bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Impact of Child-Centered Play Therapy on Academic Achievement of Children in Poverty
Authors:   , Tucker Sarah K
Published: February 2025

Childhood poverty is a prevalent concern in the United States and is associated with poor psychological and academic outcomes. Psychosocial stressors associated with life in poverty may interrupt the development of a positive self-concept, ultimately hampering the academic achievement of children in poverty. As the therapeutic objectives of child-centered play therapy (CCPT) support the development of an increasingly positive self-concept, I explored the impact of CCPT on the academic achievement of children in poverty. Participants were composed of 55 students between the ages of 4-7 years old from seven Title 1 elementary schools in the southern United States. Of the 55 study participants, 12 (22%) were female and 43 (78%) were male. Regarding participant ethnicity, 7 (13%) were African American, 1 (2%) was Asian American, 5 (9%) were multi-racial, 35 (64%) were Latino, 6 (11%) were Caucasian, and 1 (2%) did not report ethnicity. Participants were randomly assigned to either a 16 session CCPT treatment group (n = 25) or a waitlist control group (n = 30). A mixed between-within ANOVA was conducted to evaluate improvement in academic achievement scores between treatment and control groups across time. Results indicated a statistically significant interaction effect on the Early Achievement Composite Score of the Young Children's Achievement Test (p = .042). The standardized difference between groups was Cohen's d = .53 indicating a medium effect size. Overall, findings from this study support CCPT as an effective intervention to promote improvements in the academic achievement of children in poverty.
Beyond Fourths and Pentatonics: A Critical Analysis of Selected Recordings of McCoy Tyner from 1962 to 1963
Authors:   , Satterthwaite Gregory
Published: February 2025

In this paper, I explore the early musical language of McCoy Tyner. Today, Tyner is recognized mostly for his use of quartal harmony and pentatonic scales despite having made recordings in his early career that reflect a more mainstream approach. In an effort to expand how Tyner is represented, I argue that Tyner's early style was characterized by a graceful balance of tradition and innovation, a masterful blend of bebop syntax with pentatonic melodies and quartal harmonies. The recordings that I analyze and discuss are: "Effendi," "Cousin Mary," and "Newport Romp." I transcribed and analyzed selected portions of these recordings in order to better understand his early musical language as a soloist from 1962 to 1963. A portion of this paper is focused on the early reception of Tyner, which acknowledged him as an accomplished mainstream player with a firm grasp of the jazz tradition. Ultimately, my analysis shows that Tyner's early style was a balance of tradition and innovation, incorporating bebop syntax, pentatonic melodies, and quartal harmonies.
Eleven: A Novel
Authors:   , Smith Sanderia Faye
Published: February 2025

Trauma novel refers to a work of fiction that discloses serious loss or intense fear on individuals and groups. The traumatic experience is repetitious, timeless, and unspeakable. Gayl Jones, Jesmyn Ward, Tayari Jones, Alice Walker, and Toni Morrison are only a few authors who have written this type of novel. The traumatic events that occur in the books are rape, miscarriage of justice, and slavery, to name a few. The experienced trauma manifest as fragmented memory, silence, commitment phobia, intimate distance, and feelings of abandonment. In her book, Quiet As It's Kept: Shame, Trauma, and Race in the Novels of Toni Morrison, J. Brooks Bouson argues that the traumatic experience of slavery and "white racist practices" throughout history produced a "collective African-American experience" which appears in fiction and in the fabric of American culture (4) as intergenerational trauma. African American authors are reimaging history told primarily in first and third person limited, and even if the novel has an omniscient point of view, it can change to third person limited. They use point of view to adeptly navigate the effects of trauma on the psyche interweaving closeness and distance to manipulate the emotional, intellectual, and moral responses the author desires. In this essay, I argue that because of intergenerational trauma, African American novels tell a "collective or communal" story that has a profound effect on point of view and narrative or psychic distance.
The Buffering Effects of Religiosity on Adolescent Alcohol Abuse Coping following Victimization
Authors:   , Bryant Mark R
Published: February 2025

