Doctor of Education (Educational Leadership), Youngstown State University, 2024, Department of Teacher Education and Leadership Studies

Positive school environments have been shown to raise academic achievement. Youngstown East High School has had six principals in six years, and there has been a strong sense of disconnect from the community in their support (both academically and athletically) of the continuous changes that have been made in the Youngstown City School District. East High School has a 99.8% economically disadvantaged population with 13.6% being English Language Learners and 27.1% students with disabilities. Using Positive Behavior Intervention Supports (PBIS) to address discipline to affect the management of absenteeism and academic interventions, what measures can be taken to raise the staff and student morale of the high school environment? How can Golden Bears Alumni contribute to the culture and climate as they relate the past to the present? Since the Youngstown City School District is focused on PBIS and must use the Academic Improvement Plan to completely move out of the watchful eyes of the State of Ohio, one must ask how, exactly, can culture and climate improve the academic and athletic performances of their students? How can the district build school pride within the school as well as the surrounding community? How can remaining alumni be used as resources to connect to outliers who could possibly invest in East High School? This study explores these questions by examining data on the effects of climate and culture within the school and community and its impact of school pride on academic achievement and athletic performance, with a specific focus on improving the school pride at Youngstown East High.

Committee: Karen Larwin PhD (Advisor); Lora Adams King EdD (Committee Member); Eboni Williams EdD (Committee Member); Sherri Harper Woods DM (Committee Member) Subjects: African Americans; Alternative Dispute Resolution; Demographics; Education; Educational Leadership; Educational Theory; Elementary Education; English As A Second Language; Families and Family Life; Hispanic Americans; Minority and Ethnic Groups; Multicultural Education; Organization Theory; Organizational Behavior; Personal Relationships; Physical Education; Public Administration; Recreation; School Administration; Secondary Education; Special Education; Teaching

Master of Arts, Miami University, 2024, English: Composition and Rhetoric

This thesis explores the meaning and manifestation of mind-body-spirit connection in teaching and learning within the composition classroom. I advocate for a more inclusive and polyvocal pedagogy, arguing that the prevalent disconnect among mind, body, and spirit reinforces mind-centric, colonizing, and imbalanced teaching. Findings from interviews with composition instructors and autoethnographic data are used to understand how teachers define and implement holistic connection in their teaching practices, focusing especially on understandings of spirituality, power and freedom, and storytelling. Additionally, I detail a personal journaling heuristic including means for multimodal remediation that encourages students and teachers to exercise reflective agency regarding their holistic wellbeing within a compositional context. I conclude by suggesting that an instructor's understanding of the mind-body-spirit connection and holistic wellbeing can lead to healing, balanced relationships with students and self, making way for reflective and compassionate practices that enhance teaching and learning.

Committee: John Tassoni (Committee Chair); Tim Lockridge (Committee Member); Heidi McKee (Committee Member) Subjects: Composition; Pedagogy

PHD, Kent State University, 2024, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum Studies

This action research study honors teacher-as-researcher and utilizes qualitative methods of data collection alongside emergent design to study arts-integrated teaching and learning at a mid-sized Midwestern university in a social studies methods course. The thinking and learning of both pre-service teachers and the teacher educator/researcher are analyzed using constructivist grounded theory, constant comparative and art-based methods. Findings offer a holistic view of teaching and learning including: 1) pre-service teachers' learning experiences as developing social studies classroom teachers and arts-integrated learners to expand capacity in order to see and think differently, communicate and express their thinking and learning diversely, and to engage challenges and discomfort divergently within alternative, transformative pedagogical practices; and 2) the teacher educator/researcher's learning experiences to expand capacity in developing a meta-teaching action plan toward teaching the arts-integrated social studies methods course and altering the process of the dialectic action research spiral within action research to become the dialectic action research lemniscate. Implications relevant in social studies teacher education and secondary social studies education include, transformative learning experiences and expanded capacity for pre-service teachers as they developed altered perspectives about arts-integrated teaching and learning as well as teaching civics/citizenship and engaging civic issues of equity and justice in the social studies and the early development of a partial framework for arts-integrated teaching and learning in social studies education. Implications germane to action research methodology reside in modifying the process of the dialectic action research spiral in offering the expanded capacity of the dialectic action research lemniscate as an alternative recursive process for action researchers.

