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

This research study delves into the lived experiences of African-American homeowners in Reclamation City, a metropolis undergoing substantial revitalization and housing transformation over the past 25 years. The primary objectives of this study encompass understanding the driving factors motivating Black homeowners to invest in residential properties in the city, uncovering the influences that encourage their steadfast commitment to homeownership, and examining the formidable challenges and obstacles they encounter amidst rising property costs, housing market fluctuations, and the encroachment of gentrification. Additionally, this research explores the implications of dwindling residential inventory, the effects of gentrification on Black homeowners, and the prospects for generational wealth-building among African American offspring in this evolving urban landscape. Furthermore, this study captures Black homeowners' personal impressions, reflections, and sentiments regarding tangible and intangible changes within their neighborhoods and the city. It also presents innovative strategies to curb the outmigration of Black homeowners from Reclamation City. It recommends critical initiatives to attract new Black homeowners while retaining those who resist the urge to sell their homes and depart. The foundation of this research lies in a comprehensive examination of the Black experience in America, historical factors, and enduring practices that have hindered African Americans' social, economic, and political progress. It incorporates personal narratives from Black homeowners and insights from African American financial services professionals, complemented by a review of pertinent literature. This dissertation introduces the concept of "Black resiliency" as a central framework for understanding how African American homeowners navigate the challenges posed by gentrification. Employing a qualitative participatory action research approach, this study scrutinizes gentrific (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Ricardo Garcia Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Matthew Witenstein Ph.D. (Committee Member); Lariece Brown Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: African American Studies; African Americans; American History; Black History; Black Studies; Social Research; Urban Planning

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

This research study delves into the lived experiences of African-American homeowners in Reclamation City, a metropolis undergoing substantial revitalization and housing transformation over the past 25 years. The primary objectives of this study encompass understanding the driving factors motivating Black homeowners to invest in residential properties in the city, uncovering the influences that encourage their steadfast commitment to homeownership, and examining the formidable challenges and obstacles they encounter amidst rising property costs, housing market fluctuations, and the encroachment of gentrification. Additionally, this research explores the implications of dwindling residential inventory, the effects of gentrification on Black homeowners, and the prospects for generational wealth-building among African American offspring in this evolving urban landscape. Furthermore, this study captures Black homeowners' personal impressions, reflections, and sentiments regarding tangible and intangible changes within their neighborhoods and the city. It also presents innovative strategies to curb the outmigration of Black homeowners from Reclamation City. It recommends critical initiatives to attract new Black homeowners while retaining those who resist the urge to sell their homes and depart. The foundation of this research lies in a comprehensive examination of the Black experience in America, historical factors, and enduring practices that have hindered African Americans' social, economic, and political progress. It incorporates personal narratives from Black homeowners and insights from African American financial services professionals, complemented by a review of pertinent literature. This dissertation introduces the concept of "Black resiliency" as a central framework for understanding how African American homeowners navigate the challenges posed by gentrification. Employing a qualitative participatory action research approach, this study scrutinizes gentrific (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Ricardo Garcia Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Matthew Witenstein Ph.D. (Committee Member); Lariece Brown Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: African American Studies; African Americans; American Studies; Black History; Black Studies; Ethnic Studies; Sociology