This research comprised a secondary study using the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health restricted data set to examine the buffering effects of religiosity on adolescent alcohol coping following victimization within the context of Agnew's general stain theory. Its purpose was to determine if religiosity buffered the effects of alcohol abuse coping following victimization for native-born and foreign-born non-Hispanic adolescents, and was designed as a follow-up research study to similarly replicate a prior study limited to native-born and foreign-born Hispanic adolescents. This study's findings were consistent with prior research that higher religiosity was generally predictive of lower levels of alcohol abuse. However, in the presence of violent victimization, religiosity did not buffer later increased alcohol abuse coping for non-Hispanic adolescents. Native-born religiously oriented adolescents were as likely to abuse alcohol following violent victimization as their native-born non-religious peers. Foreign-born religiously oriented versus non-religiously-oriented adolescents did not have statistically significant different outcomes on later alcohol abuse following victimization. Foreign-born non-Hispanic adolescents as a group appeared generally insensitive to victimization strain as measured by alcohol abuse coping. An important outcome of this study was the collateral finding that being Catholic substantially increased the likelihood of later alcohol abuse for both native-born and foreign-born non-Hispanic adolescents; the increase in alcohol abuse for foreign-born adolescents was especially pronounced. The study's findings have particular relevance for adolescent counseling and others working with adolescents, and especially for those working within a religious context. Numerous areas for additional research are identified and discussed.
Study the pKa of C–H Bonds and Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer Process by Transition Metal Complexes via Computational Methods
Authors:   , Nazemi Azadeh
Published: February 2025

Computational techniques, mostly density functional theory (DFT), were applied to study metal-based catalytic processes for energy conversion reactions. In the first and second projects, the main focus was on activation of the light alkanes such as methane, which have thermodynamically strong and kinetically inert C–H bonds plus very low acidity/basicity. Two Mo-oxo complexes with the different redox non-innocent supporting ligands, diamide-diimine and ethylene-dithiolate, were modeled. These Mo-oxo complexes are modeled inspired by active species of a metalloenzyme, ethylbenzene dehydrogenase (EBDH). The results for the activation of the benzylic C–H bond of a series of substituted toluenes by modeled Mo-oxo complexes show there is a substantial protic character in the transition state which was further supported by the preference for [2+2] addition over HAA for most complexes. Hence, it was hypothesized that C–H activation by these EBDH mimics is controlled more by the pKa than by the bond dissociation free energy of the C–H bond being activated. The results suggest, therefore, promising pathways for designing more efficient and selective catalysts for hydrocarbon oxidation based on EBDH active site mimics. Also, it is found that the impact of supporting ligand and Brønsted/Lowry acid/base conjugate is significant on the free energy barrier of C–H bond activation. In the third project the focus was on assessing the nature of hydrogen in the transition state related to the transfer of hydrogen between a carbon and nitrogen in an experimentally studied hydroaminoalkylation process by a five-coordinate Ta complex. It was revealed that, for the studied substituents, pKa is a larger driving force in the rate-determining hydrogen transfer reaction than the BDFE, which suggest a reasonable amount of protic character in the transition state, and possible routes to the design of more active catalysts with greater substrate scope. Finally, for the last project, the focus was on hydrotris(1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)borate complex as an electrocatalyst and study the impact of metal identity down a group or across a period of the d-block on proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET), which is a key process in many electrocatalytic cycles. The studied thermodynamics and kinetics trends for a series of mid to late 3d- and 4d-transition metals show the metal and its electronic structure greatly impact the nature of the PCET processes.
Anxiety in the Workplace: A Study of Different Anxiety Relief Methods for Hotel Employees
Authors:   , Carrillo Cindy
Published: February 2025

There is a lack of anxiety relief methods used in the hospitality workplace. This study examines the effectiveness of two forms of anxiety relief through four different methods. The data collection took place in classroom environments at the University of North Texas and the University of New Orleans, both of which are located in southern USA. The independent variables are the recovery method, the mediator variables are restorativeness and emotional improvement, and the dependent variables are negative job affects, positive job affects, turnover intention, and job commitment. Professors were asked for some time during their lecture to conduct the experiment in a classroom environment during the students' class time. Eight classes were visited, with each class being exposed to a designated anxiety relief method. The anxiety relief methods consisted of using a virtual reality headset with sound, virtual reality headset without sound, nature pictures with sound, and nature pictures without sound. Results of 206 usable surveys indicated virtual reality recovery method evoked higher levels of restorativeness than picture recovery method. Restorativeness partially mediated the effects of positive job affects and job commitment. lastly, emotional improvement partially mediated the effects of negative job affects, positive job affects, and turnover intention.
Neuroelectric Indices of Emotional Processing in Individuals with History of Concussion
Authors:   , Magera Nicholas P
Published: February 2025

Concussions are a common type of traumatic brain injury resulting in a series of physical, emotional, and psychosocial symptoms. Following a concussion, emotional processing is thought to be altered through small functional and structural disruptions that impact information processing pathways, which may eventually manifest as behavioral impairments. Thus, the use of both behavioral and functional outcomes may be effective for assessing the changes in emotional processing that may occur following a concussion. The primary purpose of this study was to examine behavioral and neurocognitive differences in response to emotional face images between individuals with and without a history of concussion. Fifty participants (18 female; 32 male) were recruited and assigned to either the concussed (n = 23; Mage = 24.1 ± 1.0) or non-concussed (n = 27; Mage = 23.2 ± 0.6) group based on medical and self-reported concussion history. Participants completed a modified emotional oddball paradigm where representative positive (smiling), negative (frowning), and neutral faces from the Radboud Faces Database were displayed. Neuroelectric measures of P3 amplitude and latency, as well as behavioral measures of response accuracy and reaction time were assessed during the experiment. The concussion group showed significant reductions in accuracy, but no difference in reaction time compared to the non-concussed group. An increase (i.e., slower) in P3 latency was also found in the concussed group, with no observed group differences in P3 amplitude. Findings suggest that concussions may lead to chronic neuroelectric and behavioral deficits in classifying emotional, facial expressions.
Optical Property Study of 2D Graded Photonic Super-Crystals for Photon Management
Authors:   , Hassan Safaa
Published: February 2025

