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

The number of international students who pursue higher education in Western countries, such as the US, increases yearly. Asian international students are a significant proportion of international students from different countries. Numerous researchers have identified various challenges encountered by this group of international students, including difficulties in adjusting to new linguistic and academic environments (Scheyvens, Wild,& Overton, 2003; Yeh & Inose, 2003), struggling to learn Western styles of academic writing (Silva, 1992), inadequately participating in class discussions (Currie, 2007; Liu, 2000; Morita, 2004), being isolated from faculty and peers (Le & Gardner, 2010; Trice, 2003), and lacking the knowledge of local culture (Scheyvens et al., 2003). Some researchers also discovered that the use of technology could assist international students in developing their L2 competence (Bakar & Ismail, 2009; Kessler, Bikowski, & Boggs, 2012), increasing their participation in course-related discussions (Kamhi-Stein, 2000; Kim, 2011), and making connections with people from the identical ethnic group (Cao & Zhang, 2012; Fan, 2008; Kim, 2010; Kim et al., 2009) and from the target culture (Fan, 2008; Hodis & Hodis, 2012; Kim, 2010; Kim et al, 2009) in a foreign country. Nevertheless, a few studies (e.g., Hughes, 2013) have investigated the influence of technology use on international students' discipline-specific learning. This present study, therefore, examined the role of technology during Asian international doctoral students' acculturation to their particular academic disciplines. Vygotsky's (1978) sociocultural theory, Lave and Wenger's (Lave & Wenger, 1991; Wenger, 1998) communities of practice, and Casanave, Li, and other scholars' academic acculturation (Casanave, 2002; Casanave & Li, 2008) were adopted to design this research, collect and analyze data, and interpret findings. Participants were three Chinese-speaking international students who (open full item for complete abstract)

MS, Kent State University, 2014, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Health Sciences

The purpose of this study was to compare the knowledge and utilization of nutrition labels among international versus non-international college students. It was expected that there would be a difference in knowledge of the nutrition labels between the international and non-international college students. Also, it was expected that there would be a difference in utilization of nutrition labels among international and non-international college students. An electronic questionnaire was completed by undergraduate and graduate students at Kent State University (n=176). Descriptive statistics were utilized to describe frequencies, standard deviations, and means of all participants' responses. A t test was used to compare the means of the three subscales (nutrition knowledge, nutrition label use, and attitude toward nutrition labels) among the demographic variables. A P-value was selected a priori 0.05 for significance. Correlation between age and the three scales was used to analyze the relationship between age and scores on each of the three scales. A significant difference was demonstrated in the summed total knowledge scores between non-international and International students (P=.001). This study demonstrated a lack of overall nutrition label knowledge and use among college students, suggesting nutritional-related educational strategies for college students are needed.

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.

EdD, University of Cincinnati, 2005, Education : Educational Foundations

This qualitative study of five first generation community college students and four faculty who participated in high school to college bridge program(s) was undertaken in order to determine the attributes and personal and community support systems accessed by successful students. The students in the study all had significant academic and social barriers to their success. This study was grounded in resilience theory that is based upon 25 years of study, primarily on children, that suggests the nature of the human is to self-right, and with adequate support, the majority will be able to overcome adversity and achieve educational success. Interviews of students and faculty provided data that described the perceptions of attributes and support systems that promote resilience and achievement. Data was abstracted and coded for common themes for attributes, personal support systems and community support systems that foster resilience and achievement. There was significant agreement among the students and faculty in most categories, with individual stories illustrating how these successful students plan, overcome obstacles, and utilize resources to achieve success. Findings indicated that social competence, autonomy, goal setting, high expectations, teacher belief, identifying someone who cares and utilization of multiple individual and community support systems were key characteristics identified by these successful students and faculty who interact with “at-promise” students. The results of this study indicated that the personal attributes and support systems accessed by this young adult population are congruent with those accessed by successful children. Since this study is focused on achievement and resilience of a population that is typically identified as “at-risk”, it was determined to identify these students as “at-promise” promoting the positive concept that resilience is ordinary and achievable for the majority. Implications arising from this study include the nee (open full item for complete abstract)

