Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2010, Public Health

It has been previously demonstrated that areas within the hospital that have the highest rates of antimicrobial resistance also have the highest rates of antimicrobial use (AU). The intensive care unit setting is one of the areas within the hospital that has the highest rate of antimicrobial use. Measures of hospital and unit specific AU is assuming increasing importance for understanding the dynamics of antimicrobial resistance at the population level. Data obtained from electronic order entry paired with antibiograms yielded a practical approach to analyze relationships between antibiotic usage and corresponding resistance. We found significant correlations with ciprofloxacin and tobramycin use and imipenem resistance. There was a nonstatistical correlation between imipenem use and imipenem resistance (r = 0.29 for 36 months) but it did indicate a positive correlation. There were also correlations in the pairings of drug and corresponding resistances—inverse correlation for ciprofloxacin use and ciprofloxacin resistance (r = -0.88) and a positive correlation with tobramycin use and tobramycin resistance (r = 0.93). Since changes in AU are paralleled by changes in the prevalence of resistance, application of these methods enable hospitals to monitor antibiotic stewardship program interventions with corresponding changes in the rate of resistance after implementation. Building upon the results from the ecological approach, explored the relationship of antimicrobial use, resistance patterns and risk factors pertinent to specific intensive care units. A case- control study was conducted utilizing patient isolates positive for P. aeruginosa (PA). Cases (n = 78) were patients with positive imipenem-resistant (IRPA) isolates from blood and respiratory cultures. Controls (n = 125) were patients with positive susceptible P. aeruginosa (SPA) isolates. Risk factors analyzed included prior antimicrobial use, comorbid conditions and demographic variables. Time at risk greater (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2017, EDU Teaching and Learning

Lecture note-taking skills have been studied in the context of academic listening for a long time; however, these studies have not clarified the relationship between the learners' listening comprehension and their note-taking skills in different lecture contexts. Nowadays, many lectures are filled with various multimedia that support teaching and engage students in large class settings. What is not known is whether and how the nature of the input from these varying multimodal instructional sources may impact, positively or negatively, on second language (L2) students' listening and note-taking experiences and efficacy. Students now have to distribute their attentional resources skillfully to account for the new combinations of visual and aural input from lecturers, and this situation could pose listening and note-taking challenges for first-year international students, who are learning how to learn in a new educational context while still developing their L2 proficiency in the language of instruction. Given these circumstances, the objectives of this dissertation were: (1) to present multiple portraits of international students' development of lecture listening and note-taking skills, (2) to examine how different course settings affected their listening and note-taking approaches, (3) to identify the similarities and differences in their listening and note-taking methods, and (4) to provide insights into the realm of academic listening by scrutinizing the interplay between various factors that can shape students' listening and note-taking experiences. In this multiple-case study, I observed six Chinese-speaking international students in their first semester studying at a Midwestern university in the United States. To record their development of listening and note-taking skills as well as the difficulties they encountered, I collected various types of data, including classroom observations, recall protocols, students' notes, individual interviews, and online checkl (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2022, EDU Teaching and Learning

Given that minimal research has looked at doctoral level reading and considered the extent to which this is an intercultural experience for second language readers, this multiple case study explored the academic reading practices and perspectives of four international doctoral students from different first language backgrounds all studying in an Education program at a large research-intensive higher education institute in the midwestern United States.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2024, Data Science

The use of statistical and machine learning methods in collection, evaluation and presentation of biological data is very extensive. This reflects a need for precise quantitative assessment of different types of challenges encountered in the field of healthcare. But the sparse nature of medical data makes it hard to find the hidden patterns and as a result makes the prediction a complex task. This dissertation research discusses several biostatistical methods including sample size determination in a balanced clinical trial, finding cohort risk from case control information, odds ratio, Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel odds ratio etc. along with examples and analysis of a real life dataset to further solidify the concepts. Moreover, different classification models: Random Forest, Gradient Boosting, Support vector Machine (SVM), Naive Bayes, K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN), Decision Tree (DT), Logistic Regression, Artificial Neural Network (ANN) are applied in the analysis of Wisconsin Breast Cancer (diagnostic and original) dataset and their performance comparison is presented. Later, these classification models are also used in conjunction with ensemble learning methods; since ensemble methods significantly improves the predictive outcomes of the classification models. The evaluation of the classification models is measured using accuracy, AUC score, precision and recall metrics. In tree-based classification models, Random Forest (solely and in conjunction with the ensemble learning) gives the highest accuracy; whereas in the later chapter Artificial Neural Network gives the highest accuracy measure.