In this dissertation, we study the optical property of 2D graded photonic super-crystals (GPSCs) for photon management. We focused primarily on manipulation and control of light by using the newly discovered GPSCs which present great opportunity for electromagnetic wave control in photonic devices. The GPSC has been used to explore the superior capability of improving the light extraction efficiency of OLEDs. The enhancement of extraction efficiency has been explained in term of destructive interference of surface plasmon resonance and out-coupling of surface plasmon through phase matching provided by GPSC and verified by e-field intensity distributions. A large light extraction efficiency up to 75% into glass substrate has been predicted through simulation. We also study the light trapping enhancement in GPSCs. Broadband, wide incident angle, and polarization independent light trapping enhancement is achieved in silicon solar cells patterned with the GPSCs. In addition, novel 2D GPSCs were fabricated using holographic lithography through the interference lithography by two sets of multiple beams arranged in a cone geometry using a spatial light modulator (SLM). Finally, we also report a fabrication of GPSCs with a super-cell size of 12a×12a by using e-beam lithography. Diffraction pattern from GPSCs reveals unique diffraction properties. In an application aspect, light emitting diode arrays can be replaced by a single light emitting diode shinning onto the diffraction pattern for a uniform fluorescence.
Equitable Early Childhood Education for Young Bilingual Learners in North Texas: Examining Kindergarten Entry Assessments for Bilingual Children
Authors:   , McEntire Celina Angelica
Published: February 2025

A considerable amount of research has been done surrounding education in classrooms from kindergarten to Grade 12, but little research has been done surrounding early childhood education (ECE) beginning with birth to age 4. As a result, research is needed that examines interventions aimed to improve the quality of early childhood education for young bilingual learners at the earliest stages of schooling. The present study examines current efforts to serve the specific population of young bilingual children entering classrooms in an urban school district in North Texas. The focus of this study includes the access and examination of quality ECE programs (defined by the extent to which bilingual children have access to bilingual education programming). The present study also observes the visibility of young bilingual children who receive services that are responsive to their characteristics, experiences, and specific needs. Lastly, this study used a multiple regression analysis to examine the Kindergarten Early Assessment test that has been put in place to measure the school readiness performance of bilingual children in this urban district. Specifically, the analysis included program type, language of assessment, socio-economic status and gender variables.
Managing Access during Employee Separation using Blockchain Technology
Authors:   , Mears Paula Faye
Published: February 2025

On-boarding refers to bringing in an employee to a company and granting access to new hires. However, a person may go through different stages of employment, hold different jobs by the same employer and have different levels of information access during the employment duration. A shared services organization may have either limited or wide-spread access within certain groups. Off-boarding implies the removal of access of information or physical devices such as keys, computers or mobile devices when the employee leaves. Off-boarding is the management of the separation an employee from an institution. Many organizations use different steps that constitute the off-boarding process. Incomplete tracking of an employee's access is a security risk and can lead to unintended exposure of company information and assets. Blockchain technology combines blocks of information together using a cryptographic algorithm based on the existing previous block and is verified by the peers in the blockchain network. This process creates an immutable record of employee system access providing an audit trail of access for any point in time to ensure that all access permissions can be removed once employment ends. This project proposes using blockchain technology to consolidate information across disparate groups, and to automate access removal to improve the employee off-boarding process.
The Rise of Postmethod Epistemology in the L2 English Teaching Field
Authors:   , Alsuwat Sami Eid
Published: February 2025

Citation analysis, which provides insights into the influence of particular scholarly work in a field of study, can also show epistemological "turns" through patterns of citations over time. This study explored the impact of postmethod epistemology on the shared knowledge of the English-as-a-second-language (L2) education community over a 26-year period. The approach consisted of tabulating and analyzing citations in 125 articles from two major journals, Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages Quarterly (TESOL Qrtrly) and English Language Teaching Journal (ELT). The time period covered was 1994, when the term postmethod was introduced in TESOL Qrtrly, through 2019. Attention went to the following questions for each journal and for both journals together: (i) who is the most influential of the three major postmethod authors, B. Kumaravadivelu, Richard Allwright, or Hans Stern? (ii) what was the most cited postmethod publication? and (iii) have there been patterns over time for citations of postmethod authors and publications and for the use of the term postmethod? Of the three postmethod authors, Kumaravadivelu was the most cited in the two journals combined. For TESOL Qrtrly, Kumaravadivelu was the most cited, and Stern was second. For ELT, Kumaravadivelu and Allwright had an equal number of citations, and both surpassed Stern. Of the 23 postmethod publications by these scholars, the most highly cited in both journals was Kumaravadivelu's 1994 article "The Postmethod Condition." It was the most cited in TESOL Quarterly, followed by Stern's 1983 book Fundamental Concepts of Language Teaching. In ELT, Allwright and Bailey's 1991 book, Focus on the Language Classroom, was the most cited followed by Allwright's 2003 article, "Exploratory Practice: Rethinking Practitioner Research," published in Language Teaching Research. Trend analyses for citations in TESOL Quarterly and ELT showed curvilinear patterns with a peak in postmethod citations in the two journals in the mid-2000s. In regard to the term postmethod, patterns suggested that it did not become mainstream in the two journals that were studied. This inquiry, which was focused on two major journals in L2 English education, provided some details about the impact of postmethod epistemology in a period that some scholars have called the "postmethod era." Through citation analysis, the study helps to situate postmethod epistemology historically.
Creating Equitable Educational Experiences for African American Males through Advanced Academics
Authors:   , Johnson Nakendrick S.
Published: February 2025

Across the United States, African American males face barriers to securing a quality education. Barriers such as educational gatekeeping, and low identification, have caused African American males' enrollment in advanced placement courses to be at a rate lower than all other ethnicity and gender populations. A qualitative approach to research was used to explore how and in what ways district and school leaders created or hindered equitable advanced academic program opportunities for African American males. Through the lens of critical social theory, individual face-to-face interviews with district/campus educators and a focus group interview with African American male students, the lived experiences of participants within the advanced placement program were brought to the fore. Three questions guided the study: 1) How do district and school policies and practices create equitable advanced academic program opportunities for African American males; 2) How and in what ways do district and school leaders create or hinder equitable advanced academic program opportunities for African American males; and 3) What conditions have supported or hindered African American males in their ability to enroll and succeed in advanced academic courses. Findings revealed four themes to creating equity for African American males within the advanced placement program which included, the need to cultivate the advanced placement program, identify academic shortcomings, support the needs of students, and address invisible African American males. The research demonstrated that African American males can, and will, thrive in the most challenging of academic settings when provided with proper supports.
Gamification to Solve a Mapping Problem in Electrical Engineering
Authors:   , Balavendran Joseph Rani Deepika
Published: February 2025

Coarse-Grained Reconfigurable Architectures (CGRAs) are promising in developing high performance low-power portable applications. In this research, we crowdsource a mapping problem using gamification to harnass human intelligence. A scientific puzzle game, Untangled, was developed to solve a mapping problem by encapsulating architectural characteristics. The primary motive of this research is to draw insights from the mapping solutions of players who possess innate abilities like decision-making, creative problem-solving, recognizing patterns, and learning from experience. In this dissertation, an extensive analysis was conducted to investigate how players' computational skills help to solve an open-ended problem with different constraints. From this analysis, we discovered a few common strategies among players, and subsequently, a library of dictionaries containing identified patterns from players' solutions was developed. The findings help to propose a better version of the game that incorporates these techniques recognized from the experience of players. In the future, an updated version of the game that can be developed may help low-performance players to provide better solutions for a mapping problem. Eventually, these solutions may help to develop efficient mapping algorithms, In addition, this research can be an exemplar for future researchers who want to crowdsource such electrical engineering problems and this approach can also be applied to other domains.
Atomic Layer Deposition of H-BN(0001) on Transition Metal Substrates, and In Situ XPS Study of Carbonate Removal from Lithium Garnet Surfaces
Authors:   , Jones Jessica C.
Published: February 2025