Committee: Crowe Alicia R. (Committee Co-Chair); Boske Christa (Committee Member); Hawley Todd S. (Committee Co-Chair) Subjects: Secondary Education; Social Studies Education; Teacher Education; Teaching

Master of Arts (MA), Ohio University, 2024, Art History (Fine Arts)

This thesis provides an overview of the function of ghosts in late 19th- early 20th century western literature, folklore and art. Born out of Gothic literature and modern Spiritualism; the ghost story became a popular genre in America in the mid to late nineteenth century. Ghosts became a symbolic device used by artists and authors to express issues pertaining to personal trauma, culture, society, and identity. Women, more frequently than men, claimed to have supernatural powers they used to commune with spirits further inspiring their work and shaping their careers. These are the reasons women dominated the spiritual realm and the ghost story genre from the mid nineteenth to twentieth century.

Committee: Jennie Klein kleinj1@ohio.edu (Advisor) Subjects: Art History

Doctor of Ministry , Ashland University, 2023, Doctor of Ministry Program

The purpose of this project was to impact the participants' practice of discipleship with a select group of African American women in the Detroit, Michigan metro area through a biblical training course on discipleship. The design of the project included weekly biblical teachings measured through the administration of pre- and post-survey questionnaires, with qualitative questions. The study was to encourage discipleship through the practice of spiritual disciplines and cultural history. The participants were challenged to change their daily habits to include spiritual disciplines. The results of the study demonstrated growth in the practice of spiritual disciplines.

Committee: Shane Johnson Dr. (Advisor) Subjects: African American Studies; Pastoral Counseling; Spirituality

Doctor of Education , University of Dayton, 2023, Educational Administration

The goal is to shine light theologically on the role of transformational leadership in the missional church. What concepts about pneumatological discipleship, influence, power, authority, and transformational leadership suit a radically missional church? Radical missional challenges demand new notions about servant and transformational leadership. Pneumatological discipleship, as well as transformational leadership, must reflect the identity, calling, life, and order of the church. This autoethnographic action research project, therefore, addresses life in the Trinity and participation in the Missio Dei and outlines the radically missional church as the point of entry to develop transformational leadership insights and pneumatological discipleship practices. It contributes towards creating an appropriate model of pneumatological discipleship and transformational leadership for radically missional churches. Recent developments in the theology of mission seem to address the area of missional ecclesiology comprehensively. However, there is a gap in the development of pneumatological discipleship and transformational leadership models based on the concept of authority in the radically missional church.

Committee: Ricardo Garcia Ph.D./Lecturer (Advisor); Anthony Peddle EdD (Committee Member); Cynthia Scroggins EdD (Committee Member) Subjects: Adult Education; African Americans; Bible; Biblical Studies; Clergy; Divinity; Education; Religion; Religious Congregations; Spirituality; Theology

Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree Program in Population Health Leadership DNP, Xavier University, 2022, Nursing

For years, patients in an inner-city health center could request lab-only services for STIs. The health center recognized a missed opportunity to connect STI patients to primary care services. When patients have access to primary care, they receive treatment before severe problems occur and have fewer emergency department (ED) visits and hospital admissions. The objective of this DNP project was to increase the number of patients with STIs to primary care services offered at the health center. Staff was educated on the essential elements of the Spirit of Motivational Interviewing; partnership, acceptance, compassion, and evocation to improve how they communicated with patients. Research has shown that motivational interviewing can improve patient-provider communication, leading to improved health outcomes. Providers trained in motivational interviewing can understand the patient's perspective about health care, identify barriers to change, and resolve ambivalence about changing risky health behaviors (Elwyn et al., 2014). Leininger's Culture Care Theory was the theoretical framework used to guide this project. The Culture Care Theory considers the patient's perspective and values about health and the providers' ability to provide culturally competent care based on the patient's values (Petiprin, 2020). Eight employees received two one-hour training sessions on the spirit of motivational interviewing. A self-reported survey was administered to the staff before the first training session and after the second training session to assess the staff's knowledge of motivational interviewing. As the staff implemented the spirit of motivational interviewing, the nurse practitioner tracked the number of STI patients connected to primary care. The pre and post-survey results showed an increase in the staff's knowledge of motivational interviewing. Implementation of the Spirit of Motivational Interviewing did increase the use of primary care services among patients with STI.