Psy. D., Antioch University, 2023, Antioch Santa Barbara: Clinical Psychology

This body of research is focused on susceptibility risk factors associated with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), including History of Child Abuse, Attribution Style, Moral Injury, Biological and Familial Risk Factors, Intelligence, Gender, and Social Support (Unit Cohesion and Family Support). The objective of this study is to investigate PTSD risk factors the literature has identified. The goal of this research is to highlight risk factors for PTSD and increase the efficiency of the clinical interview process during the assessment phase of a clinical intake and treatment. The data comes from The Army Study to Assess Risk and Resilience in Servicemembers (STARRS) which includes the All-Army Study (ASS), and New Soldier Study (NSS), a de-identified cross-sectional survey of active-duty soldiers exclusive of those in Basic Combat Training or deployed to a combat theater. The de-identified research data comes from a 5-year study on risk and resiliency factors impacting our service members a total of N = 21,449. The overall model for this proposed analysist is based on the Diathesis Stress Model, also known as the vulnerability-stress model. The Diathesis Stress model made it possible to generate and study new hypotheses about the role of risk factors in causing mental health illness. A multiple regression model will be utilized to assess whether PTSD symptomology could be predicted by the following variables: history of child abuse, Attribution style, Moral Injury, Biological and Familial Risk Factors, Intelligence, Gender, and Social Support (Unit Cohesion and Family Support.) This dissertation will be available when complete in open access at AURA, https://aura.antioch.edu/ and OhioLINK ETD Center, https://etd.ohiolink.edu.

Committee: Brett Kia-Keating Ed.D. (Committee Chair); Patti Tacket Colonel (Ret), Psy.D. (Committee Member); George Leoffler M.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Clinical Psychology; Mental Health; Military Studies; Minority and Ethnic Groups; Psychology; Psychotherapy; Social Psychology; Sociology

PHD, Kent State University, 2023, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Foundations, Leadership and Administration

Students seek out individualized supportive networks to navigate challenges and use different strategies to overcome adversity in their lives (Greene et al., 2003; Zolli & Healy, 2012). Transgender students may navigate campus in different ways, experiencing a cross-section of varying challenges and issues unique to their understanding of themselves, their identity, and the larger community (Bilodeau, 2005, 2007, 2009; Hill, 2003; Nicolazzo, 2016b). The study explores the experiences of the resiliency of transgender students who have joined gender-based student organizations (i.e., fraternities and sororities). This research investigates two main research questions: (a) What is the story of resilience for transgender students who are members of gender-based organizations at colleges in the United States? and (b) To what extent does transgender students' involvement in gender-based organizations contribute to their resiliency in college? The eight themes developed in partnership with the study participants from this narrative inquiry are (1) Self-Advocacy, (2) Emotional Well-Being, (3) Desire for Connection, (4) Acknowledgement of Individual Strengths and Limitations, (5) Positive Mindset, (6) Recognition of Challenges with Organizations, (7) Feelings of Empowerment from Participating in this Study, and (8) the Benefits of Privilege. Each theme provides an opportunity for discussion, understanding resiliency, and the role college communities play in that experience from the view of transgender students. The narratives provided by participants revealed a complex interplay of multiple identities and how these intersections mediate the participants' lived experiences well beyond one singular focus. Thus, the complexities of those experiences demand complex solutions to promote and provide a welcoming college environment. Just as we have long recognized within higher education that no one program, training, or experience will have a long-lasting impact on addressing c (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Christa Porter (Committee Member); Tara Hudson (Committee Chair); Theresa Walton-fisette (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Gender; Higher Education

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2023, Media and Communication

This dissertation looks at the coping strategies used by Nigerian women amid a health crisis. The study assesses women's lived experiences in Nigeria during the first wave of the COVID-19 outbreak and the imposition of lockdown. In times of crisis, whether political, religious, or health-related, Nigerian women, like other African women, are invariably depicted as victims. The current study describes suffrage ideology and the difficulties that Nigerian women face because of patriarchy and marginalization. The study explored complicated identities to critically appraise women in Nigeria based on their lived experiences. This study demonstrates how recognizing oppressive policies during the lockdown assisted women in developing coping skills and navigating a crisis. During the lockdown, when movement was severely restricted, the government failed to address women's health concerns, gender-based violence, and economic growth. Even though the interviews were centered on African feminism and intersectionality, the data collected and evaluated provided little support for these two theories. The study conducted interviews and examined social media postings and comments using Grounded Theory, Thematic Analysis, and Social Media Analysis as methods. Inductive interviews were done, and emergent themes were found. The inductive in-depth interviews were conducted with a variety of women who lived in Nigeria during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic (late 2019 to mid-2020) and the implementation of the lockdown to prevent the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Atlas.ti, a qualitative computational analysis tool, was used to code and arrange the data from the interviews into themes. The second batch of data was gathered using keywords influenced by the previous set of data analysis's emergent topics. The data were structured to include female social media postings and comments on YouTube and Twitter. The study discovered that two underlying principles impact the behavior, attit (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Radhika Gajjala Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Kerri Knippen Ph.D. (Other); Yanqin Lu Ph.D. (Committee Member); Lara Martin Lengel Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Communication

