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

What do teachers perceive to be the impact of positive behavior management systems on supporting teachers, students, and families? This research investigated the implementation and impact of school-wide positive behavior support systems as a crucial approach to addressing behavior challenges and supporting both teachers and students. Recognizing the significant challenges teachers face in managing student behavior alongside their essential duties, this study delves into the potential benefits of positive behavior support systems as an alternative to punitive discipline methods. Building upon previous research, the results of this investigation underscored the positive outcomes associated with school-wide positive behavior support systems. The research employed a qualitative phenomenological case study involving 12 diverse educators, providing valuable insights from those directly responsible for classroom management. The findings revealed that these systems effectively reduced situations involving exclusionary practices, enhanced student-teacher relationships, and contributed to the establishment of a positive classroom culture and climate. Supported by observations, interviews, and artifact collection, the participants identified key factors influencing the success of positive behavior support systems, including administrative and parental support, access to professional development opportunities, and collaborative experiences among teachers and school administration. The study further highlighted the importance of consistent school-wide expectations, procedures, and guidelines in managing student behavior and advocates for tailored support for students with diverse backgrounds. Notably, positive restorative practices and training for teachers contribute to meeting the needs of all students and result in increased overall student achievement. Despite the evident benefits, the need for ongoing refinement of school-wide positive behavior support systems, (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2012, Dentistry

Purpose: To reexamine parental attitudes toward advanced behavior management techniques currently used in pediatric dentistry and determine how factors such as cost, urgency and amount of treatment influence parental acceptability. Methods: Parents bringing children for routine dental care viewed previously validated videotaped clinical vignettes of four advanced behavior guidance techniques: passive restraint, active restraint, general anesthesia and oral premedication (sedation). The study was conducted at both a children's hospital setting and a suburban private pediatric dentistry office. Parents rated overall acceptance of the techniques, as well as acceptance under specified conditions using a visual analogue scale. Results: One hundred five parents completed the survey; fifty-five from children's hospital and fifty from private practice. Overall, oral premedication (sedation) was rated as the most acceptable technique, followed (in order of decreasing acceptance) by general anesthesia, active restraint and passive restraint. As urgency, convenience and previous experience increased, parental acceptability of the technique increased. As cost of treatment increased, acceptability decreased. Acceptability rankings between the children's hospital group and private practice group differed, as did the following demographic variables: insurance, income and race. Conclusions: The hierarchy of acceptability is changing with increasing approval of pharmacological management and decreasing approval of physical management. The healthcare delivery system, urgency, convenience, previous experience and cost all influence parental acceptability.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2024, Public Policy and Management

Abstract Despite federal legislation prohibiting gender discrimination and recent police reforms advocating for women's full integration into law enforcement, policing in the United States persists as one of the most exclusionary occupations for women, especially at the state level (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2023; Yu & Viswanath, 2022). From the 1968 Kerner Report (Headley & Wright, 2019) to the Biden-Harris Administration (The Executive Office of the White House, 2022), policymakers and advocates have advanced the need for diverse and inclusive law enforcement organizations to create an effective, professional police institution. Outlined in President Obama's Task Force on 21st Century Policing, the underlying logic explicitly calls for law enforcement to diversify across its ranks, including by gender, to promote democratic policing practices and to attenuate long-standing tensions between law enforcement and communities of color (President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing, 2015). Yet to date, law enforcement, particularly at the state-level persists as one of the most male-dominated occupations (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2023; Yu & Viswanath, 2022). A large body of research in policing, criminology, public administration, and occupational sociology document the challenges policewomen confront as they build their careers (Brown et al., 2019; Davis & Hassan, 2024; Lonsway et al., 2013; Marsh, 2019; Martin, 1980; Rabe-Hemp, 2017; Sanders et al., 2022; Shjarback & Todak, 2019; Silvestri, 2017; Todak & Brown, 2019; Yu, 2015, 2018). However, most studies focus on local or federal law enforcement organizations, with few in-depth studies investigating state-level organizations (Yu & Viswanath, 2022). Furthermore, the extant literature has not fully explained why law enforcement resists gender inclusion. The principal aim of this mixed-method dissertation project is to advance the existing literature by employing socio-ecological theoretical approaches that (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2007, Graduate School

