Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Assessing Community Needs: Human Services For Adults In Millis And Medway, Caitlin E. Coyle, Michelle Ward, Ceara Somerville

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

This report presents the results of a comprehensive evaluation of issues relating to aging in Millis and Medway. A needs assessment was undertaken in order to support planning on the part of the Towns of Millis and Medway, the Councils on Aging (COAs), and the communities as a whole. Results presented here focus on the characteristics and needs of Millis and Medway residents who are age 60 and older. While the primary goal of this report is to support COA planning, a secondary goal is to present information that will be useful to other Millis and Medway offices and organizations …

A Comparative Analysis Of Complete Streets And Multimodal Transport Approaches: Implications For Sustainable Urban Mobility In Lincoln, And Global Contexts, Oliva Richard Kilyenyi

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Movement of people and goods in urban areas through different modes of transportation including walking, cycling, public transit and by autos is termed as urban mobility. Urban mobility presents significant environmental, social, and economic challenges for cities worldwide as they grapple with the impacts of conventional transportation systems, particularly in North America context where car-centric planning approaches has dominated urban developments since 1950s. Car-centric dominance is 80% in North American Metropolitan areas (Manaugh et al., 2015). The impacts of these conventional systems include greenhouse gas emission emissions contributing approximately 24% of global carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions, air pollution …

An Impact Study Of Young Women's Leadership Development: A Case Study Of Kosovo, Linda Gjergji

Theses & Dissertations

This study explores the leadership development trajectories of young women in Kosovo engaged in a global leadership program, offering significant insights into their capabilities, aspirations, and the barriers they face in pursuit of leadership roles. Using a qualitative instrumental case study approach, this study examines how participation in global leadership initiatives fosters skill development, self-awareness, and civic engagement among young women in a traditionally male-dominated society. The conceptual framework of the study is comprised of Erikson's theory of Psychosocial Development (Erikson, 1968) and Positive Youth Development (Lerner, 2005). Data was collected through online semi-structured interviews and an arts-based method, revealing …

Barriers To Parental Engagement In Early Childhood Education, Jordan E. Clark

Human Development and Family Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Parental engagement in early childhood education has long been recognized as a foundational contributor to children's academic success. However, many families face persistent barriers that limit their participation. This study examined three primary obstacles to parental engagement: disabilities, socioeconomic status, and underdeveloped parent–teacher relationships. The findings suggested that intentional, community-centered approaches effectively reduce barriers to engagement, strengthen school–family partnerships, and offer replicable models for promoting equitable participation in early childhood education settings. To bring these strategies to life, the study included a family engagement event developed in collaboration with a childcare center serving children with developmental delays, which provided a …

The "Gray Tsunami": Aging Trends In East Texas, Manuel Reyes-Loya, Cecilia Cuellar, Pedro Gallardo-Toledo

Hibbs Outlook of East Texas

This report examines the “gray tsunami,” the rapid aging of the Baby Boomer generation, and its impact on East Texas. As more workers retire, the region faces a shrinking labor force and a growing elderly population, reflected in a higher old-age dependency ratio than state and national averages. These demographic changes may create challenges for businesses and public services but also open opportunities through workforce flexibility, delayed retirement, and improved planning for healthcare, housing, and transportation. The report emphasizes the importance of proactive strategies to help East Texas adapt to and benefit from this

Nonprofit Third Places: Assessing Program Implementation Impact On Student Learning And Development Beyond The Classroom, Emily Kyser

School of Professional and Continuing Studies Nonprofit Studies Capstone Projects

Many students lack equitable access to safe, engaging, and supportive learning environments beyond the traditional classroom. Nonprofit organizations such as First Tee and Girls on the Run often fill this gap by creating “third places” that foster student growth through sports programs. This capstone project examines the effectiveness of nonprofit-operated sports programs that serve as third places in enhancing student learning and development, focusing on the strategies that make them successful and sustainable. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study integrates quantitative surveys of educators, interviews with nonprofit staff, and document analysis of program records, strategic plans, and annual reports. Key …

Cooperative Agreement Between Countries Of The North Atlantic Ocean Reduces Marine Plastic Pollution But With Unequal Economic Benefits, Nicola J. Beaumont, Tobias Börger, James R. Clark, Nick Hanley, Robert Johnston, Keila Meginnis, Christopher Stapenhurst, Frans P. De Vries

Economics

Plastic pollution in the world’s oceans threatens ecosystems and biodiversity. The connected nature of the marine environment suggests that coordinated actions by countries sharing an ocean border may provide more effective pollution control than unilateral actions by any one country. However, countries often fail to cooperate, even when joint economic benefits would be higher under cooperation. Here we present a modelling framework to determine the potential economic benefits of cooperative marine plastic pollution management. The framework integrates an estimated plastic transfer matrix from a particle tracking model with game theory to derive the economic benefits of international cooperation for 16 …