Bachelor of Science (BS), Ohio University, 2023, Translational Health

The goals of this study were to 1) determine the prevalence of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and their impact on health and health-risk behaviors and 2) assess body composition, salivary cortisol, and phase angle (PhA) with high, moderate, low, or no exposure to ACEs in college-aged Appalachian adults (≥18 y). Methods. College students completed an anonymous questionnaire (Phase 1) about ACEs, positive experiences, adult resiliency, perceived stress, food insecurity, and health. A subsample participated in the Phase 2 in-person portion to measure body composition, PhA, and resting/reactive cortisol. One-way ANOVAs and correlation analyses were used to analyze the sample. Results. In Phase 1 (N=611, 86.3% ≤25 y, 64.0% female, 81.0% Caucasian, 52.4% heterosexual), only 3.6% (n=22) reported no ACEs, while 34.7% (n=212) reported ≥8. Positive experiences (r=-0.62), perceived stress (r=0.37), resiliency (r=-0.53), and food insecurity (r=0.25) were significantly correlated with ACEs score (p<0.001). In Phase 2 (N=42, 78.6% ≤25 y, 64.3% female, 40.5% Caucasian, 78.5% heterosexual), body fat percentage was significantly correlated with ACE level (r=0.31, p=0.044). ACEs scores were not correlated with PhA (r=-0.08), resting or reactive cortisol (r=-0.04), or visceral adipose tissue (r=0.28) (p>0.05). Conclusions. The prevalence of ACEs is high amongst this sample of young adults and though significant physiological changes were not seen, health perceptions and behaviors were impacted. Future research should focus on a slightly older age group to identify when specifically physiological changes due to ACEs begin to manifest.

Committee: Cheryl A Howe (Advisor); Joseph A Bianco (Advisor) Subjects: Behavioral Psychology; Behavioral Sciences; Developmental Biology; Developmental Psychology; Health; Neurobiology; Physiology; Psychology; Social Psychology

Psy. D., Antioch University, 2023, Antioch New England: Clinical Psychology

This qualitative dissertation investigates current research gaps regarding autistic individuals' experience of trauma and resilience in the face of adversity. Specifically, it conceptualizes trauma and resilience through a neurodiverse lens, through identifying themes in memoirs written by five autistic authors related to trauma, potentially traumatic events, resiliency, and posttraumatic growth. Through Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis, I identified individual, interpersonal, and societal factors impacting the memoirists experiences of trauma, through the identification of 11 superordinate themes. Prominent themes at the individual level included self-acceptance and emotion regulation promoting resilience. At the contextual level, sensory processing and uncertainty coincided with experiences of trauma. At the interpersonal level, many memoirists describe interpersonal traumas, including mutual misunderstanding between themselves and others. Finally, at the societal level, themes across the memoirs point to the importance of mental health professional training and awareness regarding autism and expanding our understanding of traumatic experiences. Thus, I propose a sociocultural approach for conceptualizing how autism and trauma intersect. Based on this approach, I advocate for systemic-level changes, community, contextual, and individual interventions to support the resiliency of autistic individuals.