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2024, Entomology

Oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus spp.), along with many specialty and gourmet mushrooms, are esteemed for their nutritional value and are particularly favored among foragers and chefs for both fresh market and fine dining establishments. Rich in essential nutrients, vegan and vegetarian individuals especially value them due to their abundance of B vitamins, amino acids, and status as one of the few natural and non-animal sources of vitamin D. The ability of oyster mushrooms to colonize many types of substrates make their cultivation exceptionally sustainable, often utilizing agricultural byproducts like mulch and straw. Second only to China, the United States is the largest producer of oyster mushrooms in the eastern hemisphere. On a global scale, oyster mushrooms rank second in production only to the button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus). Controlling insect pests is vital in the cultivation of mushrooms as dipteran pests are abundant in nature and reproduce quickly. However, little information is available regarding pest management tactics for oyster mushrooms. The dark-winged fungus gnat Lycoriella ingenua is one of the most detrimental pests of oyster mushrooms both in and outside the U.S. Fungus gnat larvae feed directly on the mycelium and the adult flies vector parasitic green mold (Trichoderma aggressivum) with the potential to infect an entire grow room and cause 30%-100% crop loss. To better understand the behavior of fungus gnats infesting oyster mushroom farms and begin the development of alternative control strategies, we performed L. ingenua host attraction and repellency behavioral bioassays. Static-flow two-choice olfactometer bioassays contained oyster mushroom substrates at various stages in the cultivation process to determine preferences of gravid female L. ingenua. Additional choice tests utilizing the same olfactometer design aided in determining if female L. ingenua adults can be repelled by any of the organic insecticides commonly used on mushroom fa (open full item for complete abstract)

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

This dissertation connects the recent DEIB movement within organizations to larger social justice movements, specifically those that impact workers and the workplace. Critical human resource development (CHRD) professionals, who serve as “insider activists”, are highlighted due to their work to continue movement objectives within organizations. Through testimonios and critical platicas, this study explores how Black and Latino/x LGBTQ+ CHRD professionals, in particular, are experiencing the workplace, especially as it relates to their engagement with how DEIB is practiced within organizations. Through this study, these professionals provide insights into the ways that workplaces can be redesigned and reimagined to be more critically conscious and equitable spaces, especially for those from marginalized backgrounds. Their reflections can work to enhance the ways that DEIB is practiced within organizations. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA (https://aura.antioch.edu) and OhioLINK ETD Center (https://etd.ohiolink.edu).

DNP, Walsh University, 2023, Nursing

Nurses that care for pediatric patients with behavioral disorders and aggression in a non-psychiatric setting face unique challenges. Pediatric nurses are usually not trained to care for children with aggression and behavioral outbursts, which result in high rates of burnout. Providing formal trauma-informed patient care education and training to pediatric nurses can improve their confidence and the quality of care in managing patient aggression. The purposes of this study were to a.) examine if Welle behavioral-management training is effective in improving pediatric nurse confidence in the management of pediatric aggression in a non-psychiatric setting and b.) examine the relationship between demographic characteristics and nurse confidence. A convenience sample of 13 registered nurses employed on the pediatric medical-surgical unit who received the Welle training educational intervention were recruited to participate in this study. A one-group pretest post-test study design was used to assess registered nurses' level of confidence in managing pediatric patients with aggression before and after the Welle training. To measure nurse confidence in the management of pediatric aggression, The Incidence of and Attitudes Toward Aggression in the Workplace questionnaire was administered before and up to two weeks after the Welle training. Results indicate that the Welle training was effective in improving nursing confidence scores in the management of patients with aggression. Findings from this study provide information on how training and education can improve nurse confidence scores in the management of pediatric aggression. These findings can be useful when designing nursing orientation programs and standardizing aggression management education across health systems.

