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

For over 100 years, youth mentoring has grown to be an evidenced based prevention strategy for youth, demonstrating positive youth outcomes through strong relationships with caring adults. While trusting relationships are the mainstay of the positive impacts achieved through mentoring, the difficulty in recruiting volunteer adults has not met the steady increase of needy children and has encouraged the mentoring field to expand beyond the one-on-one mentoring model. In response to this challenge, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Lorain County (BBBSLC) has developed innovative mentoring programs to allow for an increased reach and involvement for more youth. In this light, the purpose of this study was to identify and characterize its youth and adult volunteer participants. Through a quantitative study of application data and youth risk/protective outcome surveys at BBBSLC, the following research questions were addressed: (a) what are the characteristics of youth that seek community-based programming; (b) what are the characteristics of adult volunteers that seek to participate in programming; and (c) what are the predictive drivers of youth and adult volunteers that contribute to meaningful and successful community-based matches? Data were collected from youth and adult mentor enrollees from 2018–2023. Results indicated most prevalent descriptors for both adult volunteers and youth enrollees and data variables for predictability of being matched. Implications and recommendations for practice were also included. I have emphasized the importance of these expanded forms of mentoring in conjunction with one-on-one mentoring in order to achieve positive youth outcomes for the greatest number of children.

Committee: Scott Courtney (Committee Chair); Brian Lovins (Committee Member); Karl Martin (Committee Member) Subjects: Educational Leadership; Social Research; Social Work

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2012, Apparel, Textiles, and Merchandising (Education)

Women hold the majority of positions in the retail industry; however, they hold proportionally fewer top leadership positions than men. Therefore, it is important to understand the opportunities in leadership development available to women in the retail industry so that appropriate professional development for future female leaders can be offered. The influences of first bosses of women in retail leadership positions and their roles as mentors in the women's career paths were investigated. Understanding the role that primary early career mentors play in the development of leaders, particularly female leaders, can be valuable to positioning future leaders in career growth and professional development opportunities. The purpose of this study was to explore the overarching research question: What is the role that primary early career mentors play in the development of female leaders in the retail industry? More specifically, exploratory interviews among a small convenience sample of women who have achieved successful mid-level leadership positions in the retail industry were conducted. The four emergent themes generated from the study were: (a) generally first bosses are seen as mentors, though the role of mentor is not fully defined and not necessarily associated with transactional or transformational leadership, (b) the first boss, regardless of the leadership trait style, was considered to be an important influence, (c) transformational first bosses, but not transactional first bosses, were emulated, and (d) with respect to emulating first bosses, women most often noted task-oriented qualities. Additionally, support for the understanding of transactional and transformational leadership styles was evidenced in the interviews; women reported more relationship- oriented influences when describing transformational bosses, and more task-oriented items when describing transactional bosses. No evident differences emerged with respect to execution of the big five personal (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Ann Paulins PhD (Advisor) Subjects: Management; Personal Relationships

DNP, Otterbein University, 2017, Nursing

Mentorship has widespread support among many disciplines for the impact on improved job satisfaction, decreased job turnover and decreased costs to organizations (Chen & Lou, 2013; Maddalena, Kearney, & Adams, 2012; Missen, McKenna, & Beauchamp, 2014). Ongoing support through mentorship is critical to nurses transitioning to a new role (Maddalena et al., 2012) and nurse mentors must be prepared for the role with relevant education tailored to their needs (Chia-Chi, Lin, Chen, Kang, & Chang, 2014). Though literature describing training programs for mentors is limited, some studies have reported an increase in confidence among mentors after training (Gray & Brown, 2016; Feldman et al., 2012). In addition, improved mentoring skills (that includes communication) is in literature (Feldman et al., 2012; Pfund et al., 2013). In one large urban school district in Ohio, a school nurse, mentorship program was developed and implemented to assist new nurses in their transition to school health. Since no formal mentor training existed within the school district that employs this DNP nurse executive student, plans to conduct a pilot study to measure school nurse, mentor confidence after completion of an educational module on communication skills for the mentor were initiated. The study utilized a pre and post-survey design to measure the impact of the training program.