Committee: Elizabeth Bragg Ph.D., RN (Committee Chair); Rosalind Moore RN, MSNEd, LSN, PMHNP-BC (Advisor) Subjects: Communication; Health; Health Care; Nursing

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2022, Social Work

Trauma poses widespread and significant challenges for youth and families, with mental and physical health impacts that can last throughout the lifespan. Further, children of parents who have experienced trauma have a greater risk of experiencing trauma-related problems themselves, with a variety of mechanisms proposed for intergenerational trauma transmission. Many approaches focus on deficits such as impaired parenting, poor emotional co-regulation, or cycles of abuse that may lead to parents feeling blamed for their child's trauma problems. Additionally, trauma occurring during developmental periods of childhood and adolescence often has complex causes and sequelae, and may not include a discrete and identifiable event needed for many trauma-focused treatments. To address both issues, a strengths-based and holistic approach to trauma can help identify and build on protective factors of body-mind-spirit well-being and empowerment to support youth and families without the need to focus on specific traumatic events. This dissertation uses a multimodal approach to investigate the role of holistic wellness and strengths in both trauma theory and treatment. Informed by a strengths-based and holistic conceptual framework, the Holistic Empowerment Model of Trauma proposed in this dissertation hypothesizes that holistic body-mind-spirit wellness and a sense of empowerment play important roles in addressing or preventing trauma-related problems, with implications for both trauma treatment and the conceptualization of intergenerational trauma. The two major arms of this dissertation apply this conceptual framework to child and adolescent trauma treatment with underserved populations and to theoretical examination of mediating protective factors in intergenerational trauma. The first arm of the dissertation introduces a solution-focused body-mind-spirit (SF-BMS) group therapy intervention and conducts a pilot evaluation of the intervention for mental health and trauma (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Mo Yee Lee (Committee Chair); Camille Quinn (Committee Member); Susan Yoon (Committee Member) Subjects: Social Work

Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 0, History

Scholars have long prized Mercy Otis Warren as a subject of historical study because of her extensive correspondence, which shows how elite women expressed their support of the American Revolution. In this thesis, I show that her letters reveal something more fundamental than her patriotic impulse – they show her fear of losing her elite position. I demonstrate this by applying the insights of the history of emotions to the letters Mercy Otis Warren wrote between 1769 and 1780. In these letters, Mercy Otis Warren expressed the emotions of “spirit” and “sentiment” towards her family members, her community of Plymouth, and the Revolutionary cause sweeping over New England. But she expressed herself most passionately about her family's elite status and cultural power. Her letters reveal that Mercy was a product of her time, her class, and her family. In today's terms, we would call her “entitled.” Methodologically, this thesis draws on insights from social history, gender history, and the history of emotions. I place Mercy's correspondence (roughly sixty letters written and received in the period under study) into the context of her relationships with family, friends, and community. She was passionate in her letters because she and her correspondents were facing the destruction of their privileged lives. I argue that understanding Mercy Otis Warren's emotions is critical to understanding her determination to maintain her elite status (chapter 2), her unquestioning acceptance of the gender expectations of a woman in her position (chapter 3), her firm support of the Revolutionary cause (chapter 4), and her attempts to shape the nation's memory of the Revolution afterwards (chapter 5). Historians have implicitly argued that Mercy challenged the gender expectations of her day, but I find that she did not. She simply followed the lead of her male kin, who were extremely well educated and politically powerful.

Committee: Ruth Wallis Herndon Ph.D. (Advisor); Andrew Schocket Ph.D. (Committee Member); Christine Eisel (Committee Member) Subjects: American History; Gender; History; Womens Studies

Master of Arts (M.A.), University of Dayton, 2021, Theological Studies

The purpose of this thesis is to critically assess a theological paradigm for the discernment of the Holy Spirit. The Catholic tradition affirms that the ecclesial, spiritual, and moral life of Catholics is sustained and guided by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of Christ, given by God, enables participation in the divine life through the sacraments and prayer of the Church. This affirmation is foundational to Catholic theology and life. Because of this, this thesis seeks to address the practice and method of discerning the Holy Spirit. How do Catholics open themselves to the presence of the Holy Spirit? How do they determine when the Spirit is actually present, and what the Spirit is leading them to do? One theological paradigm for the discernment of the Spirit is Thomas Dubay's Authenticity: A Biblical Theology of Discernment. Dubay attempts to distinguish between actions based on the Spirit's involvement and those based on sin or subjective illusion. The proposed thesis applies Dubay's methodology to common questions of discernment in order to illuminate different aspects of the Holy Spirit's involvement in human life. The thesis will assess Dubay's paradigm through ethnographic research conducted among members of a Catholic religious community. The integration of fieldwork with theological scholarship by means of ethnographic study is a dimension of Sarah Coakley's method of theologie totale. Using both participant observation and interviews, I researched the practices of prayerful reception of the Spirit and active discernment of the Spirit in the male branch of the Society of Mary (Marianist) communities in Dayton, Ohio. The Marianists are a Roman Catholic religious community of brothers and priests that work in areas such as education, social justice, and environmental preservation. Members of this community are part of the order's Province of the United States, whose mission states that they are a community “empowered by the Holy Spirit.” On the basis of th (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Elizabeth Groppe (Advisor); Dennis Doyle (Committee Member); Sandra Yocum (Committee Member) Subjects: Religion; Theology