Master of Arts, Wittenberg University, 2023, Education

I conducted this study because of increasingly high undesired classroom behaviors paired with insufficient creative written expression amongst students in Ohio Christian School. I was intrigued by the idea that the two could be connected somehow, so I found a writing intervention, “Write-Talks,” that I decided to implement in my classroom to see its potential impact on both student writing and behavior. I used quasi-experimental quantitative research method to complete this action research study. I started my research with a pre-intervention survey in which students evaluated their own creative written expression and self-management behavior tendencies upon the return of parental consent forms. I also collected writing samples from each of the students from before the intervention. Then, I observed the behavior of students who I categorized as reluctant writers. The study concluded with students responding to a post-intervention survey, similar to the first, and with the collection of another writing sample. After analyzing data, I found that the intervention's impact on student creative written expression was generally positive, meaning that students' writing sample scores increased. However, data did not necessarily support that student self-management behavior had been impacted in any significant way. There was one student, though, whose personal data did suggest that the positive impact with this particular student could have been because of the “Write-Talks” intervention. Due to this clear positive impact the intervention had on student writing, my school, district, and others could take these findings into consideration for the future benefit of creative written expression. I am hopeful that continued research could provide insight to a connection between creative written expression and self-management behavior in students.

Master of Arts, Wittenberg University, 2023, Education

I conducted this study due to an increase in perceived problematic behaviors at Big River Intermediate School. I utilized an explanatory sequential research method to complete this study. I began my research by administering a survey to both students and staff from the school that returned permission slips to participate in my study. After analyzing the data from this collection method, I then invited certain students and staff to participate in interviews with me based on their responses. Overall, I found that the majority of students and staff members that participated in the study did not find the 7 Mindsets social-emotional learning curriculum to be effective, specifically in improving student behavior at Big River Intermediate School at this point in time. Due to this perceived ineffectiveness, my school and district could take these findings into consideration for the future of their social-emotional learning endeavors.

Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis, Youngstown State University, 2023, Department of Psychological Sciences and Counseling

Diabetes is a chronic condition that results in too much sugar in a person's blood. As of June 2022, 37.3 million people (11.3% of the US population) are reported to have diabetes. With 1.4 million people being diagnosed each year and with no cure, diabetes, and its management is a significant health risk for a growing number of individuals. Several different methods exist for managing symptoms and risks associated with diabetes. For instance, medications, diet changes, and exercise have all been shown to be beneficial for lowering blood sugar in affected individuals. One common theme among these strategies is the need for self-management on the part of the individual with diabetes. Once diagnosed, diabetics are responsible for behaviors necessary to survive (e.g., glucose control, insulin adjustments, and administration, carbohydrate counting). Self-management (sometimes called self-monitoring) is also a common behavioral analytic intervention that has been shown to be an effective means for tracking and modifying the behavior of individuals for several decades. The purpose of the current study was to review existing research on self-management strategies to determine their evidence-base with respect to managing diabetes and identify suggestions and best practices for those managing diabetes. Results indicated that self-management is an effective strategy when managing diabetes.

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

A mutually-collaborative phenomenological action research study, rooted in the organizational values of the Catholic Marianist tradition, which engages empowerment concepts and positive organization theories to create a framework for the evaluation and iterative improvement of student-employing organizations. This study addresses a lack of intentional connectivity within student-employing organizations at the University of Dayton, which results in an organization's inability to capitalize on the successes of their peers. Student employees participated in a series of surveys, focus groups, and interviews, by which qualitative and quantitative data was gathered and reviewed. The results provided insights into the construction of empowering spaces for student employees. Through the student voice, these insights were distilled to create a series of best practices, which have been formatted into documents which will allow organizations to leverage University-wide high performing elements to construct policy and procedures that most fully empower student employees. These documents are customized to the needs of the organization in such a way that they will facilitate the planning and development of next steps, allowing for inherently flexible, iterative, process change.