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

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

Latinos are the largest minority group in the United States. The number of Latino-owned firms has grown from 2.3 million in 2007 to 3.3 million in 2012, highlighting a 46.3% growth rate. Reports from 2017 estimate that Latino-owned firms create nearly 3.2 million American jobs and drive more than $2 trillion in GDP in the U.S. Despite their strong growth rates and growing contribution to the U.S. economy, only 3% of Latino-owned firms exceed $1 million in annual gross revenues—less than half the rate of White, non-Latino-owned firms. Much of the literature on Latino and ethnic entrepreneurs focuses on the barriers to growth the individual entrepreneurs and their firm's experience or their lack of resources such as economic or social capital. Our mixed-methods study—integrating qualitative and quantitative research findings—highlights differences in how Latino entrepreneurs of large, scaled firms differ in their approach when compared to Latino business owners of smaller firms. Moreover, we find differences in how Latino entrepreneurs approach sense of community, belongingness, and humility when operating their businesses, which differs from non-Latino, Anglo entrepreneurs in the U.S. While our qualitative findings highlight the salient traits—sense of community, belongingness, and humility—with Latino business owners of scaled firms, our quantitative findings show trends that highlight clear differences between Latinos and Anglo business owners. Also noted in our findings is that Anglos continue to financially outperform minority entrepreneurs, including Latinos.

Committee: Philip Cola Ph.D. (Advisor); Stephan Liozu Ph.D. (Advisor); Mike Stull DBA (Advisor); Corinne Coen Ph.D. (Advisor) Subjects: Business Administration; Business Community; Entrepreneurship; Ethnic Studies; Hispanic Americans; Management; Social Psychology; Social Research

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2022, Management

This research aims to look at the changes and inequities that minority women face in the financial services industry, specifically African American Women in Organizational Leadership. This research focuses on the differences and behavioral impact of these leaders, as well as the lack of representation at the “C-Suite” level, to better understand some of the challenges and barriers they faced that were unique from those faced by their peers, as well as success factors that allowed them to advance to senior-level management positions. Many consumers will unwittingly come across a section titled “Diversity and Inclusion” while browsing the websites of today's leading banks. Almost every bank in the world has made it a requirement to promote this relatively new policy, which aims to ensure that employees of all genders and backgrounds have an equal chance of being hired and progressing through their organizations in a fair manner. We've seen some progress in women's representation in corporate America over the last five years. Since 2015, the number of women in top leadership positions has increased. This is especially true in the executive suite, where female representation has increased from 17 percent to 21 percent. Although this is a step in the right direction, parity is still a long way off, particularly for women of color, who are underrepresented at all levels. Women's representation gains will eventually stall unless significant changes are made early in the pipeline. Women have a significantly harder time advancing in their careers than males due to gender bias. Gender bias, on the other hand, isn't the only roadblock to women's career advancement. Women whose social identities differ from the dominant workplace expectations—that is, women who are not White—face additional challenges, including navigating more precarious situations, being forced to conform to cultural norms that may contradict their social identities, and encountering biases other than gend (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Diana Bilimoria (Committee Chair); Yolanda Freeman-Hildreth (Committee Member); Corinne Coen (Committee Member); Paul Salipante (Committee Member) Subjects: African American Studies; Management; Womens Studies