Committee: Jacqueline Haverkamp DNP, MBA (Advisor) Subjects: Communication; Health Care; Health Care Management; Nursing; School Administration

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Organizational Leadership , Franklin University, 2025, International Institute for Innovative Instruction

This research study investigates the societal and organizational perceptions of social roles in the workplace and contrasts them with the participants' professional experiences. The American Council on Education's (ACE) Center for Policy Research and Strategy (CPRS) “The American College President” 2023 study confirmed that males continue to out-represent females in executive leadership in higher education by a rate of two to one. A qualitative study was conducted using an open-ended cross-sectional survey administered to executive-level leaders who participated in the Ohio Association of Community Colleges (OACC) Executive Leadership Academy. Respondents identified four key leadership characteristics essential for advancement in community college higher education in Ohio: Communication, Data-driven decision-making, adaptability/flexibility, and collaboration. Respondents also identified personality traits, leadership styles, and management techniques hindering advancement. Respondents identified high and low-importance factors and shared their experiences with mentors and gender dynamics in the workplace. The results provide a practical pathway to leadership in community colleges in Ohio, inform organizational leadership practices, demonstrate a continued need for gendered leadership research, and provide a “playbook” of characteristics and best practices that can be used as a foundation for continued research.

Committee: Valerie Storey (Committee Chair); Chad Weirick (Committee Member); Bora Pajo (Committee Member) Subjects: Business Administration

Doctor of Education, Ashland University, 2024, College of Education

This dissertation investigates the effectiveness of induction programs from the perspectives of new teachers in urban and suburban school districts. The research uses a phenomenological qualitative research design. The theoretical frameworks for this research are the Motivation Theory and Self-Efficacy Theory. There are eight participants, four from urban schools and four from suburban schools. The study focuses on understanding how new teachers' perceptions of their induction programs influence their decisions to stay in the teaching profession. Data collection involves qualitative research methods, specifically semi-structured interviews, designed to capture participant accounts and insights. The Thematic analysis of the data revealed four key themes: Mentorship and Support, Work-Life Balance, Professional Development, and Institutional Support. These themes highlight the complexities of new teachers' experiences and shed light on the effectiveness of induction programs in different school environments. The research findings revealed significant implications for shaping educational policies and practices in teacher induction programs. Policymakers are encouraged to use this knowledge to make evidence-based induction initiatives. The study emphasizes the need for a positive school culture that prioritizes personalized support for mentors, collaboration, open communication, and mutual respect among all members of the educational community. Adding these insights into policy frameworks can enhance the overall education system and reduce teacher turnover in urban and suburban school districts.

Committee: Peter Ghazarian Ed.D. (Committee Member); Pat Farrenkopf Ed.D. (Committee Member); Judy Alston Ph.D. (Advisor) Subjects: Education; Educational Leadership; Teacher Education

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2023, Music Education

The purpose of this research was to identify perceived characteristics of effective cooperating teachers in music education. The study's objectives were to identify the characteristics that define an effective cooperating teacher from three perspectives. Those perspectives were current or recently past cooperating teachers in music, current or recently past student teachers in music, and university supervisors or coordinators in charge of student teacher placement in music education. The researcher grouped the participants into three divisions, (1) recent student teachers (STs), (2) practicing music educators who had each been a primary or secondary cooperating teacher (CTs), and (3) college or university supervisors (US/Cs) who have overseen the placement of student teachers. The author developed potential characteristics through a literature review and consultation with a panel of experts. The final questionnaire contained 24 characteristics for participants to rate on a Likert-type scale. Using a cluster sample and snowball sampling technique, N = 175 participants representing all three participant groups (STs, CTs, and US/Cs) returned the questionnaire. Results indicated a slight, significant main effect between the US/C and CT responses. The researcher also conducted follow-up interviews with members of each division. Interviews were coded and themed to add context to the survey results. The purpose of this research was to identify characteristics of effective cooperating teachers in music education from ST, CT, and US/C perspectives. I developed three research questions to guide the study: (1) What characteristics define an effective cooperating teacher according to: (a) Current or recent student teachers (STs)? (b) Current or recent cooperating teachers (CTs)? (c) Current or recent university supervisors or coordinators (US/Cs)? (2) Based on the results, are there any similarities or differences between members of the student t (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Kathleen Horvath (Committee Member); Jessica Kelley (Committee Member); Nathan Kruse (Committee Member); Ryan Scherber (Committee Chair) Subjects: Education; Music Education; Teacher Education; Teaching