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

Previous research has shown that high rates of burnout in human service industries can lead to undesirable outcomes for both behavioral health companies and their clientele (Morse et al., 2012; Thomas et al., 2014). The current study investigates the potential sources of employee burnout among behavioral health professionals in the community-based program at ABS Transitions (ABST), a mid-sized community mental health company in Cincinnati, OH. Utilizing an explanatory sequential mixed methods design, quantitative data were collected using an established burnout survey, The Maslach Burnout Inventory Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS; Maslach & Jackson, 2019). In the second phase of the study, qualitative data were collected through structured interviews with participants in order to discover the company-specific symptoms of burnout at ABST. The final section provides a Logic Model for burnout reduction program at ABST, including the stakeholders, resources, and organizational interventions based on Organizational Behavior Management (OBM) principles. The results of the study and the discussion of the findings, recommendations for extensions and future avenues for research, are provided.

Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis, Youngstown State University, 2022, Department of Psychological Sciences and Counseling

As applied behavior analysis (ABA) continues to grow as a field to meet the need of consumers, it is important that supervisors use evidence-based supervisor methods help improve the skills of supervisees to help provide better outcomes for their clients. Organizational behavior management (OBM) is an approach to performance management that uses principles of learning and behavior modification to improve employee and organizational performance (Wilder et. al., 2009). Recent research, however, has indicated that the use of evidence based OBM supervision procedures is lacking in ABA organizations (Reed & Henley, 2015). This is an issue because the quality of training and supervision the direct care staff received directly impact services delivered to the client and can result in suboptimal treatment outcomes. Thus, the purpose of the current study was to survey practicing behavior analysts to assess what specific OBM supervision strategies are commonly used, the extent to which these strategies are implemented in practice, identify characteristics of those who use them, and identify barriers to their implementation. Results of the study indicated that behavior analysts do not use most of the OBM assessments and interventions. The results of the current study are beneficial to the field of applied behavior analysis in that it they allow behavior analysts identify supervision and training related needs. Lack of time and lack of paid indirect time were the most common barriers reported. Limitations and directions for future research are discussed.

Doctor of Management, Case Western Reserve University, 2022, Weatherhead School of Management

This research explores the factors which influence and enhance ethical decision-making. Themes of managerial education, a liberal arts training, religiosity, personal value-guided behavior, and mindfulness are explored. This integrative paper reports two mixed method studies following an exploratory sequential design. The first qualitative study consisted of 30 qualitative semi-structure interviews of executives both at the C-level as well as at the middle manager level about their experiences in the corporate setting of ethical dilemmas which they faced. The second quantitative study involved a survey of 316 respondents composing of college students, entrepreneurs, and executives. Both studies provided insights about ethical decision-making at the workplace specifically the positive effects of personal value-guided behavior and religiosity. The relationship between mindfulness and ethical decision-making could not be demonstrated. As business ethics involves its own set of morals and values (e.g., profit-maximization vs ethics-maximization) that are becoming central in a workplaces and corporations, ethical business leaders stand to benefit from exploring multiple ways of neutralizing ethical misconduct including relying on personal values and religiosity.

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2021, Kinesiology

Community-based behavioral and exercise interventions with in-person delivery models were challenged to find a new mode of delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic when access to in-person activities were compromised. These interventions are an essential part of chronic disease patients' self-management and health promotion efforts. One particularly prevalent chronic disease, knee osteoarthritis (knee OA), is the leading cause of functional decline in older adults and finding a safe way to deliver the intervention during the COVID-19 pandemic provided an opportunity to explore the feasibility, enablers, and barriers to virtual intervention delivery in this population. Access to community-based intervention settings for patients with knee OA remain limited even though it is well known that exercise combined with weight loss via dietary changes can provide clinically significant improvements to a patient's overall quality of life (QOL). While these meaningful results are well established, further investigation into the delivery of these interventions through online platforms and understanding the patients' perspective is still needed. By qualitatively capturing the experiences from patients who participated in the Collaborative Lifestyle Intervention Program for Knee Osteoarthritis Patients (CLIP-OA), further understanding can be explored about the feasibility and efficacy of this program to be delivered virtually via a video conferencing platform, such as Zoom, versus the established utility of in-person delivery. An especially important outcome to understand is the intervention's ability to educate patients in the application of knowledge and skills from the program and gather information about the patient's confidence to independently maintain the exercise and dietary behavior changes following cessation of the active intervention contacts. As, the pandemic disruption forced both a pause in in-person research activities and subsequent shift to alternate patient (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Akron, 2021, Polymer Science