The direct epitaxial growth of multilayer BN by atomic layer deposition is of critical significance forfo two-dimensional device applications. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and low energy electron diffraction (LEED) demonstrate layer-by-layer BN epitaxy on two different substrates. One substrate was a monolayer of RuO2(110) formed on a Ru(0001) substrate, the other was an atomically clean Ni(111) single crystal. Growth was accomplished atomic layer deposition (ALD) cycles of BCl3/NH3 at 600 K substrate temperature and subsequent annealing in ultrahigh vacuum (UHV). This yielded stoichiometric BN layers, and an average BN film thickness linearly proportional to the number of BCl3/NH3 cycles. The BN(0001)/RuO2(110) interface had negligible charge transfer or band bending as indicated by XPS and LEED data indicate a 30° rotation between the coincident BN and oxide lattices. The atomic layer epitaxy of BN on an oxide surface suggests new routes to the direct growth and integration of graphene and BN with industrially important substrates, including Si(100). XPS and LEED indicated epitaxial deposition of h-BN(0001) on the Ni(111) single crystal by ALD, and subsequent epitaxially aligned graphene was deposited by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of ethylene at 1000 K. Direct multilayer, in situ growth of h-BN on magnetic substrates such as Ni is important for spintronic device applications. Solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) are of significant interest for their promise as lithium-ion conducting materials but are prone to degradation due to lithium carbonate formation on the surface upon exposure to atmosphere, adversely impacting Li ion conduction. In situ XPS monitored changes in the composition of the SSE Li garnet (Li6.5La3Zr1.5Ta0.5O12, LLZTaO) upon annealing in UHV and upon Ar+ ion sputtering. Trends in core level spectra demonstrate that binding energy (BE) calibration of the Li 1s at 56.4 eV, yields a more consistent interpretation of results than the more commonly used standard of the adventitious C 1s at 284.8 eV. Annealing one ambient-exposed sample to >1000 K in UHV effectively reduced surface carbonate and oxygen, leaving significant amounts of carbon in lower oxidation states. A second ambient-exposed sample was subjected to 3 keV Ar+ ion sputtering at 500 K in UHV, which eliminated all surface carbon, and reduced the O 1s intensity and BE. These methods present alternative approaches to lithium carbonate removal than heating or polishing in inert atmospheres and are compatible with fundamental surface science studies. In particular, the data show that sputtering at mildly elevated temperatures yields facile elimination of carbonate and other forms of surface carbon. This is in contrast to annealing in either UHV or in noble gas environments, which result in carbonate reduction, but with significant remnant coverages of other forms of carbon.
Donor-Acceptor Systems: Photochemistry and Energy Harvesting Applications
Authors:   , Thomas Michael Brandon
Published: February 2025

Donor-acceptor systems have unique properties that make them ideal candidates for solar energy harvesting through mimicry of natural photosynthesis. This dissertation is focused on unraveling those unique properties in various types of donor-acceptor systems. The systems investigated are categorized as closely linked, push-pull, supramolecular, and multi-unit. As part of the study, photosynthetic analogues based on BF2-chelated dipyrromethene (BODIPY), porphyrin, phthalocyanine, truxene, ferrocene, quinone, phenothiazine (PTZ), perylenediimide (PDI), fullerene (C60), dicyanoquinodimethane (DCNQ), tetracyanobutadiene (TCBD), and triphenylamine (TPA) are investigated. The effects of proximity between donor-acceptor entities, their geometrical orientation relative to each other, push-pull character of substituents, and competitive energy and electron transfer are examined. In all systems, primary events of photosynthesis are observed, that is absorption and energy transfer and/or electron transfer is witnessed. Ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy is utilized to characterize the photo-induced events, while other methods such as steady-state luminescence, cyclic voltammetry, differential pulse voltammetry, chronoamperometry, and computational calculations are used to aid in the characterization of the donor-acceptor systems, in particular their applicability as solar energy harvesters.
Unpacking Asylum: Participatory Online Platforms in the Information-Seeking Phase
Authors:   , Hudson Cassie
Published: February 2025

In the last few years, the world has been gripped by a crisis of forced migration and displaced persons. Being forced migrants, asylum-seekers are a unique and diverse population, originating from many countries with different backgrounds and experiences. This makes fulfilling the information needs of the asylum community difficult. Online participatory platforms, such as blogs and discussion forums, are flexible, adaptive information resources that could be used to meet the diverse needs of this population. In this study, I compare two online resources used by asylum-seekers, a blog and discussion forum, using social network analysis and topic modeling techniques. Through these analyses, I have determined the conversational archetype the best reflects both websites and discovered the information needs expressed and, in many cases, resolved through conversations in these online spaces. The core finding of this study is that providing direct access to an expert, such as through an interactive blog, promotes dialogue on a greater variety of topics and increases the likelihood of a thorough response. Furthermore, blog posts may inform participants' comments by providing them with the necessary vocabulary to participate fully in the online setting.
Design of a Wearable Flexible Resonant Body Temperature Sensor with Inkjet-Printing
Authors:   , Horn Jacqueline Marie
Published: February 2025

