Doctor of Education , University of Dayton, 2024, Educational Administration

There is not a single teacher of color on staff in approximately 40 percent of U.S. schools (Bireda & Chait, 2011). This qualitative study was designed to explore the racialized experiences of BIPOC students in a predominately white career technical school district with a teaching staff that comprises less than 4% teachers of color district-wide. Several themes emerged from the research findings: participants valued their career tech education, overwhelmingly described the teaching staff as supportive and helpful, emphasized culturally relevant instruction was lacking, and having a teacher of color was rare, however when they did they viewed them as more understanding and relatable. A pipeline program between Central State University (CSU) an HBCU, and Greenville Career Campuses is being proposed where CSU students can complete their teaching practicum requirements and seek full-time employment at Greenville. One of the concerns with implementing this program is that there is a fairly small number of BIPOC students enrolling in teacher education programs each year. Therefore, many school districts are choosing to implement Grow Your Own (GYO) programs as a means to diversify the workforce. Additionally, mentoring programs are critical to retaining teachers of color as they are disproportionately more likely to leave the profession.

Committee: Greg Smith (Committee Chair); Carol Rogers-Shaw (Committee Member); Shelley Webb (Committee Member) Subjects: Minority and Ethnic Groups; Secondary Education

Doctor of Education , University of Dayton, 2022, Educational Leadership

The following is a mixed-methods action research study entitled, “Increasing Retention and Graduation Rates of BIPOC and/or Male Students in ASL Interpreting at Sinclair Community College.” This action research broadly focuses on increasing student retention in the American Sign Language and Interpreting for the Deaf (IEP) program for students of color and/or males by increasing equity, cultural competency, a sense of belonging, and diversity of curriculum in the Sinclair College ASL IEP program. The study has a foundational framework in the Critical Theory of Love, Sociolinguistic Theory, Catholic Marianist values and by (Re)Framing the Deaf Heart Theory. This research addresses the fact that BIPOC and/or male interpreters are not well represented in the field or classroom. For this study, both qualitative and quantitative data was gathered through surveys, interviews, and focus groups. The participants were alumni, and current students in the SCC IEP program. The participants' responses identified four themes which guided the SCC IEP program towards creating a more equitable, and inclusive IEP. Listening to the alumni and students' voices throughout this research was powerful and demonstrated where the program is doing transformation work, as well as identified gaps. This action research can be easily replicated in one's own program, by following the action plan. Having hard conversations in the classroom, with the Deaf community and out in the field to address racism, and microaggressions against BIPOC and/or male ASL interpreters make way for transformational change to the field of ASL interpreting.

Committee: Matthew Witenstein, Ph.D. (Committee Chair) Subjects: Educational Leadership; Language

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2024, Antioch Seattle: Counselor Education & Supervision

The aim of this study is to better understand, from the perspective of Critical Race Theory, the experiences of adolescent males who are Black and living in the United States and to examine how they build resilience and survival skills. Participants were between the ages of 18 and 26 and asked to recall adolescent experiences as part of a semi-structured interview with a Black Storytelling approach. There were six participants and data were analyzed using thematic analysis. According to the results, there were seven themes: (1) Policing In the United States of America Comes in Many Forms, (2) Recognizing Racism and that It's Real, (3) How You See Me: I Was Born This Way, (4) Perceptions About Racism, (5) Finding Ways to Cope, (6) Sharing Stories from Generation to Generation, and (7) Perceptions About Mental Health Treatment. The subthemes and connections to literature and the professional counseling field are also considered. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA (https://aura.antioch.edu) and OhioLINK ETD Center (https://etd.ohiolink.edu).

Committee: Shawn Patrick (Committee Chair); Erica Wade (Committee Member); Cecily Moore (Committee Member) Subjects: African Americans; Black Studies; Counseling Education; Mental Health

Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.), Franklin University, 2024, Business Administration

The research explored the underrepresentation of minorities (racial/ethnic minorities) in leadership roles in the workplace. With the recent surge of diversity programs, minority representation has grown in lower-level roles; however, minorities are sparse in higher-status roles. The study utilized literature and a phenomenological qualitative design to collect participant data. Leaders and organizations must understand the behaviors that can help BIPOC people advance into leadership roles. The purpose of this study was to discover why there is a low representation of minorities in leadership roles and how current leaders can help them advance in their organization. The study utilized a qualitative methodology phenomenological design to collect data from 11 minorities (racial/ethnic minorities). LinkedIn community was used to find the sample for interviewing. Semi-structured questions were used to gather data from participants' experiences in the workforce. Atlas. It was implemented to help establish themes and codes from the interviews. Participants described their challenges when looking to advance and how they overcame them. In addition, they also share leadership behaviors that can assist minorities with career growth. Understanding the obstacles that minorities face and the behaviors to help them succeed can help organizations strategize and grow in markets they don't have representation. Additionally, it builds strength regarding the recruitment and retention of minorities and contributes to innovation.