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2023, Leadership and Change

There are systematic barriers to educational equity in the U.S. higher education system, and the system overwhelmingly fails Latinx undergraduates more often than other students. It is crucial that evidence-based methods be used to reduce the existing postsecondary student success inequities. Scholars have linked specific educational practices to positive learning effects. A growing body of evidence has suggested these educational practices, coined high-impact practices (HIPs), provide amplified benefits to historically underserved students (HUS) and may be an effective tool for advancing equity and closing achievement gaps. The extant literature has neither adequately explained the reason(s) that HIPs provide an academic boost to HUS nor described their lived experience. Such qualitative research is important for understanding how HIPs contribute to HUS' learning and engagement, better support student success, and address inequities. Through narrative inquiry and inductive/emergent analysis, this study explored the lived experience of Latinx in HIPs at a 4-year public university. Deductive/a priori analysis drew from two theoretical frameworks: validation theory and cultural capital. This study investigated several guiding questions: In which curricular experiences do Latinx undergraduates experience the deepest learning and engagement? To what elements or aspects of the experiences do Latinx undergraduates attribute the learning and engagement? What are the key validating experiences or experiences that recognize/reward cultural capital? Findings revealed five major course elements as associated with deep learning and engagement: professor behaviors or traits, real-world and relevant content, preparation for future or career, relationships with peers, and diverse perspectives. A key implication for practice is that faculty are central to student success and through the application of teaching and curricular elements, every academic course can ensure deep learning (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.), Franklin University, 2021, Business Administration

This dissertation studies how institutions of higher education occupy a unique space that can add to the discourse of business studies by relating how consumers can simultaneously function as products. This is substantiated by defining the word “student” beyond the traditional meaning of a student as learner when considering the higher education business model. As such, the student as defined in this research co-exists as both consumer and product, shifting institutional culture and power dynamics while influencing senior-leadership decision-making. Given current research on the topic shows a one-sided view, concentrating on students as consumers rather than products or both, this study addresses gaps in the current research, with a focus on how the concept of higher education has not only two products (the curriculum and the student), but also two consumers (the student and the corporate structure who seeks to employ graduates at the lowest value, but the most productivity). A further gap in the research that served to benefit this study considered low-resourced, minority serving institutions with business models that depend on student enrollment, particularly Full-Time Equivalencies (FTE), to meet institutional budget constraints. Such a definition of the student binary that exists at tuition-driven, mission focused institutions create challenges that exist with accommodating and somewhat acquiescing to student socio-economic needs, organizational behavior, and institutional culture. Thus, using grounded theory, this qualitative study identifies semiotics as a business practice that not only creates symbolic meaning of the word “student”, but also identifies how that definition shifts depending on function, influencing the institutional power structure and decision-making practices of institutional leadership particularly at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). In particular, this study used a sample of nine senior-level administrators at the 37 s (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2010, EDU Physical Activity and Educational Services

This qualitative study used Black Feminist Thought as the interpretive lens to investigate the perceptions and experiences of African American female doctoral students at predominately White institutions. Semi-structured interviews were used to gain an understanding of their experiences and the influences these experiences had on their academic persistence and overall well-being. Fifteen participants were interviewed, and their responses were analyzed to identify the emerging themes. The following seven themes emerged from the data: (a) outsider, (b) perception of tokenism, (c) shifting: the academic mask, (d) prove-them-wrong syndrome, (e) part of a bigger whole, (f) expectations versus reality, and (g) discouragement versus encouragement. A summary of findings is presented, as well as specific recommendations to specific individuals.

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2008, Graduate School

PHD, Kent State University, 2024, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Foundations, Leadership and Administration

The purpose of the qualitative study was to explore clinical mental health counseling practicum students' experiences counseling sexual assault (SA) survivors at a college counseling center. Transcendental phenomenology was the methodology used to explore this phenomenon. I recruited and interviewed 10 participants and utilized the modified van Kaam model of data analysis (Moustakas, 1994). Findings of this study included three major themes: awareness of inadequacy, knowledge synthesis, and an emotional reaction. Based on these findings, implications and recommendations according to the five core areas of counselor education and supervision are included.