Synthetic Dataset For Understanding Negation In Text-Guided Image Editing, Nhat-Tan Bui

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Negation is a fundamental linguistic concept used by humans to convey information that they do not desire. Despite this, minimal research has focused on negation within text-guided image editing. This lack of research means that vision-language models (VLMs) for image editing may struggle to understand negation, implying that they struggle to provide accurate results. One barrier to achieving human-level intelligence is the lack of a standard collection by which research into negation can be evaluated. This thesis presents the first large-scale dataset, Negative Instruction (NeIn), for studying negation within instruction-based image editing. Our dataset comprises 366,957 quintuplets, i.e., source image, …

Bridging The Language Gap: The Impact Of In-Person Versus Remote Interpreter Services On Medication Adherence And Patient Safety In Adult Spanish-Speaking Patients, Ashley E. Alarcon Martinez, Jocelyn N. Lopez Maradiaga

Nursing | Student Research Posters

Background: Significant health inequities are caused by language barriers between patients and health care staff, resulting in miscommunication among adult Hispanic patients with low English proficiency, reducing medication adherence, impairing patient safety, and raising the possibility of medical errors. To address this issue, interpreter services, both in-person and remote translation, have been introduced in healthcare settings to enhance communication. Objective: The purpose of this study is to investigate the differences in patient safety and medication adherence between in-person and remote translation services for adult Hispanic individuals with limited English proficiency in healthcare settings. Methods: The proposed research involves five local …

Navigating The Terrain: Sense Of Belonging In Geology Field Camps, Ezra J. Hammersfeld

Master's Theses

Social success and feelings of belonging within academic settings play critical roles in students’ continued engagement. Students who feel like they belong are more likely to perform better academically, create feelings of academic self-efficacy, and be more satisfied with their educational experiences (Aelenei et al. 2020; Baker 2013; Chen et al. 2020; Hoffman et al. 2021; Rosenthal et al. 2013; Smerdon 2002; Walton et al. 2012). I examine sense of belonging through analysis of secondary data focused on college student experiences in geology field camps. I approached the study using modified grounded theory (Charmaz 2014) in order to best capture …

South Dakota Newcomers Survey Report, Weiwei Zhang, Kara Harders

Center for Rural Vitality and Community Well-being Project Reports

Project Overview:
 While more populous states typically attract larger numerical influxes from other states and abroad, South Dakota has nevertheless experienced growth in immigrants, both from other states and internationally. In 2024, South Dakota State University Extension launched a state-wide Newcomer Survey to gain a better understanding of the newcomer population. Following prior work in Minnesota and Montana, the South Dakota Newcomers Survey was developed to collect data about the motivations that drive people to move to South Dakota, what they enjoy once moved, what they want more or less of, and ultimately what makes them want to, or not …

Religious Framing, Moral Foundations And Identity: A Replication And Extension, Brianna M. Mucciante

Honors Projects

Two previous pre-registered studies revealed that administering general religion measures had a framing effect, reducing scores on subsequent binding moral foundations and moral self-identity. In a replication and extension, the present study will administer contrasting religious measures (i.e., fundamentalism vs. spirituality) to elucidate the framing mechanisms.

Rapid Decline And Mortality Of A Pleistocene-Aged Forest Now Submerged In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Usa, Grant L. Harley, Kristine L. Delong, Marcus Lofverstrom, Carl Andy Reese, Ellen V. Bergan, Samuel J. Bentley, Kehui Xu, Kelli Moran, Karen E. King, Alicia Caporaso

Faculty Publications

The Gulf and Atlantic Coastal Plains of the southern United States are characterized by a wide continental shelf that was subaerially exposed for ca. 80,000 years during glacial-interval marine regressions and transgressions. Given their present submergence, little is known about the vegetation dynamics, particularly at annual time scales, of these formerly terrestrial sites due to erosional processes associated with marine transgressions. Here, we present an annually resolved and well-replicated 489-year tree-ring chronology from macrobotanical specimens—anatomically identified as Taxodium distichum (L.) Rich.—collected in situ from a recently exposed submerged forest in 18 m water depth in the northern Gulf of Mexico. …

Relationships Among Institutional Betrayal, Adverse Healthcare Experiences, And College Student Health, Saba Mustafa

Honors Theses

Institutional betrayal is defined as the trauma experienced by an individual who feels that their trust in the ability of an institution to keep the individual safe is broken. Healthcare-related institutional betrayal has primarily been explored among working adults, individuals with chronic conditions, and individuals from racially diverse backgrounds. However, healthcare-related institutional betrayal has seldom been explored in college student samples, who may have different healthcare needs compared to other patient populations. The present study explored college students’ experiences with institutional betrayal due to negative healthcare experiences. Survey data were gathered from 157 college students. Measures included healthcare provider trust, …

