating The Effectiveness Of The Ai-Assisted Wisedoc Platform, Juan Munoz, David Earnest

River Cities Industrial and Organizational Psychology Conference

What Is The Point Of Reading War Literature In The Military Academy: Reflection Of Contemporary Warfare Through The Siege Motif In Serhiy Zhadan’S How Fire Descends: New And Selected Poems, Dong-Ha Seo

Journal of Peace, Conflict, and Security Studies

Book Review Of: Univision, Telemundo, And The Rise Of Spanish-Language Television In The United States, Elizabeth Sotelo

Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy

Finding Solutions: Meeting Essential Needs To Overcome Health And Educational Inequities Among College Students, Nicholas Freudenberg, Rashida Crutchfield

Publications and Research

Investigating The Relationship Between Noun Classes And Plant Folk Taxonomy In Chasu Language Of Kilimanjaro Region In Tanzania, Peter Rabson Mziray

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

Fraggin’ The Superhero Genre: Parody And Carnival In Dc’S Lobo, Ryan L. Johnson

Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy