Master of Fine Arts, The Ohio State University, 2024, Art

The work I presented for the thesis exhibition is a series of images that engage Beloved by Toni Morrison as a place to consider personal liberation. In this work, portraits of myself and Xavier Cruz, who plays my younger self, may also be read as Sethe(mother) and Beloved(child). The photographs, figures in landscape shot in Athens County, Ohio, as well as in studio, also exist as an offering to Black queer Appalachians, whom I share identity with and hope to reclaim space for. In the exhibition space, 11 images are displayed in the corridor. These images present a queer mother and daughter, family formed in the struggle of queerness, en route to The Clearing. “The Clearing,” an installation space within the show, is a room lined in black sequined fabric. This “clearing” does not intend to be a space of darkness or hiding, but a liberated space that sparkles in every corner. It may exist as a queer nightclub or the night sky. The Clearing presents a three panel projection of myself as Sethe dancing a mix of cakewalk and vogue. At nearly 6 minutes, my performance gives way for Xavier as the liberated Beloved. A Jospehine Baker who gyrates alone toward the future during the last 4 minutes. This work of Xavier and I in drags, illuminated, serve as a reminder that there are no images of Black queer men liberated in Appalachia in the 19th century. A period in which liberation was developing globally alongside photography and cinema. It is a space to be free. The written portion of this thesis is divided into sections that explore home, history, Black queer identity, childhood, Beloved by Morrison, queer mothering and concludes with a conversation with Xavier about this process and my own notes on the experience. I want to spotlight that the experience of this project is about my own desire to produce something that feels close to myself, to forgive myself.

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2022, Environmental Studies (Voinovich)

There is a gap in access to sanitation in the US, particularly in rural areas such as Central Appalachia. The use of constructed wetlands as an alternative to onsite domestic wastewater treatment is one was to alleviate wastewater management challenges in small rural communities and work to close the sanitation gap. This study aimed to determine if year-round onsite wastewater treatment performance of constructed wetlands could be enhanced with the use of substrate and specialized operational modifications. Three constructed wetlands, with distinct substrates, organic, mineral, and combination, were used as treatment systems for a 4-month period, half above 15°C and half below 15°C. Results indicated a statistical difference between substrates in cold temperatures for TP and TKN and removal of many parameters in line with traditional wastewater treatment methods. This research supports the use of year-round wetlands to perform in the Central Appalachian region.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2020, Public Health

Compared to the rest of the United States (U.S), Appalachia experiences significant health and economic disparities. Appalachian women are at increased risk for many chronic diseases, including cervical cancer. Prior research has suggested that the prevalence of risk factors for cervical cancer, including high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, is high among Appalachian women. Prior research also suggests that Appalachian women mostly perceive themselves to be at average risk of cervical cancer. One goal of this research was to compare an objective measure of cervical cancer risk to a woman's perceived risk of cervical cancer to determine misperceptions of risk. The main interest in misperception is to determine if there is an association of socioeconomic status (SES) at an individual as well as county-level with cervical cancer risk misperceptions. Considering that there is no published research investigating cervical cancer risk misperceptions, this dissertation will present novel findings in the domain of cervical cancer risk misperception research. Additionally, it is of interest to determine if cervical cancer risk misperception mediates the relationship between an individual's socioeconomic status and their adherence to cervical cancer screening guidelines. Lastly, this research will examine the association between individual and county-level SES with the outcomes of high-risk HPV infection and current abnormal Pap smear. Data for these studies were drawn from the Community Awareness Resources and Education (CARE) 1 project 3 study, a case-control study designed to determine variables associated with cervical cancer abnormalities among Ohio Appalachian women. HPV status was determined by biological specimen, and information regarding risk factors for cervical cancer were obtained from study surveys to construct an index for cervical cancer risk. Participants were categorized as low, average, or high risk for cervical cancer and this objective classi (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2017, Arts Policy and Administration

What follows is an exploration into the realities of organizational management and sustainability for Appalachian arts organizations and non-profits. Using a single selective sociological descriptive case study of an Appalachian arts organization, I gathered data pertaining to the processes of fundraising and community engagement. Along with this data gathering comes a post-industrial retrospective of Appalachia history and a self-reflection of my identity and voice as an Appalachia to establish a bounded Appalachian context. Literature concerning community engagement, fundraising and organizational theory was considered to further develop my lens. All of this was executed in the hopes of discovering an organizational model that would best equip Appalachian and other disenfranchised and disadvantaged arts and culture organizations and institutions to become and/or remain successful and impactful parts of their communities.

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2015, Environmental Studies (Voinovich)

This hermeneutic phenomenological study explores community participation in a rural Appalachian health-based sustainable initiative located in southern West Virginia. In-depth interviews conducted with members of this community explored community participation in the lived experiences as described by the residents of Williamson. Residents' understanding of community participation was coded through the following themes: (1) answering the call is community participation; (2) jobs are community participation; (3) commitment to health is community participation; (4) helping one another (social capital) is community participation; (5) fallenness is community participation; (6) thrownness is community participation; (7) learned helplessness and victimhood are community participation; (8) nostalgia is community participation; (9) floods are community participation; (10) sentimental narrative: King Coal is community participation; and (11) Sustainable Williamson is community participation. Data revealed that community capacity, participation, and competence were emerging through activities within the health sector. A disparity existed between how the leaders of Sustainable Williamson perceived the level of community participation and the actual engagement described by the participants themselves. While the experiences of this community were in many ways similar to those encountered in resource-extraction communities, or in single-source employment communities, the context of Williamson the place makes this study unique as well as general.

Master of Arts (MA), Ohio University, 2015, Sociology (Arts and Sciences)

This research draws on data from four qualitative interviews to understand the experiences of first-generation, low-income college students from rural Appalachia have as they decide to attend college and transition into college. Previous research shows that Appalachian students in general are less likely than students across the nation to enroll in and successfully complete college. The current study uses the theoretical framework of social capital to evaluate the social and instrumental support these students have received as well as the challenges they have faced throughout their journey to college. The findings indicate that although there is a high level of social support from students' families to attend college, instrumental support is lacking. More importantly, when these students turn toward their high school guidance counselors, often their only resource for college information, they still experience a lack of instrumental assistance such as help applying for college and financial aid. Additionally, the findings show that once students arrive at college, they experience difficulty transitioning academically and navigating the differences between their previous home life and new college life.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2015, English

Appalachian studies scholars, Appalachian activists and advocates, and government agencies like the Appalachian Regional Commission have sought a solution to the "Appalachian problem," which is typically portrayed as a matrix of poverty, low educational attainment, poor health, environmental destruction, and cultural deficiencies, as long as this problem has been perceived to exist in the late nineteenth century. Through a rhetorical analysis of ethnographic and archival research on three different types of Appalachian activist campaigns and advocacy organizations, the Kentucky Moonlight Schools of the early twentieth century, The Urban Appalachian Council and Appalachian Community Development Fund of the late twentieth century, and Create West Virginia of the early twenty-first century, I determine how each engages with three common topoi on solving the "Appalachian problem." The first topoi, assimilation, requires Appalachia be assimilated into modern, urban cultural, economic, and technological systems; the second, preservation, acknowledges the distinctiveness and difference of the culture and recommends it be preserved it as an isolated, monolithic, homogeneous entity; and the third, abandonment, proposes allowing nature to take over the region as the people are relocated to urban and suburban areas. By exploring specific instances in which these three topoi are rhetorical deployed, complicated, or opposed by the Kentucky Moonlight Schools, the Urban Appalachian Council and the Appalachian Community Development Association, and Create West Virginia, I have determined what detrimental assumptions these claims rely on, how they position Appalachian culture and identity, and how they limit or facilitate successful resolutions to the "Appalachian problem." I then develop a new regional rhetoric to guide the policies of a variety of groups, including but no limited to nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and educational instituti (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Arts (M.A.), University of Dayton, 2011, Theological Studies

This thesis constructs an historical narrative of the writing and promulgation of This Land Is Home to Me: A Pastoral on Powerlessness in Appalachia by the Catholic Bishops of the Region (1975). It first investigates ecclesial influences on the pastoral, including Latin American liberation theology and the Second Vatican Council, as well as important social contexts. Such exploration serves as a background for exploring the history of the pastoral, including the idea's inception, the composition through several drafts, a private meeting between Appalachian bishops and industry leaders, and its ultimate promulgation in February 1975. The thesis then examines the pastoral's influence on other Catholic Church documents, as well as the lives of individuals and the formation of communities throughout Appalachia, especially West Virginia. Ultimately, although it emerges from a statistically small Catholic region, This Land Is Home to Me is important in the history of the Catholic Church in Appalachia and, more broadly, in the United States because the boldness of its message in promoting human dignity spoke to the situation in Appalachia and throughout the country.

Bachelor of Arts, Ohio University, 2013, Political Science

This project looks at the complicated subject of separation of church and state in the realm of public education. This will be examined in the context of a unique region of the United States known as Appalachia, a region characterized by its simultaneous rejection and acceptance of modern values. This research asks how citizens in this area view the separation of church and state, using public education as the research medium. This will be done through a multiple methodology approach combining quantitative and qualitative data in order to gauge attitudes most accurately. This research is a necessary addition to Appalachian studies as the focus has been either been upon the practice of the individuals living there or the policy of legislators and legal decision. This study asks how residents view their First Amendment rights in a micro-context of education.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2024, English

This dissertation explores how organizations in the Little Cities of Black Diamonds (LCBD) microregion in Appalachian Ohio collaborate and negotiate tensions as they work to build an eco-tourism economy. This economic development is focused on the region's natural environment and labor history in the aftermath of a post-extractive mining economy. The LCBD microregion is generally defined as the historic Hocking Valley Coal Mining region in Perry, Hocking, Athens, and Morgan counties. The name, Little Cities of Black Diamonds, refers to the history of coal mining in the region. After extractive industries in the region declined, the Wayne National Forest took its place, though there are still remnants of acid mine drainage, stories of underground coal pit fires that still burn today, and historical landmarks, like Robinson's Cave where the United Coal Miners Union formed, that inform the place-based identities in the region. This dissertation asks the following questions: How do diverse stakeholders negotiate a shared, though sometimes conflicting, interest in place? How is power negotiated within and beyond grassroots organizations? How do different generations approach place-making? What role does technical and professional communication play in grassroots place-making efforts? What is at stake in place-making efforts in rural areas that have a history of resource extraction? To explore these questions, I engage in rhetorical field methods and analyze texts ranging from archival documents, technical and professional documents, speeches, public-facing websites, and interviews. I look to the rhetorical practices of place-making that exist within grassroots coalitional networks, individual nonprofits, and between nonprofit and for-profit organizations. My dissertation posits that technical communication acts as an essential element in crafting shared narratives of place/environment, history, and community that circulate from the underground and intergenerational (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Arts (MA), Ohio University, 2024, Geography (Arts and Sciences)

This research seeks to establish an understanding of Appalachian women and their experiences of environmental justice through an arts-based analysis of their poetry. I ask two research questions that inquire how Appalachian express their experiences of EJ through poetry, as well how Appalachian women associate and relate gender to environmental injustices through their poetry. To investigate this process, I perform a poetry-based analysis of ten different poems by Appalachian women. Ultimately, I find that Appalachian women engage themes of empathy, othering, and gender to portray their connections to, relationships with, and understandings of environmental justice. This research is important because it addresses intersectional themes of both geography and environmental justice, however in new ways. Ultimately, this research portrays Appalachian women's use of poetry as an expression of their experiences with environmental justice, and as such, provides a different method and outlook from which to view environmental justice issues.

Bachelor of Science (BS), Ohio University, 2024, Biological Sciences

Environmental health challenges are present in numerous communities across the nation but have a unique and significant impact on the Appalachian region. This study explored the impact of each factor in the decision-making process of Appalachian individuals, as well as highlighted the importance of environmental inequities in Appalachia. The results were striking – the impact of the social environment, followed by a general understanding of the built environment, played the largest role in shaping the social determinants of health and Appalachian decision-making. Environmental health proved to have little influence on Appalachian decision-making, but data shows that environmental determinants do have an impact on human health and wellbeing. Improving the population's understanding of environmental health and its associated impacts may aid Appalachia in reducing health disparities and improve human wellbeing. Also, a focus on improving the social and built environments of Appalachians might contribute to improving community cohesion and overall health and wellbeing. I did not seek to paint the region in a negative light in this work; rather, my work sought to understand the importance of the environment to Appalachians. My work may serve as a beacon to bring these environmental injustices to attention, highlighting the importance of environmental and health literacy, enabling these individuals to make more informed decisions about their own health.

Bachelor of Science (BS), Ohio University, 2024, Translational Health

Within Appalachia, specifically Appalachia Ohio, health disparities and inequities are prevalent along the lifespan, stemming from multiple factors. Among these factors, dietary habits play a pivotal role in shaping health outcomes. A possible intervention to improve dietary habits is nutrition education in K-12 schools, which is not currently regulated or mandated by the Ohio Department of Education. Certain non-profits, such as Rural Action, work to provide nutrition education in local classrooms in Southeastern Ohio, with the objective of improving student ability and willingness to make positive food choices through better nutritional knowledge and application of that knowledge, acquired through a multisensory learning experience. Their Live Healthy Kids (LHK) curriculum seeks to educate second-grade students on the merits of eating new plant-based foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes. This study evaluated the effectiveness of the LHK nutrition education curriculum at meeting its stated learning objectives of improving nutritional knowledge and preference of participants by examining the changes that occurred after the curriculum was administered. The data from five preference cohorts and four knowledge cohorts were analyzed overall and by year to see if changes in nutritional knowledge and preferences occurred and if said changes were consistent between years. Improvements in food preference score were observed across all twelve tested foods when all five cohorts were aggregated. Concurrently, nutritional knowledge scores saw improvements, albeit across fewer questions. However, the average overall knowledge score exhibited an upward trend in three of the four examined years. These results support that the LHK nutrition education curriculum is effective at improving nutritional knowledge and preference amongst its second-grade participants.

Bachelor of Science of Journalism (BSJ), Ohio University, 2024, Journalism

Dilapidated is a three-part, narratively-reported exploration of property blight, oversight and solutions in Athens County, Ohio. In southeast Ohio, there is not enough affordable housing. Simultaneously, thousands of older, neglected homes sit unoccupied. How do the two issues connect? This professional project has three goals: to explain the scale and context of vacant and dilapidated properties in Athens, Ohio, to use journalism as an accountability tool to understand the operations of the Athens County Land Bank and to explore alternative approaches to making homes adopted by community members. The project consists of a series of three longform articles, mapping, public records, interviews and data visualization that combine human interest storytelling, geographical justice frameworks and investigative journalism. The accompanying scholarly essays reviews related literature on rural distributive (in)justice, media coverage of the Appalachian region and ethical best practices for journalists.

Bachelor of Arts (BA), Ohio University, 2024, Environmental Studies

Climate change, a global problem growing in severity and urgency, is one that touches all of us, regardless of where in the world we live, learn, and grow. In light of entities such as the IPCC and UNESCO emphasizing the need for climate education, schools all over the world are incorporating climate change education into their curriculums. However, climate change is an interdisciplinary issue, and the common approaches to climate education focus heavily on the natural and physical sciences. Although important, the scientific reality of climate change, i.e. the natural and physical science, is not the entire story. Art is a powerful tool that has been utilized throughout modern history to communicate issues of injustice and inequity, often doing so in a way that evokes emotional response - the kinds of responses that lead to behavior change and action. Art that tells the stories of climate change and other environmental issues is a relatively new development, but the art that has emerged shows us that it is emotionally powerful. The use of art as an environmental communication tool has the ability to motivate change. In order to explore this capability of art further, I made my own piece - to be an appalachian woman - and exhibited it on Ohio University's campus for five days. At this exhibition, onlookers were invited to leave behind sentiments about what the piece said to them. These comments revealed that to be an appalachian woman succeeded in telling a comprehensible story about Appalachian women and environmental justice, and further, succeeded in evoking emotional responses in the viewers.

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2024, Arts and Sciences: English

In Listening to Appalachian Voices in the Writing Classroom, I argue that the cultivation of meaningful student-teacher relationships between Appalachian students and composition teachers is pivotal to the development of meaningful learning and literacy practices, as well as the creation of a culturally valuable academic and literacy identity. My dissertation builds on the work of composition pedagogy scholarship, Appalachian studies, and relational-cultural theory (RCT) to generate awareness concerning the student-teacher relationship and the impact this relationship has on Appalachian students' learning and writing processes. By collecting data via one-on-one interviews with select Appalachian students from a rural university in western North Carolina, I showcase how my participants understand themselves as writers, students, and Appalachians. By using Carol Gilligan's listening guide methodology, I analyze each participant's word choices, expressions, and stories. Throughout my analysis, I call attention to the various cultural values participants use to guide their experiences in the writing classroom. In particular, by analyzing the voices of pride and individualism, I am able to showcase how some Appalachian students are working with their cultural values to navigate their college experience and create a bridge between their newfound academic identity and their Appalachian identity. Along with bringing attention to how my student-participants rely on their Appalachian knowledge and values in the writing classroom, I also explore the RCT concept of growth-fostering connection, arguing that a relationship between Appalachian students and their writing teacher—characterized by connection, compassion, and mutuality—can lead Appalachian students to an awareness and appreciation of their cultural expressions and practices. That is, I show how a growth-fostering relationship in the composition classroom can empower Appalachian students and encourage t (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Fine Arts, The Ohio State University, 2024, English

You Have to Save Something is a collection of nonfiction essays about growing up in Appalachia as the eldest daughter in a blue-collar, working-class family. The writer narrates profound moments with her family, especially with her brothers and their friends in a small community where they gained insight into their economic place, their losses, their abilities, their father's tremendous work ethic, and their mother's depression along with her particularly harsh methods of punishment. Memory and story are often connected to and shared through treasured objects that were and remain connected to the fabric of the family's life and to the writer herself. At the heart of these essays is a fondness for the place and the people that endures throughout the writer's life and into the present day.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2024, Counselor Education (Education)

This research explored lived experiences of gender nonconforming people in a rural, Appalachian county in Southeastern, Ohio. The topic of transgender rights is intensively discussed in political spheres and day-to-day discourse, yet there is limited research on the true lived experiences of gender nonconforming people. This study aimed to increase education and understanding of gender nonconforming persons' experiences of discrimination, mental health strain, and resilience. The Meyer's Minority Stress Model provides a theoretical framework for the study, offering an understanding of the relationship between discrimination faced by gender nonconforming people and mental health strain. Nine gender nonconforming adults from Southeastern Ohio participated in this qualitative, phenomenological research. Semi-structured, open-ended interviews explored reactions from friends and family, treatment at work and school, reactions of others in public spaces, mental health strain and experiences with mental health treatment, and sources of support and resilience. Findings showed the greatest support among friends and romantic partners and limited support among family members. A reluctance to come out as gender nonconforming at work due to fear that family will learn of gender identity was identified. Dropping out of school due to treatment at school and/or poor mental health was commonly reported. Stares and disapproving looks from others were commonly reported reactions in public spaces, and participants shared discomfort with leaving the house and feeling unsafe in public settings. All participants reported experiencing frequent sadness and eight out of nine were found to be diagnosed with a depressive disorder. Similarly, feelings of stress and anxiety were commonly reported with seven out of nine participants reporting a diagnosis of an anxiety disorder. The most frequently reported negative experience with mental health providers was found to be a lack of education of the (open full item for complete abstract)

Bachelor of Arts (BA), Ohio University, 2023, Environmental Studies

This thesis seeks to understand Appalachian farmers' and non-profit professionals' perceptions of the state of the food system and their place within to identify ways to move forward with food justice work and highlight some of the initiatives already happening in the region. Through a series of in-depth interviews with five regional foodway experts and analyses of relevant organizations' mission statements, I provide insight into the work being done in Appalachia to navigate post-coal economies and pressures against the success of local food systems, the way this work shapes identities and perceptions of and relationships with land and food, and where folks see opportunities for additional work and progress. My findings emphasize a need for greater societal awareness of injustices within the food system and more opportunities for communities to mobilize and regain agency over their livelihoods and food sovereignty.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2023, Environment and Natural Resources

Many rural communities experience health disparities due to macro-level trends shaping social drivers of poor health. However, not all rural areas share similar sociodemographic characteristics or healthcare environments, and outcomes may vary substantially between populations within rural places. One group that may experience disproportionately poor health in rural communities is adults with disabilities. Although understanding the associations between place and health for this population is important for achieving health equity, there is limited empirical research on this topic in sociology and public health. To address this gap, I develop an integrated conceptual model to guide research at the intersection of disability, place, and health. I then use the 2019 Ohio Medicaid Assessment Survey (n=31,558) which represents all non-institutionalized Ohioans to analyze how three health outcomes vary by residence for those with no disability (n=20,282), non-developmental disabilities (n=9,893), and developmental disabilities (1,383). In Chapter Three, I draw together strands from the robust literatures of social determinants of health, rural health, the sociology of disability, and disability health to create a conceptual model linking place, disability, and health. I utilize this framework to guide the empirical analyses completed in Chapters Five through Seven. Using my conceptual model, I analyze how residence is associated with two physical health outcomes, self-rated health and the number of chronic conditions, for adults with and without disabilities in Chapter Five. I posit rural Appalachian residence is associated with poorer ii physical health outcomes, particularly for adults with disabilities. I find these hypotheses to be partially supported such that rural Appalachian residence is associated with poorer physical health for the general population. However, rural Appalachian residence is only associated with poorer self-rated health for adults with non-de (open full item for complete abstract)