This study is an exploration of experiences of Chicanx butch lesbian students who are navigating higher education environments in San Antonio, TX. Focused on the intersection of race, gender, and sexual identities, the testimonios in this study highlight how Chicanx butch lesbian students subvert and challenge dominant heteronormative and…

This phenomenological research study highlights the voiced needs and desires of individuals with Down syndrome, aged 21-30, experiencing the phenomenon of identifying as neurodiverse while living in a world designed for the neurotypical. The study provides a deeper understanding of lived experiences of individuals with Down syndrome as they enter…

Beauty is a concept that is socially constructed. Although superficial, beauty is a form of currency that can add value and provide opportunities. The problem with beauty construction is that it is rooted in hegemonic European beauty ideals that negatively rejects Black features and shapes the perceptions of Black women's appearance and the…

Following the passage of the Higher Education Opportunity Act in 2008, inclusive post-secondary education (IPSE) opportunities for individuals with intellectual disabilities began to emerge on campuses. Since then, the number of programs has grown exponentially, but there is still much to learn about this new category. As these programs grew, a…

The higher education problem addressed in this study was racial inequity in student outcomes in California Community Colleges. The purpose of this narrative study was to explore the feelings White administrators had about race and describe the emotional management White administrators engaged in to uphold and/or transform racist structures.…

This study aimed to explore and understand the impact of the Graduate Certificate in Workplace Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI Graduate Certificate) on master's and doctoral students' social empathy (SE) development. The participants in this certificate engaged in several online activities that increased their knowledge of microaggressions,…

This study aimed to explore and understand the impact of the Graduate Certificate in Workplace Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI Graduate Certificate) on master's and doctoral students' social empathy (SE) development. The participants in this certificate engaged in several online activities that increased their knowledge of microaggressions,…

Higher education institutions continue to make significant strides in increasing the number of women in leadership positions, however, there continues to be an underrepresentation of women in leadership positions at higher education institutions in the Western United States. To explore the underrepresentation of women in leadership positions, the…

This study explores how International Higher Education (IHE) practitioners at public universities in the United States perceive interactions with those in the faculty role when working to achieve internationalization aims. Additionally, this study explores the insights these practitioners have for developing and sustaining generative relationships…

Sexual violence continues to be an issue that impacts student safety on college campuses. Approximately a quarter of students directly face violence in higher education. In the last several decades, college professionals have implemented a variety of sexual violence prevention programming and policies. However, these efforts have not decreased the…

This intrinsic multiple case study examined secondary- and university-level educators' experiences teaching with "Healing Earth," a curriculum developed by the International Jesuit Ecology Project at Loyola University Chicago, which merges scientific, social, spiritual, and ethical analyses of pressing ecological issues. Based on the…

This dissertation explores the newly theorized concept of "sexualized aggression" in U.S. college women's social drinking spaces (e.g., parties, bars, clubs). I developed the concept of sexualized aggression to refer to understudied and overlooked forms of sexual assault and aggression--more specifically, sexual assault that happens in…

Sexual assault against women is a pervasive problem on college campuses in the United States (Canan, Jozkowski, & Crawford, 2018). Interventions to prevent sexual violence have been developed to target men. However, they generally lack a specific guiding theory and show mixed results (Caver, 2013). Factors such as adherence to traditional…

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) persons are largely invisible in historically Black post-secondary education research and discourse. To this end, LGBTQ students attending historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are often ignored and their voices are silenced, thus impacting their feelings of marginality and…

Sexual violence is one of the most serious issues on college and university campuses today. It is estimated that approximately one in five college women experiences sexual assault in their lifetime, and sexual assault has appeared on the AASCU's list of top ten issues in higher education almost every year for the last decade. However,…