“Tag, You’Re It!”: Catalyzing Latino Success Through A Latino-Centered College Access Program In Boston, Ilyitch Nahiely Tábora

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

This mixed-methods case study examined the impact on Latino students of a Latino-centered college access program, the Talented and Gifted (TAG) Latino Program, based at Boston’s only public university (the University of Massachusetts Boston). Centering on the experiences of predominantly—but not exclusively—Latino alumni, the study triangulated quantitative survey data from 127 participants, qualitative data from 27 “Cafecito" focus groups involving a total of 120 alumni, and content analysis of 27 documents developed collaboratively during Cafecitos. Through this approach, the study amplified alumni voices to define the TAG program’s impact on their academic, social, personal, and professional advancement, illuminating the characteristics …

Youth Program Fy2025 Evaluation Report, Madhawa Palihapitiya, Karina Zeferino

Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration Publications

A School Climate Needs Assessment completed by 57 administrators evaluated both overall school climate and the key components that contribute to it. Administrators revealed low satisfaction with overall school climate (25%) and with students’ SEL skills (19%), and most considered these areas important to improve (77% and 79%) and expressed a desire for support (60% and 53%). Similar patterns emerged for academic performance (28% satisfied; 86% considered improvement important; 44% desired support), disciplinary actions (19%; 54%; 49%), and conflict levels—student-student (21%; 79%; 60%) and student-teacher (26%; 49%; 47%). Across these domains, a substantial proportion of respondents—often …

"Gross Normality" And "Marked Deviation": A Qualitative Study Of Disability Theory In Three Periods Of Sociological Literature, Kelsey Sullivan

Masters Theses

In the 20th century, three theoretical perspectives concurrently dominated sociological discussions of disability. Functionalism and Talcott Parsons argued for a pathologized framework in the form of a “sick role” occupied by disabled people. Interactionism and Erving Goffman emphasized the stigmas faced by individual disabled people, and the ripple-effects of those stigmas. Finally, disabled activists, inspired by social constructionism, championed the social model of disability. This model purported that disability is a social condition, resulting from systemic barriers imposed upon people who do not fit the mental or physiological norm. This project, through a content analysis of 30 historical journal articles, …

Home Visitors Perceived Barriers To Practicing Self-Care In Personal And Professional Settings, Lexie Yancey

Masters Theses

Home visiting has the potential to support families in increasing their parenting skills, reducing incidents of child maltreatment, increasing school readiness, and improving financial sustainability (HRSA, 2023; Peacock et al., 2013). Retention of home visitors in programming is crucial to retaining families in home visiting (Damashek et al., 2020; Fifolt et al., 2017; Holm-Hansen et al., 2017; Ramakrishnan et al., 2022). While many home visitors struggle with burnout, research has found that self-care strategies are effective for social work students and are even used widely by home visitors (Begic et al., 2019; Siebert, 2008). This nested mixed-methods study examines answers …

A Faith-Based Approach To Mental Health Challenges, Patrick Leblanc

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

This project sheds light on mental health issues within the Black community and the need for faith communities to intentionally address mental health issues in communities of color. Black men are oppressed by an interplay of cultural, historical, societal, and economic factors that impact their well-being. Racial discrimination and oppression are non-medical drivers exacerbating mental health disorders among Black men. The influences of culture and faith fabricate barriers to help-seeking behavior, and mistaken perceptions of masculinity cause many men to suffer in silence. To begin erasing derogatory perceptions of mental health disorders, faith communities need to increase mental health …

The Spiritual Care Of Hospice Patients With Cognitive Deficits, Shane Sullivan

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT How can a hospice chaplain know whether their presence and ministry make a meaningful difference when visiting patients with dementia or other serious cognitive impairments? This project thesis seeks to answer that question conclusively. The theological foundation of this project centers on the doctrine of the imago Dei—the image of God—as it relates to individuals who are dying with cognitive deficits. Specifically, it explores how a person who is helpless and near death continues to reflect the image of God. The project intervention described here is the creation of a specialized training guide for hospice chaplains at Bridge Hospice …

Student Perceptions Of The Impact Of Faculty Race And Gender On Their Sense Of Connectedness, Engagement, And Persistence, Sherrie Y. Fuller

Dissertations

This quantitative study examined how faculty demographic characteristics, specifically race and gender, influence undergraduate students’ perceptions of connectedness, engagement, and persistence at a public Midwestern university. Guided by Tinto’s Model of Student Integration (1975, 1993, 2012), the research explored whether perceived alignment between student and faculty identities contributes to students’ sense of belonging and motivation to persist toward degree completion. Data were collected from 100 undergraduate participants representing diverse racial, gender, and academic backgrounds. Participants completed a researcher-developed survey instrument utilizing a four-point Likert scale to measure connectedness, engagement, and persistence.