A wearable body temperature sensor would allow for early detection of fever or infection, as well as frequent and accurate hassle-free recording. This thesis explores the design of a body-temperature-sensing device inkjet-printed on a flexible substrate. All structures were first modeled by first-principles, theoretical calculations, and then simulated in HFSS. A variety of planar square inductor geometries were studied before selecting an optimal design. The designs were fabricated using multiple techniques and compared to the simulation results. It was determined that inductance must be carefully measured and documented to ensure good functionality. The same is true for parallel-plate and interdigitated capacitors. While inductance remains relatively constant with temperature, the capacitance of the device with a temperature-sensitive dielectric layer will result in a shift in the resonant frequency as environmental or ambient temperature changes. This resonant frequency can be wirelessly detected, with no battery required for the sensing device, from which the temperature can be deduced. From this work, the optimized version of the design comprises of conductive silver in with a temperature-sensitive graphene oxide layer, intended for inkjet-printing on flexible polyimide substrates. Graphene oxide demonstrates a high dielectric permittivity with good sensing capabilities and high accuracy. This work pushes the state-of-the-art in applying these novel materials and techniques to enable flexible body temperature sensors for future biomedical applications.
Soviet Music as Bricolage: The Case of the Piano Works of Nikolai Rakov (1908-1990)
Authors:   , Kumamoto Yuki
Published: February 2025

Much socialist realism art from Soviet-era Russia has been misunderstood by scholars. It has been considered "synthetic art," which ordinary citizens were forced to admire under the Soviet regime. It also has been interpreted as peasant kitsch art because of its seemingly unacademic and unchallenging theoretical language utilized in order to meet the expectations of Soviet communism. This ideology conditioned artists to make art accessible and nationalistic to serve the perceived needs of the Russian proletariat. Nikolai Rakov (1908-1990), a Soviet-era composer, is also all too often received as a second-class socialist realistic composer. There are, however, other approaches to understanding art created in Soviet Union. Within music scholarship, alternative perspectives on Soviet art remain largely unexplored. It is in that spirit that I turn to Rakov, whose works carry his artistic idea of irresistible beauty, elegance, irony and charm. They evoke colorful images and feelings that draw the audience into Rakov's own compositional world despite his reputation of technical simplicity and uninventive language at a glance. In this dissertation, I therefore turn my attention to the aesthetic side of Rakov's music in order to reevaluate his works. In order to achieve this, I develop and utilize a hermeneutical approach grounded in Claude Lévi-Strauss's The Savage Mind to examine and gauge Rakov's musical aesthetics. I closely evaluate two characteristics of Rakov's music through Lévi-Strauss' ideology of bricolage: 1) miniature structure and 2) contingent chords. This dissertation examines three of Rakov's piano works: Variations in B minor, Concert Etudes, and Four Preludes.
Design of Ultra Wideband Low Noise Amplifier for Satellite Communications
Authors:   , Webber Scott
Published: February 2025

This thesis offers the design and improvement of a 2 GHz to 20 GHz low noise amplifier (LNA) utilizing pHEMT technology. The pHEMT technology allows the LNA to generate a boosted signal at a lower noise figure (NF) while consuming less power and achieving smooth overall gain. The design achieves an overall gain (S21) of ≥ 10 dB with an NF ≤ 2 dB while consuming ≤ 30 mA of power while using commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components.
Student Experiences, Struggles, and Supports in an Alternative School Setting
Authors:   , Hopkins Lindsey Y
Published: February 2025

Experiences of shame, such as feelings of failure, scorn, ridicule, and embarrassment, all impact a student's successful mastery of academic skills. To identify and understand the shame experiences that impact a student's success, as told from the student's perspective, and determine which factors contribute most to student success, the lenses of the shame resiliency theory and self-determination theory were utilized. This phenomenological qualitative research study explored the struggles associated with shame that students who attended and graduated from a school-of-choice alternative school experienced. In addition, it examined the factors, experiences, and/or constructs related to social and emotional well-being and resiliency that students who attended and graduated from a school-of-choice alternative school identified as most salient regarding their ability to progress through their secondary school years, achieve educational success, and ultimately, graduate from high school. The results of this study add to the body of evidence that supports a shift in the education program from a focus on assessment to SE support for the whole child. Addressing students' academic needs are but one piece of the puzzle. Meeting their social and emotional needs may, however, be even more important, both in the short-term and the long-term for all students, regardless of the types of schools they attend.
Flute Music of Cristóbal Halffter: His Roots in Spanish Tradition and Place in the Avant-Garde Generación del 51
Authors:   , Godoy Martin
Published: February 2025

Cristóbal Halffter, born in 1930, established himself as an important figure in Spanish avant-garde composition in the middle of the twentieth-century. As one of the prominent leaders of the Generación del 51, he helped establish modernity in music as a part of Spain's identity. His compositional style mixing tradition with the avant-garde was built on the success and breakthrough of Manuel de Falla, a composer with close ties to Halffter's family and served as a 'father figure' to the Generación del 51. This study begins with a discussion on Falla's work and reception, as he lay the groundwork for modernism in Spanish music. Further, discussion on Halffter's background and compositional periods, from his nationalist approach in the 1950s to his embrace of the avant-garde in the 1960s and beyond exemplifies Halffter's prominent role in shaping Spanish modernity. This research then sheds light on previously unexplored solo flute works Debla [Solo VI] for Flute and Studie II [Solo III] for Flute by Halffter. Provided is insight to their respective influences (the Spanish debla and the Fibonacci sequence), analysis of each work, and a discussion on their similarities and differences. By taking an informative approach prior to analysis and performance suggestions, readers will gain insight to Halffter's Spanish roots as they relate to nationalism and the avant-garde, his affiliation with the Generación del 51, and his compositional style.
Equity for English Learners: Latin@ Leadership in High-Need Middle Schools
Authors:   , Robles Stephanie Zamora
Published: February 2025

