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…

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…

Purpose. The purpose of this qualitative, life history study was to explore the cumulation of life and lived work experience and perceptions of gay male K-12 teachers in Southern California, and how school leadership has affected that journey. Theoretical Framework. Queer theory was the theoretical framework used in this story. The theory studies…

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…

As global challenges increasingly require an interdisciplinary approach, this study highlights the urgency of taking stock of the forces that guide how teachers navigate complicated concepts in their classrooms such as climate change. This study takes up science education more specifically and emphasizes that not only is it important that students…

First-generation college students are a population of students who are often under-served in higher education institutions. Previous research indicates their well-being is impacted by their experiences within the collegiate environment, which contributes to their lower retention and graduation rates. The purpose of this qualitative research study…

Mental health concerns of college students are important due to their developmental and life stages and adjustment challenges they must navigate in a new and difficult environment. Compared to students of other ethnicities, Black college students in the United States have historically reported poorer mental health outcomes with higher risk for…

Background: College sexual violence (CSV) victimization is associated with mental health issues with more recent research showing that victimization also has a negative impact on academic outcomes. While many universities offer a wide range of both advocacy and supportive services for survivors that can help address the negative impacts of CSV,…

The purpose of this study was to understand the experiences of transgender higher education professionals. There have been great strides in the acceptance and inclusion of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals. However, the acceptance level of transgender individuals has not reached the same level as the LGB community. Utilizing a…

Today's modern landscape of leaders fails to accurately represent societal diversity. This inequity, as in all inequities, is not accidental, but instead the results of socially constructed norms that begin in childhood. In this dissertation, I question how internalized norms of white supremacy and patriarchy perpetuate racial and gender aligned…

In this multi-sited critical ethnographic project, I examine the school experiences of Black West immigrant students at two Bronx, NY public high schools during the 2016-2017 school year. This project explores the following: 1) the ways in which perceptions of Blackness and Africanness impact how Black West African immigrant students are viewed…

The purpose of this research was to investigate the sociocultural model of eating disorder development among male and female college student-athletes as moderated by students' level of Reflective Judgment, a stage theory of adult epistemology marked by increasing cognitive complexity. A review of literature on the established relationships between…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to research how social reproduction perpetuates and replicates the status quo in the community college classroom, especially as perceived by first-generation students. The study investigated two questions: How is social reproduction enacted in the community college classroom? How do first-generation…

This study investigated relationships between student's Collegiate DECA commitment, psychological capital, mentoring, and perceived career commitment. Proposed relationships were supported with several psychological theories and frameworks including Organizational Commitment, Psychological Capital, and Social Identity Theory. Data was…

My work engages links between notions of disability and notions of deservedness; the ways in which they are consequential; and how they are constructed and sustained. For my dissertation research I studied a select group of people at two sites of high visibility and focused practice: I used ethnographic methodology to collect qualitative data…