University Athletic Subsidies Connections To Various Campus-Wide Outcomes, Daniel Vainner

Dissertations

This study examines the relationship between university athletic subsidies and outcomes for the broader undergraduate student population. The athletic subsidy, referred to as an athletic tax, is defined as institutional and student fees used to support athletics. Although athletics are often viewed as enhancing institutional prestige and recruitment, most universities depend heavily on subsidies to sustain their programs. In 2019, National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) institutions spent over $18.8 billion on athletics, with $8.3 billion, or 44 percent, coming from institutional and student sources rather than athletic revenue (NCAA, 2019a). This research explores whether such subsidization predicts measurable differences in …

Table Of Contents, Rory J. Conces Prof.

International Dialogue

No abstract provided.

Notes From The Editor, Rory J. Conces Prof.

International Dialogue

No abstract provided.

Works Of Love From Russia, Alisa Gorshenina

International Dialogue

This reflective artist’s statement by Alisa Gorshenina (Alice Hualice) intertwines autobiographical narrative with the creative context of four works produced during and after her politically forced displacement from Russia. Gorshenina recounts a lifelong pattern of resisting external pressures—from expectations to relocate for education and career advancement to demands that she flee Russia following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. She frames her continued desire to live in her hometown of Nizhny Tagil as an act of personal agency and a “new language of resistance,” grounded not in state loyalty but in an authentic, non-nationalistic love of place. Increasing censorship, denunciations, canceled …

Introduction And Letter To Firas And Ali, Joanna Zabielska

International Dialogue

In this deeply personal and politically charged epistolary essay, Joanna Zabielska reflects on the intersecting forms of erasure occurring within European cultural institutions and at the continent’s militarized borders. Framed as a letter to two men—Firas and Ali—whom the author met during the humanitarian crisis at the Polish-Belarusian border, the piece recounts their experiences of pushbacks, violence, detention, and survival, contextualizing their stories within a broader critique of European migration regimes. Zabielska juxtaposes this with her account of institutional censorship in Austria, where the names of the two men were removed from her VR installation Über das Neue at Belvedere …

Fragments, Najlaa Attaallah

International Dialogue

In Fragments (شظايا), Najlaa Attaallah offers a poetic, intimate, and devastating meditation on exile, trauma, and the unrelenting violence endured by Palestinians in Gaza. Written from Reykjavík yet emotionally tethered to her homeland, Attaallah narrates the psychic rupture caused by witnessing war from afar—the guilt of safety, the suffocating pull of memory, and the sense of existing as “a body without certainty.” Across lyrical vignettes, she explores the collapse of ordinary life under the weight of collective horror: sleeplessness, paralysis, obsessive monitoring of news, and the disintegration of routine maternal roles. The text moves between present anguish and childhood …

Post-Fire Soil Health Assessment Of The Grasslands And Woodlands In The Semi-Arid Nebraska Sandhills, Stephanie M. Lugo

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Grasslands in the Nebraska Sandhills are shaped by natural wildfires, which help maintain the structure and function of native grasslands. In recent decades, afforestation with ponderosa pine and eastern redcedar has introduced new woodlands that altered the region’s fire dynamics and raised important questions about the effects of wildfire on different vegetation types. As wildfires become more frequent, understanding their impacts on soil health in grasslands and woodlands becomes increasingly important. This study examines the short-term effects of the 2022 Bovee Fire on physical, chemical, and biological soil properties in native grasslands and ponderosa pine and eastern redcedar afforested woodlands. …

Enhancing End-Of-Life Quality In Hospice Care, Gerson Orellana Prudencio

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The‍‌‍‍‌ increasing demand for hospice care in Monterey County is a clear indicator of the rapid growth in the need for end-of-life services driven by the aging population. The project was developed at the Department of Hospice of the Central Coast, which is under the Montage Health Foundation, a non-profit organization. The community served consists of elderly people receiving hospice and end-of-life care, as well as volunteers who provide administrative and indirect support. The Volunteer Handbook aims to create a comprehensive procedural manual for hospice volunteers to improve administrative efficiency and ensure the quality of care. Interviews were conducted with …

Advocacy At The Front Door, Tenisha S. Hill

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This capstone project examines how integrating social work practices into the jail intake process can strengthen support for clients represented by the Public Defender’s Office. The project focuses on understanding the challenges clients face at the earliest point of contact often marked by trauma, instability, and limited access to services and how a social-work-informed approach can improve outcomes. Through direct observation, interviews with staff, and review of intake procedures, the project identifies key gaps in assessment, communication, and referrals. Findings highlight the need for more holistic intake practices that address clients’ social, mental health, and resource needs alongside their legal …