Master of Science (M.S.), Xavier University, 2021, Psychology

Gender has historically been measured using a binary male/female forced choice format. However, research has shown that binary gender measurement formats (i.e., male/female forced choice) cause harm directly and indirectly to gender-diverse individuals by potentially misgendering them, excluding them from representation in research, and more. While a body of research on best practices for gender measurement exists, there has not been research done on the intersection between mood and different methods of measuring gender. This mixed-methods study examines affective reactions from LGBT+ and non-LGBT+ individuals to a binary gender measurement format and an alternative, inclusive gender measurement format. Participants completed either the binary or inclusive gender measurement item followed by the Positive Negative Affect Schedule. Qualitative data were gathered from gender-diverse participants regarding their personal experiences with gender euphoria. Results showed LGBT+ participants had higher negative mood than non-LGBT participants when presented with the binary gender measurement format; however, LGBT+ participants displayed higher negative mood in general than non-LGBT+ participants regardless of gender measurement format. Gender-diverse participants displayed significantly higher negative mood than cisgender participants when presented with a binary gender measurement format. A working definition of the phenomenon gender euphoria was created from the qualitative data gathered from gender-diverse participants. Future research should explicitly address individuals' feelings about different gender measurement formats. Additionally, future research should be conducted by a more diverse research team, as well as sample from a more diverse pool of participants. Finally, organizations should make an effort to address LGBT+ job satisfaction specifically.

Committee: Morrie Mullins Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Dalia Diab Ph.D. (Committee Member); Mark Nagy Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Behavioral Sciences; Business Administration; Labor Relations; Psychology; Social Psychology

Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree Program in Population Health Leadership DNP, Xavier University, 2020, Nursing

Background: A paradigm shift in healthcare is increasingly focusing on the Social Determinants of Health's impact on healthcare outcomes. Non-genetic and in-direct preventable social factors can negatively affect children, families, and communities (Braveman & Gottlieb, 2014). Screening tools are essential in addressing healthcare inequalities and unmet social needs and are slowly being introduced to the primary care setting. Referrals to community resources are essential to managing population health by addressing social needs (Schickedanz & Coker 2016). _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Method: The Institute for Health Improvement model PDSA cycles and the Modeling and Role Modeling Theory (MRM) guided this DNP project (IHI 2009; Erickson, Tomlin & Swain, 1983). The Spirit of Motivational Interviewing four elements, Partnership, Acceptance, Compassion, and Evocation (PACE) module was developed and conducted during two training sessions. The nurse supervisor at Northside Center stated there were insufficient referrals made regarding meeting the SDOH needs of patients (G. Goode, personal communication, May 4th, 2018.) A referral reporting sheet was developed and implemented by tracking the Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) screening referral process with small tests of change. Aim one: Improve providers' communication using Partnership, Acceptance, Compassion, and Evocation (PACE) elements of the Spirit of MI concept by conducting two in-class educational sessions. Aim two: Appropriately refer 100% of new and annual patients with identified SDOH needs to community services. Recommendations include ongoing educational sessions, evaluation of the SDOH questionnaire length, and staff engagement during future changes to the screening processes. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Debbie Van Kuiken Ph.D., RN, AHN-BC (Committee Chair); Susie Allen Ph.D., RN-BC (Committee Co-Chair) Subjects: Nursing