Doctor of Education, University of Toledo, 2024, Higher Education

This dissertation explores the impact of physical campus spaces on the sense of belonging among commuter students. Drawing on qualitative data collected through photography, videos, interviews, observations, and campus materials, this study investigates how the physical campus environment shape students' perceptions of connection, inclusion, and belonging. By analyzing the themes of functionality, ownership, departmental environment, and external surroundings, the research delves into the intricate interplay between physical spaces and students' sense of belonging. Findings reveal the significant role that functional spaces, amenities, building efficiency, department-specific resources and tools, architecture and the surrounding environment, and community dynamics play in fostering a supportive and inclusive environment for commuter students. Ultimately, this study contributes to the understanding of how physical spaces can influence the sense of belonging and overall student experience on campus.

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Toledo, 2024, Health Education

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic was a very stressful time for people all around the world. However, university and college students faced extra challenges such as having their education moved online whereas some students who lived on campus were forced to move away. Furthermore, international students faced even more challenges such as the possibility of leaving the country due to the shift to online education, maintaining their student status, traveling to and from their home countries, as well as financial concerns. Asian international students, in particular, also faced additional challenges pertaining to discrimination and safety due to the rumors of the origins of the COVID-19 virus. All college students also had to face challenges pertaining to loneliness as social distancing measures and the closure of college campuses affected the socialization of college students. As such, the presence of these stressors would have necessitated more coping skills. According to the transactional model of stress and coping, when individuals are unable to change the problem using problem-focused coping strategies, they may utilize emotion-focused coping strategies to help them feel better about the stressors. The use of alcohol has been reported to have increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there have been inconsistent findings regarding alcohol use among college students. Undoubtedly, these stressors would have also affected the mental health of college students. Similarly, there are mixed findings on mental health outcomes between domestic and international students. Furthermore, there have been no qualitative studies, to date, of the experiences of Asian international students in navigating the COVID-19 pandemic. As such, two studies were conducted to better understand all of the above-mentioned concerns. Study one was conducted to compare domestic and international students and to examine (i) the prevalence of loneliness, alcohol use, anxiety, depression, and (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2024, Educational Studies

About 35,000 community college students transfer annually to four-year institutions (Glynn, 2019), twenty-three percent of students within undergraduate programs identify as Latina (U.S. Department of Education, 2021), and about 408,000 college students identify as undocu/DACAmented (American Immigration Council and Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education, 2023). Students with these identities face a range of experiences from financial concerns and misinformation to finding community with peers, involvement with community organizations, and more. What about students who hold all three of these identities? This thesis centers the experiences of three undocumented Latina community college transfer students' experiences in post-secondary institutions. Specifically, I ask, what are the experiences of undocumented Latina community college transfer students in accessing resources within post-secondary institutions? Using narrative inquiry as my methodology and theoretical frameworks of Critical Race Theory in Higher Education and LatCrit, I collected student narratives to understand their experiences. Using a Three-Dimensional Space Structure Approach, I restoried the narratives, and constructed five major themes: A Mixed Bag: Interactions with Faculty and Staff, Community of Peers: Seen and Valued, Transfer Process and Transition: “So I Had to Figure it Out on My Own”, At What Cost? and “They Are Supposed to Be Supporting Students of All Backgrounds.” Recommendations for higher education professionals and for future research are made.

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Toledo, 2023, Higher Education

This qualitative study sought to further understand the experiences of rural community college students of low socioeconomic status as they navigate higher education and a differing class culture. By exploring their lived intra- and interpersonal experiences, this study also sought to better understand how these students integrate and apply new and existing cultural capital to their varied social contexts. Using naturalistic inquiry, data was collected through focus groups and individual interviews with a total of 10 participants. Data analysis included a cyclical process of coding and categorizing the data, which then allowed for themes to emerge. An analysis of the participants' interviews concluded with key findings embedded in the three main themes that emerged from the retelling of their experiences. They are: (a) managing identity, which captured the ways in which students viewed themselves and their environments differently since attending college; (b) managing relationships, or the ways in which college-going challenged current relationships, ending some relationships and creating new, and deepening others; and (c) managing deficits, or the ways in which participants adapted to the challenges of college while managing current roles and responsibilities. Findings in the study have several implications for practice for community colleges who are rural serving. These institutions should consider the implementation of the following recommendations if not already in place on their campuses: institutional navigators; flexible hours of service; alternatives to in-person meetings; technology training and support; modified plans of study; employer support; and enhanced connections with faculty, peers, and staff. An implication for institutional policy that emerged from the findings suggests that students would benefit from the provision of the technological devices required to access college services and course materials. This would include the provisi (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Arts, Wittenberg University, 2022, Education