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Toledo, 2022, Curriculum and Instruction

This qualitative case study examined the implementation of a four-week instructional unit on the Civil Rights Movement taught through a human rights lens and emphasizing written discourse in the classroom. The study was conducted in a large, urban high school in the Midwest near the end of the 2022 spring semester. The instructional unit, a critical case, was taught as part of the curriculum of an American History class required for sophomores but including some juniors and seniors. Data from 32 students who met the attendance and assignment submission requirements of the study were included. The framework for the case study was the intersection of theories of history instruction, human rights education, and discourse. Data collected included student created classwork and artifacts, teacher-researcher participant observations, and curricular and instructional materials. The research questions addressed the ways students independently and collaboratively reflected on history and human rights, the ways students engaged in analysis and critical thinking, and the ways in which they reflected on their experiences through their written discourse. Data analysis showed that students often made meaningful connections between history, human rights, and current events through written discourse, but that there were specific concepts with which they struggled such as the human rights concept of correlative duties. Additionally, students engaged in collaborative discourse that gave them the opportunity to practice human rights discourse. Students' most personal connections were made in activities and discussions in which they engaged in critical thinking and analysis. The connections made by students included comparisons between events of the Civil Rights Movement and current issues such as police brutality and the Black Lives Matter Movement. Students also demonstrated the ability to effectively reflect on their personal and classroom experiences. These findings illustrated the (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2021, Management

Strategic turnarounds seek company survival after the firm has faced a period of significant underperformance and decline. The success of such transformation depends on the firm's adaptive knowledge-based dynamic capabilities to change the firm's markets, products, and operations. Due to the lack of systematic research in this area, I conducted a mixed methods study on the nature and effects of such capabilities. The research was primarily conducted in the private equity industry, where the private equity firms often invest in poorly performing companies and execute successful company turnarounds. Consequently, they extensively experience uncertainty, unpredictability, and radical organizational change associated with more or less successful turnarounds. I analyzed a large dataset to assess the impact of investing in specific industry or turnaround knowledge on the success of private equity turnarounds. In addition, I qualitatively analyzed several successful and failed turnaround efforts to solicit mechanisms that contribute to superior performance in this setting. Finally, I extended and generalized the mixed methods inquiry to traditional corporations by studying four turnaround firm cases to see if the same mechanisms impact strategic turnarounds in a general context. Overall, I found that the adaptive dynamic capabilities for strategic turnarounds are built on an evolving blend of planning, measuring, and time-critical decision-making processes that are integrated with continuous knowledge orchestration, experimentation, improvisation, and articulation. The iterative, experiential, and adaptive organizational learning helps improve the turnaround processes used to manage radical changes. These capabilities provide the foundation for broader firm-level absorptive capacity in private equity and traditional firms, leading to the development of the knowledge-driven adaptive mechanisms and capabilities necessary for navigating uncertain turnarounds episodes. My rese (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2021, Mechanical Engineering

The design of a gearbox is subject to multiple performance requirements that must be met. One such requirement is power density, a metric defined as power transmitted per gear volume or per weight. In aerospace applications, one method of reducing gearbox weight to increase power density has been removing material from gear blanks through the use of thin webs. This study adapts a representative spur gear pair design to investigate the effects of using thin-web gears. A deformable-body model of the gear pair is developed to perform quasi-static and dynamic analyses of the gear pair variations with solid and thin webs, subjected to errors causing the load distribution to skew axially. Under quasi-static conditions, the flexible web deflections are shown to ease some of the adverse effects of gear errors. To determine the dynamic conditions where flexible rim modes could be a factor, impact tests are performed along with a modal analysis using the model. The contributions of these rim modes to the overall dynamic behavior are shown to be modest.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2019, EDU Teaching and Learning