DNP, Kent State University, 0, College of Nursing

Burnout remains a significant problem in nursing staff around the world. Current research posits that critical care units have some of the highest rates of burnout with an urgent need for resiliency training to decrease burnout. Resilience training is a crucial intervention for critical care staff to promote well-being and reduce burnout symptoms. The purpose of this project was to determine if a four-hour resilience class that focused on emotional intelligence, self-care, resiliency, and art therapy decreased burnout symptoms in critical care nursing staff. The study was quasi-experimental with a pretest-post-test design and included a nonequivalent control group. Participants were recruited from critical care units at a large Level I Trauma hospital in Northeast Ohio. Inclusion criteria included part or full time English-speaking critical care staff. The Maslach Burnout Inventory (Cronbach's coefficient alpha: 0.90 for Emotional Exhaustion, 0.79 for Depersonalization, and 0.1 for Person Accomplishment) was offered at the beginning of the training (n= 90) and again ¬¬six weeks after training (n= 24). Demographics collected included job position, age, gender, years in current position, years in critical care, plans to leave the organization or healthcare in the next five years, and highest education level. A paired t test was used to evaluate if participants' burnout symptoms decreased after resilience training. There was not sufficient power to detect a significant difference in the research questions apart from one question; an unexpected outcome was the increase in depersonalization symptoms from the pre intervention to post intervention group. This may be explained by the study taking place during COVID and staffing challenges. Other findings showed that critical care nursing staff at this organization have worse burnout symptoms than those of the general population of workers in human services professions. Nursing staff who plan to leave the organization in the (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Dana Hansen (Advisor); Amy Petrinec (Committee Chair); Kimberly Cleveland (Committee Chair) Subjects: Education; Health; Health Care; Nursing

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2021, Engineering and Applied Science: Civil Engineering

An innovative structural bracing system for steel structures is introduced in this research. The system is based on the application of stacked Belleville disks and Nitinol rods. By combining the two structural elements in one assembly and then adding it to a steel bracing system, the bracing system transforms into a resilient bracing system for structures in seismic regions. Belleville disks are responsible for carrying the compression load in the brace. A comprehensive investigation on the behavior of large-size stacked Belleville disks was carried out in this research. Nitinol rods are used to carry the tensile load. A constitutive material model for shape memory alloys was selected and the parameters used in the model were calibrated by comparing the obtained numerical results with the ASTM standard values and the values recorded in the literature. Multiple assemblies were designed for different strength and stiffness values and the cyclic behavior of the designed assemblies was studied through finite element simulations. After analyzing the results, a modeling technique for the cyclic behavior of the new brace was selected in order to simulate the obtained cyclic behavior in a structural analysis software. Three pairs of prototype steel buildings with different number of stories were designed in order to evaluate the performance of the proposed resilient bracing system: two 5-story buildings, two 10-story buildings, and two 15-story buildings. Each pair of buildings consisted of two structural systems: one system had special concentrically braced frame (SCBF) and the other used the new resilient structural system. Incremental dynamic analyses were performed in order to obtain the performance fragility curves of the systems. Additionally, consequence functions were developed for the systems in order to obtain the economic losses due to the applied seismic hazards. Finally, the resiliency of the systems was measured through analysis of th (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Bahram Shahrooz Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Anton Harfmann M.Arch. (Committee Member); Richard Miller Ph.D. (Committee Member); William Thornton Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Engineering

DNP, Kent State University, 2021, College of Nursing

Background: Healthcare providers in highly stressful environments experience the effects of workplace stress, burnout, compassion fatigue, and secondary traumatic stress due to several work-related factors. Among them, ethical issues, high emotional burden, institutional and patient/family demands are commonly experienced stressors. These experiences can be characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and diminished personal accomplishment related to poor professional quality of life and lack of self-care. Prolonged, these characteristics may result in unsatisfactory quality outcomes and patient safety events. The COVID-19 pandemic has introduced new challenges in providing healthcare to the critically ill and additional pressures on the professional quality of life of advanced practice providers (APPs). Resources are needed to support APPs in navigating the many stressors experienced and maintain a satisfactory professional quality of life. Mindfulness based interventions have been used to promote self-care abilities to improve professional well-being and work life-balance in many professions including healthcare. Mobile mindfulness applications are available and can allow mindfulness practices to be easily accessed and integrated into daily practice. Methods: A quality improvement approach was utilized to implement and evaluate a mobile mindfulness-based application. Thirty-seven APPs were recruited from a large urban medical center, within 8 different ICU specialties, during the second wave of the COVID -19 outbreak in October 2020 through -January 2021. All participants were asked to practice a 10 minute daily mindfulness-based intervention via a mobile application (Headspace) for 30 days. A quasi-experimental pre-and post-test design was used to measure professional quality of life and mindfulness before and after the intervention. Objectives: To determine the portability and efficacy of a mobile mindfulness application to improve provider comp (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Amy Petrinec PhD (Committee Chair); Marilyn Nibling DNP (Committee Member); Pam Stephenson PhD (Committee Member); Cindy Byrd DNP (Advisor) Subjects: Health Care; Health Care Management; Nursing