Doctor of Nursing Practice, Mount St. Joseph University , 2023, Department of Nursing

There is an acute care nurse staffing crisis in the United States and healthcare organizations are struggling to ensure adequate staffing to optimize patient outcomes. Many factors are contributing to this crisis. Older, experienced nurses are retiring, taking with them their knowledge and expertise. Lucrative travel contracts are enticing many nurses to vacate their acute care inpatient positions. Finally, new graduate nurse (NGN) turnover is high. Role dissatisfaction is commonly cited as the reason NGNs vacate their positions. Mentoring can be a powerful tool to mitigate NGNs intent to leave. The purpose of this DNP project was to evaluate the effectiveness of an innovative informal mentoring model, Mentoring in the Moment, on NGN role satisfaction. The NGN Mentoring in the Moment program utilized one-on-one mentoring moments. Short mentoring sessions took place during the mentees' regularly scheduled work hours, once a week for five weeks. Role satisfaction data were collected before and after the intervention using the Casey Fink Graduate Nurse Experience Survey. Mentees reported being satisfied with the support provided by the mentor. Additionally, the Mentoring in the Moment intervention led to increases in new graduate nurses' role satisfaction. Supporting NGNs in real time can improve their role satisfaction.

Committee: Rachel Baker (Advisor) Subjects: Nursing

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Akron, 2022, Secondary Education

Mentorship has been an integral part of education throughout history, as has been a topic in a variety studies and discussions. Autoethnography is one of the up-and-coming forms of qualitative research in modern anthropology. Documentary filmmaking is a medium that can be used to collect data for autoethnographies. In this study, the researcher used past research, foundations of autoethnography, and his academic experiences of visual autoethnography. Using documentary and working with people in his life, the researcher explored (a) how mentorship supports overcoming adversity and (b) how scholars can transmute research mediums, such as autoethnography or storytelling pedagogy, into meaningful and impactful research. The autoethnography in the documentary form includes the researcher's recollection of events during his respective disciplines for all his degrees. Using a grounded theory lens, the researcher examined the data through a three-stage, constant-comparative coding process. Findings show deep, meaningful connections between the emerged themes and how mentorship archetypes are imperative to his struggle to attain his highest level of education. The specific themes that emerged were (a) Mentorship Archetypes and the Role of Principal Mentor (PM), (b) Self-Mentoring as a Scholarly Tool, (c) Pop Culture and Humor as a Coping Mechanism in Education, and (d) Mentors as Scaffolds Through Educational Adversity.

Committee: Gary Holliday (Advisor); William Visco (Committee Member); I-Chun Tsai (Committee Member); Renee Mudrey (Committee Member); Natalie Sydorenko (Committee Member) Subjects: Communication; Cultural Anthropology; Education; Education Philosophy

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2022, Agricultural and Extension Education

There is a need to understand the relationships that first-year students at The Ohio State University, College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences are involved in, specifically their mentors. College students are undergoing a major change when they transition into higher education at a large university. Often, they are experiencing living on their own and are placed in a new environment for the first time. Mentoring relationships can provide them with a relationship that serves as a resource to help guide them through this transition to establish a firm foundation for their college experience. In this study, the author begins to describe the mentoring experiences of first-year students at The Ohio State University, College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. Using the College Student Mentoring Scale (Crisp, 2009), the author was able to understand the degree of support first-year students experience based upon for constructs outlined in the literature. Results indicate that students experience varying degrees of support from their mentors, and further research should be conducted to better understand these experiences.