Argumentative writing is a crucial skill in the school years and beyond, and there is an emphasis in various local, state, and national standards on argumentative writing. However, such writing is known to be a challenging and complex genre for English Learners (ELs) with limited English proficiency as well as cultural differences in terms of how argumentative thought and writing are conceptualized (Hirvela, 2013). It can be equally challenging and complex for many English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers, who are often ill-equipped for writing instruction (Larsen, 2013, 2016). From a research perspective, there have been few studies exploring the abilities and needs of ESL teachers as relates to instruction in argumentation, especially in high school settings, where various learning and achievement standards are increasingly requiring a focus on argumentation despite the difficulty of teaching and learning argumentative writing regarding ELs. To address the gaps in the scholarship discussed above, this dissertation explores how a ESL teacher, Ms. Patrick, sought to develop her expertise in teaching argumentative writing in a suburban high-school ESL class for ELs over a two-year period using a classroom-based research methodology that involved ongoing observations of her class sessions, interviews with her and her students, and examination of her teaching activities and materials as well as her students' responses to her instruction. This study employed as an analytical tool the notion of expertise, particularly a distinction between what is known as routine and adaptive expertise, to examine how Ms. Patrick initiated and engaged in change as a teacher over time with respect to her understanding of argumentative writing, her curricular planning, and her instructional activities. The study's findings revealed that Ms. Patrick acquired at least a degree of Hedgcock and Lee's (2017) three types of knowledge essential for ESL teachers: (1) subject matter knowled (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2017, English

This dissertation examines literacy volunteer preparation historically and comparatively for two contemporary case study organizations: one that coordinated a university service learning/study abroad program and one that ran a family literacy program. The author reviews major contributions literacy studies has made to literacy theory and practice and identifies gaps in literacy studies' influence and relevance towards literacy organizations. This study argues that volunteer preparation can be a site for literacy researchers and organizations to put their insights and expertises into practice by training volunteers using historical contexts as the basis for volunteers' critical reflective practice. The study also highlights historical and pedagogical differences between preparing expert versus non-expert volunteers. In the two case study organizations, the Working With Project for Haiti (WWPH) trained non-expert college students to utilize a critical process of engagement to work collaboratively in Haiti. The author refers to this pedagogical goal as “competence” for non-expert student volunteers' engagement in Haitian communities. Early Reading's Family Literacy Program trained expert volunteers with backgrounds in teaching and child development to deliver their family literacy training in a Southern U.S. city and state that had multiple other literacy initiatives. This pedagogical goal the author calls training expert volunteers for “consistency.” Based on the study's findings from case study data collection and historical research, the author proposes that greater collaboration between literacy research and practitioners could occur through volunteer preparation that: attends to histories of literacy campaigns, recognizes the differences between expert and non-expert volunteers, understands that literacy organization goals serve different purposes (which researchers and practitioners should specify), and identifies the major processes in which the organization e (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2007, Educational Policy and Leadership

This investigation explores how in-service teachers conceptualize teaching, integrate the personal and the professional dimensions of their lives, and develop teacher identities. This instrumental case study of 10 teachers builds on the previous work regarding personalization of practical and professional educational knowledge. All teachers studied were teaching in a single urban charter school guided by an experiential philosophy. This qualitative investigation lasted for one school year and included extensive time observing and interviewing the teachers. This study found that major resources for these foundational processes are relational experiences, both informal and formal. A metaphor of a black box is used to describe an inner collection of influential and remembered events and is a place where the personal and professional meet. The black box emphasizes the relational aspects of teaching and is found to respond to two major influences: (a) biographical experiences, including K-12 experiences and personal qualities, and (b) the exploration of self as teacher, including developing perspectives of what it means to be a student. Other less defined qualities of the black box are passion and motivation, both linked to the main characteristic of the relational. This investigation reveals that teachers responding to a school's educational philosophy still conceptualize teaching through their own personal experiences. The study informs teacher educators that they must recognize how individuals develop their identities as teachers, rather than simply focusing on what teachers need to know to be teachers. The study found that preparation programs had limited impact on teacher development. Teachers emphasized a need for active learning that encourages taking the perspective of student and teacher. Further research on the personalization of teacher knowledge is needed to further develop the idea of the relational quality of teacher conceptualization and to identify how th (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2003, Educational Policy and Leadership