Doctor of Philosophy in Urban Education, Cleveland State University, 2020, College of Education and Human Services

Nearly one million military service members are enrolled in institutions of higher education, 800,000 of whom are using the Post 9/11 GI Bill. These individuals bring a distinct set of interpersonal and intrapersonal characteristics with them to college campuses, yet there is a paucity of research exploring the factors related to their college adjustment. The literature that exists has focused on this population's challenges and pathology. College adjustment is understood as the way in which individuals acclimate to the new environment and culture of academia. Resilience is considered to be a function of personal and environmental characteristics that explain why some people flourish after trauma and others do not. The “healthy warrior effect” suggests that student service members/veterans (SSM/Vs) have lower vulnerability to stress in college because of their maturity and life experiences. Therefore, in this quantitative study, I used a strengths-based, positive psychology perspective to understand the college adjustment of SSM/Vs. I explored the effects of mental health diagnoses on adjustment as mediated by resilience. A final sample of 123 participants was derived from both Amazon's MTURK and 10 universities across the United States. Participants were 18+ years of age, identified as current or former military service members, and were current undergraduate or graduate students. Moderation analysis assessed whether the relationship between resilience and college adjustment differed depending on: 1) SSM/V combat exposure; and 2) military affiliation status (e.g. veteran versus National Guard/Reserve member). Mediation analysis examined whether resilience mediated the relationship between PTSD, depression, and anxiety diagnoses and college adjustment. Support was found for all but one hypothesis. Implications for practice and research as well as the strengths and limitations of the study will be discussed.

Committee: Julia Phillips Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Michael Horvath Ph.D. (Committee Member); Kelly Yu-Hsin Liao Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Clinical Psychology; Counseling Psychology; Psychology

MA, University of Cincinnati, 2019, Arts and Sciences: Communication

This study explores the coping mechanisms developed by African American women who hold or have held C-suite executive positions when facing microaggressions in the workplace. In an attempt to understand the barriers these women encounter based upon their racial and gender identitiy, I utilize the Microaggression and Resiliency Theory as the conceptual framework. The significance of this study narrows in on a demographic of women who lack in numbers, translating to a lack of voices and experiences being shared when faced with discrimination and how they are able to `get back up' once they are knocked down. Using this critical interpretative approach, the findings show that African American women C-suite executives are experiencing microaggressions, specifically indirect manifestations verbally and nonverbally. The findings also provide insight on how other women in these powerful positions can develop the needed skills and habits, to be able to push through with their resiliency.

Committee: Ronald Jackson II Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Sonja Feist-Price Ph.D. (Committee Member); Eric Jenkins Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Communication

Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 2018, Psychology/Clinical

Psychiatric hospitalization can be viewed as a difficult life event that can cause disruptions in several life domains (Cohen, 1994). Individuals who experience a psychiatric hospitalization are at a greater risk for experiencing readmission to the hospital and social stigma that can interrupt their ability to function in daily life, and even suffer work-related setbacks (Loch, 2014). Much of the research characterizes resiliency as a set of traits possessed by an individual. Studies using such measures found that adults with serious mental illness [SMI] have lower resiliency scores than the general population. However, relatively little is known about specific aspects of resiliency that adults might rely upon in their adjustment to community life after psychiatric hospitalization. The present qualitative study examined first-person accounts of eleven adults coping with a serious mental illness who have experienced a psychiatric hospitalization in a 24-month period. The research examines components of resiliency that assist adults in community adjustment following a psychiatric hospitalization. Results identify themes among participant perceptions of system- and individual-driven helpful and unhelpful aspects of the hospitalization. Results also provide more details to the nuances in individual resiliency components (i.e., goal-setting, commitment, patience, humor, past accomplishments) and social components that help adults with serious mental illness bounce back from psychiatric hospitalizations. About half (n=6) of the sample identified bouncing back to the same level of life satisfaction whereas the remainder identified bounding back to a higher level of life satisfaction. These results contribute to a better understanding of resiliency components associated with better post-discharge community integration which will help mental healthcare workers better serve individuals reentering their community.

Committee: Catherine Stein PhD (Advisor); Dryw Dworsky PhD (Committee Member); Dale Klopfer PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD), Wright State University, 2019, School of Professional Psychology

The current global sociopolitical climate has resulted in the influx of refugees to the United States from all over the world. Those coming from the Middle East represent a large portion of refugees in the U.S., and children within this group make up a large percentage. The refugee process is characterized by stressful experiences in the premigration, migration, and resettlement stages. These experiences put refugee children at risk for distress and other mental health difficulties. Refugees must learn how to adjust and acculturate once in the host country, which can be a difficult task. Teachers are in a unique position in which they are likely to come in contact with child refugees and have the opportunity to assist them with adjustment and acculturation. Storybooks are useful to assist with adjustment and acculturation. However, there is a lack of storybooks for Middle Eastern refugee children that focus on diversity and coping in resettlement. The storybook was developed to assist Middle Eastern child refugees with achieving healthy adjustment and acculturation within the school setting through teaching of coping skills and promoting resilience. Given cultural stigma associated with mental health difficulties, a storybook that highlights strengths to promote resiliency may reduce stigma in the context of mental health difficulties by broadening these children's coping skill set and knowledge of resources. Finally, the storybook may have a wider reach by promoting empathy, acceptance of differences, and diversity in classrooms of refugee and nonrefugee children alike.

Committee: Janeece Warfield Psy.D. (Committee Chair); Michelle Schultz Psy.D. (Committee Co-Chair); Gokce Ergun Ph.D (Committee Member); Caprice Lambert Psy.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology

MPH, University of Cincinnati, 2018, Medicine: Biostatistics (Environmental Health)

This thesis covers two studies. Part 1 will begin with a survey of the literature on religious coping, depression, and burnout as well as where the concept of resiliency factors into this discussion. Then this section will address original research conducted with Hospice of Hope and studies hospice workers over a two-year period. The first year included 59 respondents, and the second year had 36 persons who participated, and 22 participated in both Year 1 and Year 2 data to provide longitudinal data. The survey measured depression (CES-D), religious coping (Brief-RCOPE), resiliency (BRS), self-esteem (RSES), various coping questions (COPE), and death attitudes (DAP-R); the researchers also included some additional questions regarding tobacco use. Then the data will be compared and discussed with how this relates to public health. The psychosocial and spiritual cost of working amidst death and dying is also applicable not only to hospice but also emergent care settings, such as the ICU and emergency medicine. Part 2 is a meta-analysis surveying the literature and comparing those studies which used both depression scales and the Religious COPE (whether the Brief-RCOPE, the full RCOPE, or another version of it like the JCOPE). The meta-analysis found that the Positive RCOPE was not significantly correlated in the diverse set of studies selected. However, the meta-analysis confirmed that spiritual struggle (measured by the Negative RCOPE) was highly correlated with Depression. This Thesis studies the public health issues which those employees around acute death settings interconnect with spiritual struggle, depression, resiliency, and explore possible future sources of study.