Committee: Susie Whittington PhD (Committee Member); Jeff King PhD (Advisor) Subjects: Agricultural Education; Social Studies Education

Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.), Franklin University, 2022, Business Administration

Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) need to stay abreast of advances in communication technologies to be student centric, but institutional adoption of Short Messaging Service (SMS) text varies widely and research on incorporation for advising is limited (Arnold et al., 2020; IPEDS 2020; Santos et al., 2018). This quantitative study explored advisor use and perceptions on values, motives, and institutional support of SMS texting as a communication channel with students and the possible variables impacting those factors. Theoretical concepts in Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and adaptive leadership guided the study as well as existing survey research on Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) in higher education (Duran et al., 2005). Survey responses from 402 advisors nationwide were analyzed through descriptive and inferential statistics. SMS use was reported among all genders, experience levels, and programmatic formats and advisors overall had a positive view of the communication channel. Motives for use varied between subgroups within the sample and SMS was predominantly used to gain access to richer mediums. A statistically significant association between learning environment and SMS incorporation indicated that online advisors were more likely to use SMS texting for student communication. A statistically significant difference was also identified between median institutional support scores for SMS users and non-users with the directionality indicating users were more likely from SMS supportive institutions. Furthermore, advisors reported using SMS texting for both transactional and relational communication, even when their institution did not support the channel with training, policies, or technology. The study sheds light on the prevalence of SMS use and calls for leadership to gain greater awareness of their local-level policies, industry-wide practices, and system integrated options in managing the university-to-student connection. For HEIs (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Brenda Jones (Committee Chair); Yuerong Sweetland (Committee Member); Patrick Bennett (Committee Member) Subjects: Adult Education; Business Administration; Business Education; Communication; Continuing Education; Education Policy; Educational Evaluation; Educational Leadership; Educational Software; Educational Technology; Higher Education; Higher Education Administration; Management; Mass Communications

MAE, Otterbein University, 0, Education

The purpose of this study is to present a literacy curriculum designed specifically for fifth grade students. The curriculum utilizes Culturally Relevant Pedagogy (1995) and Learning for Justice (2018) social justice standards and domains, in order to provide best practices for all students to achieve academic success, celebrate diversity, and take action against injustices in the world. The following question framed the literature research that was conducted to develop this curriculum: How can we create a literacy based curriculum through a social justice lens that utilizes diverse children's mentor text in order to create equitable school experiences? The question was answered through literature research regarding best practices for utilizing diverse mentor text, equitable reading and writing practices in an elementary classroom, and social justice education instruction. This research was combined with culturally relevant pedagogy criteria to develop a literacy based curriculum that teaches reading, writing, and justice to elementary students. The sample unit plan is a guide for other educators interested in incorporating this curriculum into their own classrooms.

Committee: Carrie Scheckelhoff Dr. (Advisor); Diane Ross Dr. (Committee Member); Grace McDaniel Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Curriculum Development; Education; Literacy

Master of Science in Engineering, Youngstown State University, 2020, Department of Civil/Environmental and Chemical Engineering

Mentor Marsh, in 1966, was declared to be the first National Natural Landmark along with the Great Lake's sites due to the diverse presence of the richest community of wetland species. However, anthropogenic activities during the late 1960s led to the severe salt intrusion in Mentor Marsh. This resulted in the immense loss of maple swamp forest followed by the successful invasion of dense-growing, salt-tolerant Phragmites australis responsible for the outbreak of several fires. Although, successful restoration of Mentor Marsh ecology has been a prime concern, yet its technical feasibility can only be achieved through the proper identification of salinity hotspots. Therefore, this research study jointly investigates the spatiotemporal variability of both water and soil salinity. Assessment of water salinity was undertaken through the development of a watershed model and establishment of gauge stations to evaluate the salinity diversion due to the routing of Blackbrook creek, whereas remote sensing along with field measurements approach has been employed for the effective monitoring of soil salinity. A commonly used watershed model, Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was developed using necessary inputs to delineate Mentor Marsh watershed, which was calibrated (November 2016-March 2018) and validated (April 2018-September 2019) on a monthly basis against the observed flow generated from the stage-discharge curve at the upstream section of Blackbrook creek. The statistical parameters used for model performance as Coefficient of determination (R2) and Nash Sutcliffe's Efficiency (NSE) were 0.89 and 0.88, respectively in the calibration phase while for the validation phase were 0.85 and 0.81, respectively. The salinity at the outlet of old and diverted Blackbrook creek was computed using the flow generated from the model and real-time recorded salinity data. The daily salinity at the routed outlet varied between 10.33 kg/d to 602.44 kg/d, while at the old Blackbroo (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Suresh Sharma PhD (Advisor); Richard Deschenes PhD (Committee Member); Peter Kimosop PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Civil Engineering; Environmental Engineering