Melanin is a ubiquitous biopolymer with multiple functions in nature, including photoprotection, ion chelation, adhesion, thermoregulation, and it is responsible for the beautiful coloration in bird feathers. Melanin's two unique optical properties have been of great interest: (a) high refractive index (1.7 – 1.8) and (b) broadband absorption, primarily responsible for providing structural coloration, and thermoregulation in the animal kingdom. The rich variety of colors that we can find in birds has inspired us to generate approaches to replicate them in the lab. We use self-assembly techniques of nanoparticles to produce photonic crystals, where the interaction of electromagnetic wavelengths with these periodic nanostructures enables the generation of a wide spectrum of long-lasting colors. The idea to replace toxic metals or organic pigments have raised interest among scientists. However, considerable challenges remain to be solved, comprising the self-assemble of particles, mechanical stability of the arrangement and an easy production of a wide gamut of structural colors. Structurally coloration in nature is also strongly tied to temperature regulation in the animal kingdom; this work also explores the thermal consequences of having melanin by providing an understanding in the heat regulation field. We prepared synthetic melanin and used its adhesive properties to co-deposit silica (SiO2) particles via electrophoretic deposition, producing large and mechanically robust structurally colored coatings. Then, we adapted an alternative approach of creating structural colors via printing method using drop deposition, we generate a variety of colors using binary mixtures comprising silica nanoparticles and core-shell nanoparticles (melanin core and silica shell). A plasma modified surface allowed us to deposit this combination of materials, producing a self-assembled arrangement of particles that have many applications in the cosmetic and printing indu (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2021, Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology

Many migratory animals time reproduction using environmental cues (e.g., photoperiod) that signal favorable conditions for offspring (e.g., food availability). However, environmental change can decouple these cues from the conditions relevant to offspring success. In turn, variation in reproductive behaviors may be critical to population persistence in a changing environment. For example, while natal homing can lead to valuable local adaptations in a stable environment, straying to new breeding sites can buffer against environmental change. Among exploited species, knowledge of reproductive behavior, such as spawn timing (phenology) and spawning site selection, has proven useful to fisheries management by influencing angling dynamics, estimates of biological reference points, and stock delineations. Thus, a well-developed understanding of reproductive phenology, breeding site selection, and fishery dynamics could help agencies effectively conserve and manage fisheries in ecosystems experiencing environmental change. Accordingly, my dissertation research sought to better understand the reproductive behaviors and angling dynamics of Lake Erie's walleye population. In collaboration with other researchers and agency biologists, I used acoustic telemetry, creel surveys, environmental monitoring data, and quantitative techniques to discern the spawning behaviors and angling dynamics of this population. We assessed the timing of residency in spawning sites, focusing on how environmental cues and individual characteristics drive observed variation (Chapter 2), developed a quantitative framework to estimate the frequencies of each potential spawning site selection strategy (Chapter 3), demonstrated sex based-differences in spawning behavior and male-biased walleye harvest during the spawning season (Chapter 4), and modeled the impact of fishery characteristics and angler behaviors on recreational catch outcomes (Chapter 5). Each chapter generated new insights to the (open full item for complete abstract)