The purpose of this qualitative, multiple case study was to explore the practices and behaviors of successful Latin@ principals in high-need Texas middle schools focusing on the following three areas: learning, leadership, and context. Varying qualities of leadership essential for leading high-need middle schools coupled with contextual factors such as policy and community were examined. More importantly, this research sought how successful Latin@ leaders promoted a culture of learning in high-need middle schools with a focus on English learners (ELs). High-need schools are defined as those presenting a context that challenges the success of students. The study on leadership in high-need schools focuses on an investigation of strategies principals in these schools may employ and determining ways in which high-need school leaders are prepared and supported. Factors affecting the condition in high-need schools may include: (a) student and community characteristics (e.g., ethnic minorities, mobility, poverty, non-native language speakers), (b) student performance (e.g., math and reading scores, graduation rates, attendance), and (c) other factors (e.g., teacher and leader turnover, staff morale, student engagement). The context of schools matters and effective leaders in high-need schools must be able to lead using contextually appropriate responses. Two Latina principals serving in high-need middle schools, in Texas, enhanced organizational and individual performance that fostered a culture of learning and equity for ELs as they supported teachers and created inclusive learning environments for students and families.
Improvisation without Accompaniment and What Passes Here for Mountains
Authors:   , Morton Matthew Travis
Published: February 2025

"Improvisation without Accompaniment" is a lyric investigation into the ways that an awareness of mutability and death can clarify or distort our experience of the world. The poems in this collection draw upon the speaker's small-town Texas upbringing to explore broader questions that arise as a consequence of his burgeoning awareness of mortality: What are the moral imperatives for an individual citizen in a larger political community? What are the bidirectional effects of our relationship with place and the environment? Given the painful transience of human experience, what does it mean to live a good life? The book is characterized by psychological poems that illustrate the mind's movement, poems that use syntactic variation and tonal shifts to indicate an openness to changes of heart and mind. "What Passes Here for Mountains," an in-progress poetry manuscript, is driven by a similar impulse to explore the precise ways that our beliefs and opinions affect our immediate experience. These newer poems address anxieties about climate change, the effects of childhood trauma on the adults those children become, and the obstacles to self-actualization.
A Multi-Dimensional Approach towards Understanding Music Notation through Cognition
Authors:   , Leinbach Cade
Published: February 2025

Composition has been conceptualized as a method for communicating a way of thinking (i.e., cognition) from composers to performers and audience members. Music notation, or how music is represented in a visual format, becomes the vehicle through which such cognition is communicated. In the past, research on notation has been approached either categorically or as a taxonomy, where it is placed into separate categories based primarily on visual elements, including its symbols, conventions, and practices. The modern application of notation in Western classical music repertoire, however, has shown that the boundaries between these systems are not always clear and sometimes blend together. Viewing music notation from a spectrum-based approach instead provides a better understanding of notation through its cognitive effects. These spectra can then be viewed through multiple dimensions, all addressing different aspects. The first dimension consists of the historical systems of notation, ranging from standard music notation (SMN) to music graphics. Additional kinds of notation, such as proportional, pictorial, and aleatoric, work as the mediary levels between these two. The second dimension focuses on whether notation is processed intuitively, based on either cultural priming or general cognitive principles, or through conscious interpretation. The last dimension views notation as either a visual representation of the sound (descriptive) or a representation of the process performed to create the sound (prescriptive). This thesis conceptualizes a theory for understanding music notation though these multiple dimensions by synthesizing psychological studies about music, music notation research, and pre-existing musical scores.
A Study of Nonprofit Governance through the Lens of Stewardship Theory
Authors:   , Humphrey Duchess Deidre
Published: February 2025

This dissertation examines the association between independent governance structure and various measures of good governance. The evaluation draws on observations of a dataset of 101 Texas public charities, in particular the organization's self-disclosed governance-related activities as reflected in the transparency, monitoring, and strategic tools available to the public. The study reveals that two measures of good governance are associated with an identified independent governance structure at the organizational level. In managing the governance of the organization, the study finds evidence that less emphasis is placed on the constituted strategic direction clauses listed in the articles of incorporation of the organization. The research suggests that each of the fiduciary stewardship concerns need to be addressed by the legal governing body in order to fulfill good governance as an outcome quality measure.
Collected Stories
Authors:   , Flannery Brendan Conor
Published: February 2025