Psy. D., Antioch University, 2019, Antioch New England: Clinical Psychology

In this study, I explored post-traumatic growth as embedded in a co-constructed healing relationship between a trauma survivor and a “mentor” who has been instrumental to their recovery. It is widely known that people who are resilient in overcoming early adverse childhood experiences have had someone in their corner who believed in them. In a separate, but related body of literature, there are similarly well-documented benefits for those who have the chance to make a difference in a survivor's life, including for example: relatives, educators, and therapists. To date, we still don't know if survivors and their mentors hold the same understanding of the elements that made this relationship unique for each of them. This study used Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to inform a qualitative research design. IPA was used to analyze data gathered from semi-structured interviews of five dyads consisting of a survivor and their mentor. The major findings in this study include the seven following themes: (a) Improved Sense of Self, (b) Validation, (c) Trust and Good Faith, (d) Modelling, (e) Worldview Changes, (f) Shared Experiences, and (g) Healthy Boundaries. Discussion of the findings includes a comparison to existing research on trauma survivors' growth in the context of supportive relationships, possible limitations of the research, suggested future directions for research, and clinical and research implications including how clinicians may use the findings as a guide to improve therapy with trauma survivors.

Committee: Susan Hawes PhD (Committee Chair); Martha Straus PhD (Committee Member); Gina Pasquale PsyD (Committee Member) Subjects: Clinical Psychology

PHD, Kent State University, 2018, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Foundations, Leadership and Administration

Adjunct instructors teach a significant number of the college courses offered across the country. Many adjuncts have no prior teaching experience, but bring valuable professional and practical knowledge to students, particularly those enrolled in pre-professional degree programs. The studio course format presents unique challenges to new instructors, too. This qualitative study focused the experience of adjunct instructors at the onset of teaching design studio courses. Twelve design professionals at different institutions were interviewed about how they prepared to teach, the training and support provided by the institution, and their perceptions of that support. The data seems to indicate that dissonance pervades the adjunct instructors' experience of teaching design studio courses. They approach their teaching job as they do a design job, and experience dissonance when that does not work. They are motivated to be effective teachers, and have an overarching purpose for teaching that is connected to their experience as students and design professionals. Focused and timely teaching support is inconsistent and rare, but highly valued. When teaching support was missing, participants relied on their memory of being a design student to inform their teaching practice. Design professionals seem to prefer having mentors and a community of practice within their area of instruction for teaching support.

Committee: Mark Kretovics PHD (Advisor) Subjects: Design; Higher Education Administration

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Toledo, 2018, Engineering (Computer Science)

With the incorporation of artificial intelligence into 21st-century machines, the collaboration between humans and machines has become quite complex for real-time applications. The role of a synthetic or artificial assistant in everyday tasks such as setting up reminders, managing calendars, and responding to search queries may not pose a significant risk. However, the penetration of such synthetic assistants in virtually every field has opened a path for a new area called Human Machine Teaming (HMT). When it comes to crucial tasks such as patient treatment and care, defense, and industrial production, the use of non-standardized HMT technologies may pose risk to human lives as well as billions of taxpayer dollars. A thorough literature survey revealed that there are no standardization or benchmarking methods have been established for HMTs. This dissertation hypothesizes that to standardize an HMT, there is an inevitable need to first develop task tailored intelligent systems, customized HMT simulation methods, and measurement techniques. To address these hypothesized needs, this dissertation presents new design methodologies, simulations, and experiment validations for HMTs. In this dissertation, the conducted research is presented and discussed in five phases with some exclusive objectives. Phase I of the research study begins with an initial state-of-the-art literature survey. This includes analysis of all the available architectures and development methodologies as well as the establishment of a few conceptual basics that are essential for the HMT framework. Furthermore, the survey also discusses the different HMT components and human-machine systems (HMS) simulation methods available in the literature. Finally, the detailed objectives of the research needed to validate the stated hypotheses are discussed. In Phase II, all the metrics available to measure HMTs are analyzed with the aim of constructing a matrix of metrics sorted based on different classifi (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Vijay Devabhaktuni (Committee Chair); Ahmad Javaid (Committee Co-Chair); Mansoor Alam (Committee Member); William Evans (Committee Member); Jennie Gallimore (Committee Member); Scott Pappada (Committee Member); Xiaoli Yang (Committee Member) Subjects: Artificial Intelligence; Computer Science; Robotics; Systems Design; Systems Science