Doctor of Education, Miami University, 2020, Educational Leadership

Since the beginning of American education in the U.S., women often have been left out of educational prosperity. First, by excluding females from learning and working, and later by disregarding their capacity for educational leadership. The superintendency of American Schools is perplexing because women dominate the field of teaching whereas men hold the majority of superintendent roles. Although we are in the modern world of the twenty-first century, where women have gained the legal right to equality, gender discrimination exists. A great body of literature exists regarding female superintendents; however, there is a significant gap concerning female rural superintendents. Six female superintendents from rural school districts were invited to participate in this research study. Their stories paint unique portraits of their professional, gendered experiences as rural female superintendents. The purpose of this research study was to explore women's experiences in the rural superintendency, add female voice to history, and illuminate the prevalence of the feminine social injustice, often silenced by society's perception of the American superintendent. Each female rural superintendent's story was unique and intertwined with intersections of gender, leadership, and rurality. Through this narrative inquiry five common themes emerged: 1) The District Must be the Right Fit; 2) Other Women (Female Saboteurs); 3) The Good Old Boys' Club; 4) Loneliness; and 5) An Ethical Fighting Spirit of Determination, Grit, and Resilience. This research found that there are several challenges due to one's gender and those are amplified in the rural setting where a superintendent must wear several hats, manage a lack of resources, and survive the unique value system and culture established by each rural community. This study revealed that gender discrimination endures in the twenty-first century for female rural superintendents by both men and women, stemming from hist (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Kate Rousmaniere Dr. (Committee Co-Chair); Lucian Szlizewski Dr. (Committee Co-Chair); Sheri Leafgren Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Education History; Educational Leadership; School Administration

Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 2017, English/Literature

In the Victorian period, photography was associated with the ghosts of history, con artists in the streets of London, and cultural anxieties about the future of Victorian society. The Victorian practice of photographing ghosts, or spirit photography, showed how Victorians viewed the past, present, and future. By examining the cultural artifact of Georgiana Houghton's Chronicles of the Photographs of Spiritual Beings (1882), it becomes clear how photography affected Victorian literature as well as Victorian culture. In the short stories, “Oke of Okehurst” (1886) and “A Wicked Voice” (1887), Vernon Lee compared Victorian produced art to art from history. For Lee, the fast paced and highly commercialized art, which was influenced by photography, was not as powerful as art with historical context. An earlier work, Thomas Hardy's A Laodicean: A Story of To-Day (1881), also showed the connections between photography, history, and uncertainty. The characters try to use photography to try and preserve a crumbling medieval castle, but their attempts end in failure. While technology like telegraphs gives Paula a sense of power, the novel leaves her wishing she had a more stable connection to the past and the future. These examples of Victorian literature show that photography affected Victorian culture at a deeper level than previously thought. Photography changed the way Victorians thought about the past, present, and future.

Committee: Piya Pal-Lapinski Dr. (Advisor); Kim Coates Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Art History; British and Irish Literature; Gender; Literature

Master of Arts, University of Akron, 2017, English-Literature

This thesis attempts to synthesize the life and works of the Bronte sisters alongside the ethos of the punk band Crass. While seemingly absurd at first, connections between the two become more clear as the parameters are more defined. This thesis first explores the domestic home as a communal space, establishing the domicile as a place for artists to become fully engaged with their work. It is here that an exploration into the Brontes' Haworth and Crass' Dial House become essential. From there, the individual is what becomes studied, specifically the Bronte father, Patrick, and the fierce individualism as displayed by Crass. Finally, explorations into the poetry of Emily Bronte alongside the lyricism of Crass, and further comparisons are made from there.

Committee: Heather Braun Dr. (Advisor); Hillary Nunn Dr. (Committee Member); Joseph Ceccio Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Fine Arts; Literature; Music

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1968, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects: Education

Master of Arts (M.A.), University of Dayton, 2016, Theological Studies

The Catholic Charismatic Movement, inheriting the use of the laying on of hands from the Neo-Pentecostal movement, was able to grow and flourish because the laying on of hands was seen as a channel by which one could experience a spiritual renewal. The Catholic Charismatic Movement's own rationale behind the use of the laying on of hands has fallen short in assessing its value during the early growth of the movement. The appraisal of the laying on of hands as a symbolic gesture or a sacramental is challenged in this study, and a new interpretation of the use of the laying on of hands is offered: the laying on of hands is a charism that built up the Catholic Charismatic Movement. The personal spiritual journeys of William Storey and Ralph Keifer are analyzed to understand what led them to their encounter with the Protestant Pentecostal prayer group, where the Catholics first received the baptism in the Spirit by the laying on of hands. The subsequent “Duquesne Weekend” retreat and the growth of the movement on the campus of Notre Dame are also studied in respect to the prevalent use of and the sought-after nature of the laying on of hands. My interpretation of the laying on of hands as a charism relies on the pneumatology of Heribert Muhlen. Muhlen's description of the Church as the continuation of the anointing of Jesus with the Spirit, and his understanding of the Spirit as the divine self-giving supports the idea that in the laying on of hands the two parties are surrendering to the church and the Spirit. Ultimately, the laying on of hands in this context is a charism for the community where the public witness of the act edifies and strengthens.