A collection of short fiction stories that fixate on the role of the strange and the imagined.
Transgender in India: A Semiotic and Reception Analysis of Bollywood Movies
Authors:   , Shewade Ruchi Ravi
Published: February 2025

The transgender community in India, commonly known as hijras, consists of people who were born as males but address themselves as females. They have been considered as the third gender in India for millennia and have had specific religious and sociocultural values and roles, but are forced to live in shadows in this day and age. Isolation of this community is also reflected in the way transgender characters are represented in Indian entertainment media. The study analyses two transgender themed films semiotically and the audience reception of those representations by 20 members of the transgender community. Semiotics is a helpful tool to understand the ways signs communicate ideas to viewers. This study applies syntagmatic and paradigmatic analyses to understand how images are used to represent and relay information to the audience. Reception theory along with double colonization has been incorporated in this study to analyse the ways in which the transgender community interprets the representations in entertainment media.
The Power of Choice: An Examination of a Hybrid Recess/Tutorial Program at a Suburban High School in the Southwestern United States
Authors:   , Woodard Chrystal Starnes
Published: February 2025

A suburban district in the southwestern region of the United States created a choice-based program in which students have the opportunity to address their social, emotional, and academic needs through a mid-day period where they have the ability to attend tutorials or engage in a variety of club and social activities. Each day, students choose the activity that best serves their needs, be those academic, social, or emotional. In order to determine students' attitudes, opinions, and uses of the program in an effort to improve its effectiveness for student success, this qualitative study was planned to respond to the research questions: (1) how do students spend the emPower period? and (2) what are students' thoughts, attitudes, and opinions with regards to emPower? The research began by examining student responses to a previous principal survey asking their opinions on the program. Following the analysis of the survey, focus group sessions of five students from each high school grade were held to discuss student perceptions, choices, and uses of the program. The discussions were audiotaped and transcribed. Thematic data analysis resulted in themes of stress, social life, environment, regulations, choice and tutorials. Findings included a continuum of maturity evident with students' choices as they progressed in grade level; enhanced student decision making and self-reflection; cultivating positive student-teacher relationships. Student suggestions for the program involved extending the time length of the period, teaching younger students to use the program effectively, and updating the way the advisory class is taught to be more beneficial to students.
The Vocal Pedagogy of the Behnke Family: The Behnke Method
Authors:   , Stapleton Megan
Published: February 2025

Emil Behnke was a highly esteemed vocal pedagogue of the late nineteenth century. Perhaps rare for the time, the art and science of teaching vocal methods of speech and singing was a Behnke family business, one that Emil shared with his wife and daughter, who were both named Kate. Indeed, Emil's daughter, Kate Emil Behnke, was equally regarded and valued in the field of vocal pedagogy, carrying her father's teachings into the twentieth century. Meanwhile, the elder Kate Behnke, wife to Emil and mother to Kate Emil, was responsible for administering and building upon her husband's innovative methods of speech therapy, establishing her own reputation as a speech healer. The Behnke family published no less than fourteen books, cumulatively. Largely forgotten today, the purpose of this document is to provide a comprehensive overview of the biography and the pedagogical methods and works of the Behnke family, and to contextualize these methods within the framework of trusted vocal pedagogy, both historic and current.
Too Important to Democratize: Lessons from the Arab Spring
Authors:   , Lookabaugh Brian Scott
Published: February 2025

While the Arab Spring has resulted in numerous different political outcomes across the Arab world, conventional theories of democratization are lacking in explaining these divergent outcomes. Developing a theory of democratization, strategic importance and external intervention, I examine the relationship between national strategic importance and democratization. I argue that strategically important states will be targeted by external actors in attempts to stifle or thwart democracy because democracy may upset the status quo that foreign actors benefit from. I do not find support for the hypothesis that strategic importance and democratization share a general negative relationship, however, I find moderate support that strategic importance is related to the timing of regime breakdown, democratic breakdown and democratic transition. Furthermore, in examining the cases of Bahrain, Egypt, Tunisia and Libya, I highlight key moments of external intervention and influence that impacted the democratization attempts of each case.
Bridging the Gap: Introducing Extended Techniques and Contemporary Notation through Newly Composed Etudes for Clarinet
Authors:   , Ellard Luke
Published: February 2025

This dissertation aims to address the pedagogical gap in introductory material for contemporary clarinet instruction. Through examining the most prominent contemporary methods for the clarinet, the pedagogical gap is highlighted, particularly regarding material aimed at newcomers and early undergraduate students. To address these needs, a new collection of etudes is proposed, introducing extended techniques and contemporary notation for newcomers to modern music.