Doctor of Education (EdD), Ohio University, 2018, Educational Administration (Education)

Recent trends in teacher preparation have been toward a clinical model that provides teacher candidates with more authentic classroom experiences that are connected with methods courses. One type of clinical model that is on the rise is known as a professional development school (PDS). PDS structures are formal arrangements between P-12 schools and colleges of teacher preparation designed to provide reciprocal benefits. In many instances, P-12 schools will use the resources from the PDS arrangement to provide additional support needed to assess and instruct their students. This case study looks at one such structure in which PDS teacher candidates provide reading intervention to K-3 struggling readers. The study analyzes pre and post reading assessment data and mentor teacher interviews in order to determine the value of such arrangements. Two years of academic data on first, second, and third graders that participated in the teacher candidate-led intervention was considered. Seven mentor teachers (K-3) participated in focused designed interviews about the teacher candidate-led intervention. While the assessment data did show academic gains in terms of literacy skills, the mentor teacher interviews revealed even more benefits of such an arrangement. Interviews transcripts revealed seven major themes that emerged: differentiation, program logistics, collaboration, influence on K-3 students, influence on teacher candidates, influence on mentor teachers, and background knowledge. Overall, the mentor teachers commented that the collaboration and reflective practice made both teacher candidates and mentor teachers better educators. They stated that the intervention allowed for greater differentiation that provided more individualized instruction to all of the students in their classes. The consistency of the program and the knowledge of the teacher candidates also contributed to the success. Many of the aspects of the teacher candidate-led intervent (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Sara Helfrich (Advisor); Dwan Robinson (Committee Member); David Horton (Committee Member); William Larson (Committee Member); Krisanna Machtmes (Committee Member) Subjects: Early Childhood Education; Education; Educational Leadership; Reading Instruction; School Administration; Teacher Education; Teaching

Master of Science in Engineering, Youngstown State University, 2018, Department of Civil/Environmental and Chemical Engineering

The Mentor marsh was the first declared a National Natural Landmark in 1966 and became a nature preserve in 1971 in the State of Ohio. Despite being affected by salt pollution and other physical challenges, it still has a tremendous economic value, and will rise if it is restored. The Marsh was specifically dominated by catastrophic salt pollution due to the development of different human and industrial activities, especially between the late 1950's and late 1970's. The water salinity of the marsh varied from oligosaline (500 to 5,000) mg/L to hypersaline (above 40,000 mg/L) during that period. Salinity is a crucial environmental problem in the Mentor Marsh leading to profound consequences in wetland plants and aquatic habitats; including the rapid development of Phragmites australis in the downstream marshland. These Phragmites australis were very vulnerable to capture fire. While several studies were conducted in the past in the Mentor marsh, hydrologic investigation of the watershed has not been conducted yet, due to the lack of monitoring stations and long-term data records. Since the Mentor marsh watershed is a small ungaged watershed, and data is only being collected for a short duration, the prediction of flow with limited data invites certain degree of uncertainty. Therefore, monitoring stations were established in two small tributaries of Blackbrook Creek and Marsh Creek, for real time data recording of flow stage, water conductivity, water temperature, and atmospheric pressure in hourly mode using Levelogger and Barologger data logging devices. Similarly, the creek cross-section, water velocity and water stage were recorded intermittently with direct field observation to develop a rating curve and generate the continuous streamflow data. The hydrologic model, Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), was developed using climate data from National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) and Digital Elevation Model (DEM), land cover and soil data from the United States Dep (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Suresh Sharma PhD (Advisor); Tony Vercellino PhD (Committee Member); Peter Kimosop PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Civil Engineering; Environmental Engineering; Hydrologic Sciences; Hydrology; Water Resource Management