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

Bears are charismatic, long-lived animals held by nearly half of AZA zoos, and yet pressing questions remain about how the zoo environment affects their welfare. The goal of this thesis was to investigate this from a variety of perspectives to reveal specific factors that may affect bear welfare. Pacing is a commonly used welfare indicator which lacks a standard operational definition. After reviewing the literature and conducting a comparative analysis of commonly used methods, I recommended instantaneous sampling and the ABA definition as a standard method for ease of use, consistency, and ability to compare to previous studies. Seasonal environmental factors such as changes in temperature, light, and weather, as well as the presence of zoo visitors, and management strategies such as access off-exhibit and habitat rotation may affect bear behavior. I established a longitudinal bear monitoring program at CMZ, and these investigations revealed that seasonal changes, daily attendance, crowd size at the habitat, and a temporary Zoo closure had limited effects on bear behavior, and that carefully monitored management strategies can improve both bear welfare and visibility. As there are relatively few validated positive welfare indicators for bears, I investigated the use of cognitive bias as a novel measure of positive welfare. Two grizzly bears were trained to respond to a judgment task using a touchscreen computer during four experimental conditions. This task revealed an underlying optimistic affect in one bear in one condition, suggesting that this type of testing is a promising direction for future studies. Finally, to gain a holistic view of how one AZA zoo's approach to welfare assessment has functioned, I conducted a preliminary evaluation of the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo's animal welfare process, as it has been applied to bears. I used a mixed-methods approach to investigate whether this process met the goals of improving documentation, communication, and respo (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2021, Clinical Psychology (Arts and Sciences)

Despite the existence of many evidence-based classrooms interventions targeting common childhood emotional and behavioral problems, their use in elementary classrooms is limited. This is a concern given the lasting impacts of untreated childhood problems and difficulty reported by teachers in managing classroom behavior. Dissemination strategies seek to address this concern by increasing accessibility and reach of an intervention through strategies that reduce barriers to engagement among specific stakeholder groups. This study sought to examine the impact of specific communication strategies on teachers' stated desire to use a daily report card (DRC) intervention and behavioral step towards learning about the intervention. Three-hundred and ninety-four individuals self-identifying as elementary teachers (47% female; 68% White; 81.2% non-Hispanic/Latino) were recruited through Amazon's Mechanical Turk. Participants were randomly assigned to receive one of eight messaging conditions that included either (1) research or social reference information regarding the benefits of the DRC and message framing focused on either (2) teacher or student based (3) benefits of using the DRC or disadvantages of not using the DRC. Considerable concerns with data integrity were detected. The threats to the integrity of the data raise doubts that (a) the participants represent elementary school teachers within the United States and (b) meaningful conclusions can be drawn from the analyses. Therefore, data were redacted as they did not allow for an adequate test of the research question. Recommendations for investigators using the platform like Mechanical Turk are discussed

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2021, Environment and Natural Resources

Oceanic climates, such as those found in Scotland and Norway, contain globally important ecosystems including heather (Calluna vulgaris) dominated heathlands and moorlands. These areas are commonly influenced by traditional managed burning that provides optimal patchy-mosaic habitat for red grouse (Lagopus lagopus scoticus), and improved forage quality for livestock and deer. Recently, there has been a growing trend to remove traditional management and grazing in favor of alternative land-uses. Simultaneously, an increase in the prevalence of wildfire has highlighted a need to better understand fuel structures and the current state of fire behavior prediction models for these areas. This thesis evaluates the outputs of several empirical and quasi-empirical prediction models against observations of fire behavior. From these, suggestions are made as to the efficacy of these models and their generalizability across oceanic heathlands and moorlands. Most notably, the Rothermel model predicts rates of spread similar to baseline empirical models and observed fire behavior. Further, landscape-scale fire behavior was predicted, using the software Farsite, for current and potential management patters across a range of fire weather conditions representative of oceanic climates. Findings suggest that management actions which produce the most heterogenous arrangements of fuels, including current management using rotational burning, lead to the lowest overall predictions for mean rates of spread and fireline intensity. Conversely, limited fuel reduction management, such as that found in early-successional forest restoration, leads to the highest overall predictions for mean rates of spread and fireline intensity.