Western cultures have largely abandoned rituals that recognize and facilitate the transition into adulthood. This cultural indifference prompts some undergraduates—i.e., those with a felt-need for initiation-like experience—to seek out available forms of ritualization (e.g., an outdoor adventure challenge). Some college students may attempt to meet this need by creating their own ritual activities. Potential forms of alternative initiations include “self-styled rites of passage.” This type of “ritual intervention” is understood as voluntary, time-intensive sojourns into differentiating contexts with the intention of realizing transitional, transformational and/or spiritual outcomes. In this investigation, I explore the spiritual and transformational outcomes associated with a self-styled rite of passage into adulthood. The subject matter (i.e., lived experience) in this autobiographical case study involves my 1985 foreign study experience in Newfoundland and Labrador. The phenomenological data used include: primary material generated as the experience was lived (e.g., journals), and secondary data collected specifically for this investigation (e.g., interviews). Consistent with my research methodology (i.e., hermeneutic phenomenology), a lived experience narrative was (re)constructed for the purposes of animating the primary research question: What is it like to experience a self-styled rite of passage? An interpretation of this phenomenological description explicates the “spiritual qualities” and “transformational themes” associated with my lived experience. The “phenomenological insights” offered at the end of this study constitute my re-conceptualization of this study topic. “Recommendations for improved practice” are provided based on several conclusions regarding self-styled rites of passage: (1) This researcher sees no great harm in “framing” lived experiences as a self-styled rite of passage. Such conscious framing can help college students language, structur (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Education, Miami University, 2007, Educational Leadership

In an effort to address a broad educational issue - the student achievement gap between European Americans and African Americans in public suburban schools – this qualitative case study examined the phenomenology of the social world, as conferred in interpretative discourse, that employs a Verstehen framework attempting to understand the culture in higher socio-economic suburban schools as well as how educators and other school personnel construct the meaning of the achievement gap in their social world. Using phenomenology, the crux of the discussion focuses on how teachers, administrators, and other school personnel understand the problem within their school setting(s). This interpretative study centered on ways that educators understand student achievement gaps in suburban school settings. Data analysis was initiated with data generated by the Ohio Department of Education's state-mandated tests and report cards and continued with the collection of open-ended surveys and interviews. In data analysis, theme response categories were formed. For each, further analysis was conducted by sub-groups (e.g. race, gender, professional position, etc.) in accordance with the most frequently mentioned themes. The outcome of the analysis was a discussion of the research questions. The methods employed were used to gain greater insight into how the Egan Local School District (a pseudonym) employees understand the achievement gap in relation to their “life-world” experiences. This study found that the respondents were very uncomfortable when they addressed the achievement gap. They believed that it had multiple causes, including broad social forces, social class, and a lack of cultural competence. African Americans were more likely to attribute the achievement gap to school or district factors than were European American respondents. The most striking differences, however, were between administrators, teachers, and support staff. Further research is needed to examine student trac (open full item for complete abstract)