Master of Science (MS), Wright State University, 2016, Leadership Studies

Diversity and mentoring are becoming important areas of study in leadership and educational disciplines. While some steps have been taken to conceptualize or delineate how these disparate elements function in higher education, there has been little research into how and where they intersect, namely, when mentoring dyads are comprised of individuals from diverse cultures. In this paper, the researcher shares her discoveries on how a cross-cultural academic dyad works in contemporary settings. She discusses the role of perceptions, expectations and actions–some of the essential ingredients of effective cross-cultural mentoring– which could be utilized as a guide for further study and/or practice. The qualitative case study is based on Kram's (1985) four phases of the mentoring relationship and Lechuga's (2011) four faculty roles. The author then discusses how these integrated elements fuel positive cross-cultural mentoring interactions.

Committee: Suzanne Franco Ed.D. (Committee Chair); Noah Schroeder Ph.D. (Committee Member); Ada Cencki Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Cultural Resources Management; Education; Educational Leadership; Organizational Behavior; Personal Relationships

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2016, Leadership and Change

This research centered on the experiences of a dozen women who served in U.S. Army Reserve leadership positions. Although they served in dangerous contexts the Army had an exclusionary policy at the time that formally excluded the women from direct combat. The impetus for the research was Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta's announcement in January 2013 that the U.S. military would be eliminating the exclusionary policy. The purpose of this study was to gain insight into what individual, social, and organizational factors support women's effective leadership in dangerous contexts. The research utilized narrative inquiry in order to bring forth the essence of the lived experience of the women leaders. The research had two phases: phase one interviews, phase two panel discussion. In phase one, an unexpected outcome was that 75 % of interviewees discussed issues of gender bias and toxic leadership. In the second phase a panel of four military leaders (two men and two women who were not part of the first phase) offered validation for the interpretation and findings obtained from the interviews. The analysis of the interviews and panel discussion provided recommendations for individual, social, organizational, and cultural changes needed to correct dysfunctional gender and cultural biases and support women's leadership. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA: Antioch University Repository and Archive, http://aura.antioch.edu/, and OhioLINK ETD Center, http://etd.ohiolink.edu.

Committee: Alan E. Guskin Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Mitchell Kusy Ph.D. (Committee Member); Patrick Sweeney (Ret.) COL, Ph.D. (Committee Member); Mary Marcy Ph.D. (Other) Subjects: Military Studies; Women's Studies

Doctor of Education, Ashland University, 2015, College of Education

This study explores whether teacher leaders within a professional development school will take on leadership responsibilities while they are in the midst of learning new district and state change initiatives through the documentation of the formation and implementation of a professional learning community (PLC) within a professional development school (PDS). An ethnographic case study was used to gather information about how 20 teachers within a school worked through change initiatives and collaborative practices. Teachers presented book study topics to colleagues on PLCs and implemented the studied work in their collaborative practices. A Lead Teacher Questionnaire gave teachers an opportunity to express their understanding around PLCs, collaborative practices, and professional development. Teachers completed a SWOT analysis to measure the effectiveness of the book study and presentations. This study reveals that too many initiatives presented to staff leads to issues around district initiatives and changes. District leadership teams are responsible for establishing trust with staff, offering immediate feedback around instructional practices, ensuring that initiatives are streamlined, and that the goals of the initiatives are clearly articulated to staff. Clearly articulated goals helps staff members to know and master expectations. The study participants reflected on their collaborative practices and realized that they need to trust one another to engage in collaborative practices that promote optimal growth and learning for all individuals.

Committee: Judy Alston PhD (Committee Chair); Ann Shelly PhD (Committee Member); James Olive PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Teacher Education; Teaching