Committee: Kathy Richie (Committee Chair); Sarah Jouganatos (Committee Member); Tonia Young-Babb (Committee Member) Subjects: Business Administration; Ethnic Studies; Social Research

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2023, Social Work

This study examined the impact of a healing justice, professional development 6-hour ethics training, as an intervention designed to promote social workers' mindful self-care and professional wellbeing at the intersections of social justice work. The three aims of this study were: (1) To assess the efficacy of a healing justice training module on social workers' mindful self-care and professional wellbeing; (2) To explore study participants' views on the healing justice training on supporting their wellbeing at the intersections of self-care and social justice work in social work practice; and (3) To explore the integration of the data to capture participants' perspectives on the healing justice training. This study included pretest quantitative data collected from 86 study participants and a total of 47 study participants at posttest (N=21 Intervention Group and N= 26 Waitlist Control). Utilizing a convergent, mixed methods design, study results showed a significant interaction between the intervention effect and time on the Mindful Self Care Scale (MSCS) variable named Mindful Awareness, where there were statistically significant changes at posttest within the treatment versus the waitlist control groups p = .001 with a large effect size = .204. Qualitatively, five major themes and nine subthemes recurred, which included: A) Embodied practices – dance and drum; B) Personal care [subthemes: self-care and mindfulness and awareness]; C) Social work's effects on practitioners [subthemes: burnout and compassion fatigue, and compassion satisfaction]; D) Institutionalizing healing justice training [subthemes: social work education, social work practice, and continuing education units (CEUs)]; and E) Human diversity [subthemes social work (SWK) needs welcoming spaces for Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) folks, and social work is social justice]. The results of this study provided confirmation relative to promising support for continuing to offer a healing jus (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Mo Yee Lee (Committee Chair); Jacquelyn Meshelemiah (Committee Member); Michelle Kaiser (Committee Member) Subjects: Social Work

Master of Social Work, The Ohio State University, 2022, Social Work

Black, Indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC) who also identify lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, and other sexual and/or gender minorities (LGBTQ+) face many stressors and risk factors in relation to their intersecting identities. When working with minoritized populations like BIPOC LGBTQ+ youth, it is important to keep in mind the history of racism—both in-person and online—and cultural mistrust that these individuals experience. Additionally, with innovative interventions like an online tabletop roleplaying game used to build resilience and coping skills in LGBTQ+ youth (in this case, “Demons Dreamt: Shadow of Drusilla”), it is imperative to establish implementation procedures to ensure that the study can be replicated in the future. This study is intended to delve deeper into the modifications, adaptations, and expansions of the intervention, “Demons Dreamt;” explore opportunities for the growth and adaptation of the intervention to obtain a more representative and diverse sample; and discuss implementation fidelity procedures to ensure reproducibility of the study in the future. Future research may include focusing on exploring the experiences of BIPOC LGBTQ+ youth, adapting the intervention to better embody their experiences, and utilizing fidelity tools to better assess the integrity of the intervention.

Committee: Sharvari Karandikar (Committee Member); Lauren McInroy (Advisor) Subjects: Social Work

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2021, English

Fantastic Femmes: Latinxs in Speculative Storytelling is a journey of my experiences in encountering speculative storytelling created by and about femme, queer, Latinxs. When I began my research, the problems I sought to explore included: (1) erasure of femme, queer, Latinx representation in mainstream media—especially as it pertains to speculative fiction (2) a need for Latinx media scholarship that is focused on not only cisgender Latinas/os, but studies dedicated to the representation of femme and queer representations in recent twenty-first media (3) a need for Latinx media scholarship specifically focused on how femme and queer Latinxs are represented in the speculative storytelling modes of literature, film, television, music, and comics. My project of Fantastic Femmes aims to fill this need through an exploration of speculative genres like fantasy, magical realism, and horror. In locating Latinx cultural productions that are both (1) speculative and (2) focused on femme and queer Latinx representation, it is my hope that my work will encourage future and current scholars to continue contributing to the lineages I have outlined in my chapters. I believe in the power of stories, and see my dissertation as a creative and academic exercise in exploring the fantastic possibilities of femme, queer, Latinx storytelling.

Committee: Paloma Martinez-Cruz (Advisor); Jian Chen (Committee Member); Martin Ponce (Committee Member); Frederick Aldama (Committee Co-Chair) Subjects: Film Studies; Folklore; Gender Studies; Latin American Studies; Literature; Mass Media; Minority and Ethnic Groups; Performing Arts; Womens Studies