Committee: Sandra Yocum Ph.D. (Advisor); Meghan Henning Ph.D. (Committee Member); Dennis Doyle Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Biblical Studies; History; Religion; Theology

Bachelor of Arts, University of Toledo, 0, English

Beginning in the late nineteenth century until her death in 1937, Edith Wharton produced an array of novels, novellas, short stories, non-fiction works, and poetry. An early novel, The House of Mirth (1905), features protagonist Lily Bart as a woman reaching enlightenment about her own society and facing the consequences of that knowledge. While Wharton consistently rejects the idea of happy endings in her fiction, the death of Lily Bart appears an undeserved narrative punishment for a character that has learned and developed throughout the novel. Through analysis of the novel and issues at work in Wharton's world at the time of publication, I establish Lily as a character struggling to reconcile her growing internal self against the ornamental object society expects her to be. Inseparable from society and unable to exhibit individuality without first acquiring security through marriage within the upper-class, women are stifled in their development of autonomy. Lily, however, after battling the limitations of society while simultaneously fighting for a place in it, finds herself alone and independent at the conclusion of the novel. I propose that Lily's death is neither punishment nor reward. It is simply the only answer Wharton has for a female character of the upper-class who has lost all sense of relational self. Additionally, Lily Bart is Wharton's examination of the traditional domestic plot for women in fiction and the real world, and her death allows Wharton to comment on the results she perceives for women who reject that path.

Committee: Russell Reising Dr. (Advisor); Melissa Gregory Dr. (Advisor) Subjects: American Literature

MARCH, University of Cincinnati, 2010, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning : Architecture (Master of)

Developer driven new construction often relates little to its context, and the needs and wants of the community in which it is located. In the last few decades we have seen developers market new projects as creating a sense of place without fully understanding the meaning and complexity of the term, which is especially unfortunate in large scale new developments built in existing communities. This thesis will analyze what sense of place is and will question whether sense of place is something that can be created by a design intervention. In addition, it will try to determine how a designer or planner can facilitate sense of place and allow it to emerge in newly created urban developments in existing cities. Through analysis of literature on sense of place and the study of communities with a strong sense of place, it is clear that sense of place involves three important elements. Strong places allow for a clear sense of the place, or a feeling of being in differentiated space and a feeling of spatial orientation and understanding. They also allow for a connection to and understanding of the spirit of the place; the unique qualities that make up the soul of the place or its genius loci. Furthermore, sense of place involves an attachment to the place, or a subjective perception of and personal connection to a place based on personal experiences in the place. An analysis of the many elements that impact the cultivation of sense of place will be studied through the design of a new mixed use development in downtown Worcester, Massachusetts. By understanding what sense of place is and the factors that contribute to it, it is possible to suggest ways in which designers can facilitate a stronger sense of place in the design of newly established urban settings.

Committee: George Bible MCiv.Eng (Committee Chair); Patricia Kucker MARCH (Committee Chair) Subjects: Architecture

MARCH, University of Cincinnati, 2007, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning : Architecture (Master of)

If past ideologies such as modernism or neo-classicism were considered to be defendable, if not appropriate, academic responses to the social and architectural climate of their time then there must be a different way to respond to this climate in the current age. The aim of this thesis is to question the role of past architectural methods in the present day, and to investigate a more appropriate method from which architectural form(s) can be derived. Through studying the work of many leading architects and theoreticians there will be an attempt to uncover an architecture that engrosses itself in the authentic reality of its current time by shedding conventional architectural processes/ideologies that value universal truth for those that value contextually distinctive influences. The result of these investigations will be the proposal of a school of design for the city of Cincinnati that promotes the creative spirit, symbolizes its community, and submerges itself within the idiosyncrasies of its environment through the implementation of a more apposite architectural process.

Committee: George Bible (Advisor) Subjects: Architecture