The purpose of this study was to examine to what extent students with disabilities experience a sense of belonging in their high school. The study was conducted with five students with disabilities in the ninth grade whose least restrictive environment is the inclusion classroom. Students were given the Psychological Sense of School Membership Likert scale and asked to rate how true they found each of the 18 different statements. Two students were interviewed about their school experiences to take a deeper look at the factors that may impact a students' sense of belonging. Common themes in both the Likert scale responses and interview responses were compiled and used to draw conclusions regarding the sense of belonging experienced by the students who participated in the study

Bachelor of Arts, Wittenberg University, 2022, Psychology

The current study analyzed how the developmental components of emerging adulthood in first-year college students are related to medication adherence/nonadherence. It was hypothesized that the newly discovered autonomy during the transition to college would encourage an exploration in identity and provide an opportunity for the “reinvention” of the self that might impact medication taking. Participants were 124 undergraduate first-year students enrolled at a small university in the Midwest. Participants completed an online survey that asked about their medication habits and the potential barriers to their medication adherence. Participants then answered questions regarding their perceived self-esteem, autonomy, identity, and stigma. The results showed that the most common barriers for medication adherence in first-year students were “feeling better” and “forgetfulness.” Additionally, the results revealed that the first-year students who were currently taking mental health medications (MH) demonstrated higher levels of agreement with feelings of perceived stigma and lower levels of agreement with feelings of autonomy and perceived self-esteem than the students taking physical health (PH) medications or no medication (p < .05). These results highlight the importance of how transitional developmental components may have an impact on medication adherence in first-year college students.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2022, Agricultural and Extension Education

The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study was to explore the phenomenon of strategies college instructors enact that support the academic success of historically underrepresented students [HUS] (i.e., first-generation, low-income, and/or Students of Color) experiencing academic struggle. A critical-constructivist epistemology was employed (Jaekel, 2021; Levitt, 2021). The theoretical framework combined elements of critical pedagogy (e.g. Darder et al., 2017; Kincheloe, 2008), pedagogy of care (Noddings, 2003, 2005), radical love (e.g. Freire, 1970; hooks, 2018; Lane, 2018), critical care pedagogy (e.g. Chinn & Falk‐Rafael, 2018; Delpit, 2006; Gay, 2000; Ladson-Billings, 1997), and a student-ready institutional framework (McNair et al., 2016). The research was guided by four questions: (1) How do HUS understand academic success and struggle? (2) How do HUS identify instructors who they believe support their academic success? (3) How do instructors understand academic success and struggle for HUS? (4) How do instructors enact academic support for HUS? Data were collected in three phases. In phase one, a qualitative questionnaire was sent to 143 undergraduate students who identified as first-generation, low-income, and/or Students of Color and who had experienced academic struggle while enrolled at The Ohio State University. The questionnaire asked students to nominate instructors who they believed supported their academic success. This study was unique in that students could nominate any instructor regardless of teaching role (i.e., tenure-track faculty, lecturers, graduate teaching assistants, or staff). In phase two, 14 students who completed the questionnaire accepted an invitation to participate in semi-structured interviews. In phase three, six instructors who were nominated by students agreed to participate in semi-structured interviews and to permit observation of their teaching. Several rounds of qualitative coding strategies were used to a (open full item for complete abstract)

Bachelor of Arts, Wittenberg University, 2021, Psychology

Rising rates of mental illness in the college student population are a cause of concern that needs to be addressed to effectively support students. One promising opportunity for intervention is facilitating emotional flexibility and reducing emotional inflexibility among college students. The present study examined the relationships between emotional flexibility and emotional inflexibility, and variables related to well-being and mental illness in a college population. Undergraduate students at Wittenberg University (N = 100) completed a brief online survey measuring emotional flexibility, emotional inflexibility, coping strategies, thriving, anxiety, depression, stress, and burnout. Participants were also invited to complete a follow-up survey four weeks after the original study to explore potential changes in these variables over time. Participants higher in emotional flexibility scored lower on anxiety, stress, depression, and burnout and scored higher in problem-focused coping strategies and thriving. Participants who were higher in emotional inflexibility scored higher in anxiety, stress, depression, and burnout and lower in problem-focused coping strategies. Emotional inflexibility was also positively correlated with emotion-focused coping strategies, avoidant-focused coping strategies, and thriving. These findings support a strong positive relationship between emotional flexibility and well-being in this population. Future experimental studies are needed to establish causal relationships, but the results of this study are consistent with the proposed benefits of interventions that promote emotional flexibility in a college student population.