Committee: Marepalli| Rao Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Daniel Grossoehme D.M.P.C. (Committee Member); Marissa Wagner Oehlhof Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Public Health

Master of Science, University of Toledo, 2018, Civil Engineering

The concept of diversity has been used in many different fields with the basic idea that diversification can reduce risk and increase resilience. Yet, the use of diversity concepts in engineering infrastructure has been lacking. In particular, the water system has never been analyzed from a diversity perspective. In addition, the relation between diversity and efficiency is still debated in the literature. In this study, I addressed these literature gaps by conceptualizing and quantifying water diversity for the very first time. Data were collected from the United States Geological Survey and the Energy Information Administration. Diversity was calculated using the Shannon Weiner Index. I found the water use diversity to be 0.8 which is lower than the energy use diversity of 1.4. Water use diversity also fluctuated a lot; both temporally and across states, water diversity displayed much greater variation than energy diversity. The efficiency showed a positive correlation with diversity. This correlation was more evident for the energy system than for the water system.

Committee: Defne Apul (Committee Chair); Ashok Kumar (Committee Member); Daryl Moorhead (Committee Member) Subjects: Civil Engineering

MARCH, University of Cincinnati, 2018, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Architecture

The occurrence of natural disasters has increased in an alarming rate in the past decade due to the increasing effects of climate change. A joint report by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, and the Center for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters recorded 3,062 natural flood disasters that occurred around the world between 1995 and 2015, making “flooding” the most commonly occurring natural disaster, and with time the intensity and the frequency of such events will only continue to grow. This is an exploration on how architecture can intervene and facilitate in preserving communities in the face of disaster, specifically in battling floods. “Resilience” is one of the concepts that have been brought forward to be instilled in vulnerable communities to lower the impact from such disasters as a preventative and coping mechanism. While there are number of ways to achieve resilience in the built environment, this thesis aims to create a synthesis between resilience and “urban acupuncture”. It will consider strengthening communities from within, by layering a network of relatively small-scale, fast phased interventions on pre-existing conventional flood preventative large scale engineering infrastructure. By investigating “The Woodlands” a planned neighborhood as a case study, this thesis will argue that large scale water management solutions while extremely important will not suffice as a single solution particularly during a time of frequent and extreme weather events. The different projects will try to synthesize non-architectural aspects such as neighborhood aspirations, requirements, potential and awareness into a network of architectural forms that would collectively increase neighborhood resiliency to floods. If successful the project will translate into a methodology that accepts flooding and water management as part and parcel of daily life.

Committee: Elizabeth Riorden M.Arch. (Committee Chair); Michael McInturf M.Arch. (Committee Member) Subjects: Architecture

Doctor of Nursing Practice , Case Western Reserve University, 2018, School of Nursing

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to evaluate and examine the relationship between resiliency and a Certified Nurse-Midwife's (CNM) perception of empowerment that practice in the United States. Resilience is defined as the personal qualities that enable one to thrive in the face of adversity. Empowerment is defined as the midwife who has the ability, and the desire to practice independently, and autonomously. Methods: This study employed a quantitative descriptive correlational design to assess and evaluate the midwife's resilience and their perception of empowerment. Fifty-seven CNMs were given a questionnaire, which included specific demographic data, the Perception of Empowerment in Midwifery Practice Scale (PEMS) and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD RISC -10). Furthermore, two work dynamic questions were asked and analyzed. Results: The participants of this study were a homogenous sample of Certified Nurse-Midwives attending the 2018 ACNM Ohio Forward conference. The data and statistical analysis revealed and that they had considered themselves both resilient and had a moderate to high level perception of empowerment. Therefore, the null hypothesis for all four research questions was accepted. Conclusions: Organizations, leaders, and educators must think outside the box to promote their employees (nurses, students, and midwives) dimensions of psychological empowerment. An empowered and resilient midwife may empower their clients to make the best decisions for themselves.

Committee: Gretchen Mettler (Committee Chair); Latina Brooks (Committee Member); Kimberly Garcia (Committee Member) Subjects: Nursing