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2024, Leadership and Change

The racial diversity of children in US public schools continues to increase while most teachers and school leaders are White. In addition, systemic racism, whitewashing of curricula, microaggressions, and deficit mindsets persist within schools across the country. These pervasive injustices that plague the student experiences of children of the Global Majority must be addressed with focused, sustained intention. This study offers social justice school leadership as an effective strategy to dismantle oppressive approaches to schooling. Specifically, it explores how social justice-oriented school leaders set the conditions for impactful, sustained staff development in social justice practice. By employing multiple case study methodology, the experiences of leaders within two New York City public middle schools that have established commitments to culturally responsive/relevant teaching (CR/RT) will be explored. Semi-structured interviews were used to uncover how school leaders leveraged both adaptive and technical leadership to enact school-wide efforts to embed CR/RT into instructional practice. Analysis was built on an existing framework to identify specific leadership roles that best support impactful social justice professional development over time. This study seeks to understand frequently overlooked aspects of this topic by delving into mindsets and actions, acknowledging both formal and informal school leadership and how such efforts play out within multiracial staff. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA: Antioch University Repository and Archive (https://aura.antioch.edu/) and OhioLINK ETD Center (https://etd.ohiolink.edu).

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2024, Curriculum and Instruction (Education)

The impact of oral anxiety (OA) in the context of a second language learning (SLL) environment cannot be overemphasised. Understanding the experiences of teachers from diverse cultural and geographic contexts can help in shedding light on this especially important phenomenon. This researcher seeks to gain a better understanding of teachers' experiences with OA, and their perceptions about effective ways to reduce OA in second language (SL) classrooms. Through a qualitative comparative methodology and case study design, data was gathered utilising semi-structured interview instruments, and teachers' journals. A purposeful sample of participants was obtained from secondary school SL teachers, in Guyana and the US, through a snowball sampling method. Subsequently, the data was analysed first through open coding, then closed coding, and finally, through cross themes analysis. Cross-case analysis was used to examine the data gathered. Implications for SL teaching and culturally responsive teaching may be garnered and promoted through this research. In the context of this dissertation, second language learning and foreign language learning are used interchangeably.

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2024, Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services: Educational Studies

While scholars recognize that engagement in Black and other affirming campus places strengthen Black college student retention efforts (Miller, 2017; Patton, 2006b; Solorzano et al., 2000; Volpe & Jones, 2021), less is known about how these areas become important to Black students. In this instrumental case study, I use the case of recent graduates who participated in Black retention programming at one institution as the instrument to further understandings around the role Black places and affirming spaces may play in retention programming experiences. Through a series of in-depth interviews with these recent graduates, I explore their perceptions of their participation in campus-based retention programs. Using a Black placemaking theoretical approach, I pay special attention to the spatial context through which retention programming may be involved in the creation and maintenance of Black and other affirming campus spaces for Black college students at a Predominantly White institution (PWI). In addition, I interviewed programming staff, analyzed website data, and employed field observation to provide additional descriptive data important to the context of the case. Data analysis involved both inductive and deductive coding in order to unearth themes within the data. Findings here will deepen understanding of how students may come to perceive the significance of Black and other affirming spaces in their retention programming experiences, if at all. Moreover, findings will broaden the conversation concerning the capacity for community and joy in Black college student retention experiences.

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2024, Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services: Counselor Education

A vast number of inmates report having a mental health diagnosis. With over 21% of the 1.5 million inmates reporting experiencing some form of a mental illness, research efforts must reflect this need. Current treatment efforts in criminal justice settings are failing to adequately meet these mental health needs, and comprehensive examinations of perspectives across a full system may reveal solutions to these entrenched problems. The purpose of this qualitative, case study was to examine the perceptions of administrators, clinicians, and inmates administering or engaging in mental health services to further explain what impacts mental health services for formerly incarcerated individuals. Amplifying the voices of those overseeing, providing, and receiving services provides a new outlook on mental health treatment in incarcerated settings with the hopes of providing services that benefits all. Results showed five common and contrasting themes including mental health, community correctional center, areas for improvement, awareness, and identity perspectives. The outcomes of this study provide insight for correctional facility administrators, clinicians, and agencies working with inmates on effective and ineffective strategies from multiple perspectives, many of which are rarely reported in the current research.