Doctor of Philosophy in Urban Education, Cleveland State University, 2021, College of Education and Human Services

African American (also called Black American, or Black) students' performance in higher educational institutes reveal critical issues concerning their matriculation through higher education. A 2014 report by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) on cohorts of university students from 2004 to 2007 showed the graduation rate of Black students was 20 percent while White students' graduation rate during the same period of time was 40 percent. African American male students had the lowest graduation rate; of all African American males who enrolled in four-year higher education institutions from 2007 to 2013, only 8 percent graduated (www.nces.ed.gov). To support African American students, Black Cultural Centers (BCCs) also called African American Cultural Centers, were instituted around 1960 as supportive entities for Black students on many higher education predominantly White institutions (PWIs). However, in spite of the advent of BCCs on college and university campuses, the high dropout rate among the college Black student populations in predominantly White institutions (especially male students) has persisted (Harkavy & Hodges, 2012). The purpose of this study was to examine the perspectives of African American undergraduate male students in an urban predominantly White institution campus (PWI) to explore how (or if at all) the Black Cultural Center prepared and assisted them in negotiating the barriers posed by the PWI's campus-cultures and enabled them to achieve academic success. The use of instrumental case study qualitative research approach including semi-structured interviews, and study of archival documents provided insight and in-depth understanding of the issue. It revealed the answer to the overarching research question: In the context of PWIs, what meaning do African American male students enrolled in higher education give to the Black Cultural Centers or African American Cultural Centers? The sample of five student-participan (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2021, Organizational Behavior

PhD students face a number of challenges that undermine their ability to make progress on their degrees and jeopardize their health. Increasing numbers of studies have explored the factors contributing to doctoral student ill-being, while few studies have explored what enables doctoral student well-being and have rigorously tested interventions that could improve the experience of doctoral education. This study uses a mixed methods quasi-experimental design to test the effects of a group coaching intervention on the key PhD student outcomes of progress and well-being. Participants in an experimental group coaching condition or control condition completed surveys as well as semi-structured interviews at two time points, and participants in the experimental condition also participated in focus groups with their coaching cohorts. Quantitative results from the study suggest that group coaching is an effective intervention for lowering PhD student stress as well as increasing self-rated progress, self-compassion, self-efficacy, and hope. Qualitative results are presented in three parts: (1) a meta-level understanding of the experience of doctoral education; (2) challenges and enablers of PhD student progress and well-being; and (3) exploration of the benefits of group coaching. Key findings suggest that a group coaching model is particularly beneficial to students who struggle with the lack of structure in the later stages of graduate school, who lack academic social support, or who lack access to the hidden curriculum of graduate school. Group coaching appears to be effective because it presents an opportunity for students to gain greater levels of self-awareness, learn from the experiences of other doctoral students, and experiment with new behaviors that may increase their progress and well-being. By exploring PhD students as a particular category of academic worker through the use of well-established theories of coping with stress in the workplace, this study provide (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Education, Ashland University, 2020, College of Education

This qualitative dissertation investigated issues affecting the dual enrollment participation rate of students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, racial minority groups, and potential first-generation college-goers. Through semi-structured interviews, eight high school seniors, from underrepresented groups, shared their knowledge of Ohio's dual enrollment program, College Credit Plus. Culturally relevant teaching and culturally responsive leadership theory served as the framework to address the research questions: (a) Why are students of color, students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, and potential first-generation college-goers participating in dual enrollment programs at a lower percentage rate than peers not from one of these groups? and (b) What strategies might local school districts, colleges, and universities employ to increase the participation of students who are underrepresented in dual enrollment? Study findings related to lower participation rates include insufficiencies in student knowledge, understanding, and encouragement or support; program qualifications; and access issues. Increasing dual enrollment participation of underrepresented students requires students taking ownership or responsibility for their learning and taking advantage of opportunities presented to them. In addition, school districts, colleges, and universities should develop strategies to provide personal communication and encouragement to reach these underserved groups.