MDES, University of Cincinnati, 2024, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Design

American cities and their mobility options often exclude many groups and individuals. This is an issue because mobility can create disabilities and amplify social factors of exclusion, resulting in larger societal problems. Urban mobility not being inclusive is connected to the design process not being inclusive. Inclusive design can bridge the gaps by considering a wider range of human diversity. However, designers and organizations often overlook or dismiss specialized inclusive methods due to concerns about resources and efficiency. This research proposes a full inclusive participatory approach to urban mobility design, combining conventional design methods and the participation of exclusion expert users, users from groups who experience exclusion named to emphasize their equity with designers, throughout the design process. This is studied through a case study comparing a designer group and a participatory group with designers and people with visual impairments working equitably together. Both groups worked on a mobility design solution for the Cincinnati Metro bus service. To provide valuable insights for designers specifically, the design process was captured, participants were interviewed throughout the design process, and mobility design experts evaluated the final solutions of both groups. Designers involved in the participatory group recognize the value of the approach in learning, inclusivity, and productivity, and want to advocate for it. Experts state that the approach could yield more inclusive products and improved implementation if the work on the project continued. To conclude, the benefits the approach brings to designers in the form of knowledge and awareness, to the process in terms of increased inclusivity while retaining efficiency and productivity, and to the solutions in higher inclusivity and resource feasibility outweigh the challenges of having team leaders prepare more upfront and organizations to community outreach. The approach of full (open full item for complete abstract)

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2024, Leadership and Change

The study sought to ascertain whether introducing democracy has adversely impacted Indigenous cultural practices in Ghana or whether the path to democracy has enhanced, shaped, or strengthened aspects of the country's Indigenous culture. The study sheds some light on the realistic, symbolic, and pervasive threat(s) that transitional or Indigenous societies like Ghana undergoing the process of democratization face and must deal with. More specifically, the study provides some insights into how traditional societies, where Indigenous values and practices are held with some reverence and esteem, can be integrated into liberal democratic institutions to potentially ameliorate cultural tension and political discord that often accompanies the process of democratic and electoral transitions. The study also provides a rich context to explain and dispel some of the pernicious stereotypes and perceptions about countries that strive to build a suitable system of governance by combining aspects of their Indigenous culture and liberal democratic tenets. The primary scholarly contribution of the study is a greater understanding of how Indigenous cultural norms, as informal institutions, shape the trajectory and consolidation of democratization in sub-Saharan Africa. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA (https://aura.antioch.edu) and OhioLINK ETD Center (https://etd.ohiolink.edu).

PHD, Kent State University, 2024, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Lifespan Development and Educational Sciences

The purpose of this qualitative study is to better understand how children identify with superheroes to allow counselors to have a basis of understanding to inform their use of superheroes in therapeutic settings. The research questions are: 1) How do children ages 3-6 identify with their favorite superhero? and 2) how is children's self-concept related to their identified superhero? A multiple case study design was used to answer these research questions, focusing on five cases. Data were collected through child observation, interviews with the children, parents, and teachers, and drawings by the children. In Manuscript 1, four cases were analyzed, which produced the following themes: (a) fulfilling a need, (b) representing an ideal version of self, (c) transforming into superheroes through costumes, props, and play, and (d) blending reality and fiction. Results have implications for how clinical mental health and school counselors could use superheroes as a therapeutic intervention. The last case was analyzed in Manuscript 2, which answered the questions of how the participants identified with her favorite superhero, and how this related to her self-concept. Four themes emerged: (a) representation of an ideal self, (b) contrast of good and evil, (c) connection with others, and (d) blending of reality and fantasy. The findings from both manuscripts have implications for clinical mental health and school counselors to use superheroes as a therapeutic intervention when working with children.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2024, EDU Physical Activity and Educational Services

Collaboration between rural school counselors and educational stakeholders may create opportunities to address inequities; however, there is limited research on rural school counselors' collaboration relationships. The purpose of this dissertation study is to understand the experiences of rural school counselors within the Virginia Department of Education's Region 3 in implementing professional standards related to collaboration through a multi-sited vertical case study methodology. Comparisons between national, state, and regional expectations and implementation of these professional standards was conducted by the author through exploring participants' context and experiences. Results reflect participants' increased role within this rural region in leading collaboration, their creative approaches to collaboration, and the benefit of relationships when collaborating with educational and community stakeholders.