Humans are arguably the most interesting subjects in computer vision. Modeling human 3D geometry from images captured by highly sophisticated production level cameras (10-100 cameras with precise calibration) enable a number of applications, e.g. telepresence, virtual try-on, motion analysis, etc. Despite its production level quality, the…

This study is quantitative and includes a non-experimental research design between the constructs of the Full Range Leadership Model and Burnout dimensions. This study examined the relationship between leadership styles and burnout as perceived by the follower while controlling gender, age, tenure, and educational attainment. Participants were…

In 2019 the world experienced a medical emergency that impacted education across the world. Several states in the United States had professional learning communities introduced into their schools as a means to enhance academic achievement prior to COVID 19. In order to show support to the schools and increase student achievement, a state…

Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CLD) is an education term used to define students enrolled in public schools whose language and culture do not match the dominant culture. Assessing CLD students has been an ongoing challenge in school psychology for decades. Significant disproportionality includes CLD populations, special education…

Multilevel modeling is commonly used with clustered data, and much emphasis has been placed specifically on the multilevel linear model (MLM). When modeling clustered ordinal data, a multilevel ordinal model with cumulative logit link assuming proportional odds (i.e., multilevel cumulative logit model) is typically used. Depending on the research…

Attracting and retaining diverse individuals is a core goal for reform efforts within in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) gateway courses. Evidence-based instructional strategies in STEM, including those that incorporate scientific practices, have demonstrated promising findings regarding student learning gains. Inspired by…

This dissertation includes three individual articles that explore the relationship between witnessing bullying and defending behavior among students who are bystanders of bullying. Chapter One provides the rationale and purpose of this dissertation and an overview of the three articles that comprise it. Chapter Two employed a cross-sectional…

This qualitative study explored the influence of racialized lived experiences (RLEs) on equitable decision-making among philanthropic leaders, employing a narrative inquiry approach. It examined how diversity within philanthropy, beyond tokenistic representation, can introduce a wide range of perspectives that enhance equitable decision-making…

Previous research has been limited regarding the measurement of computational thinking, particularly as a learning progression in K-12. This study proposes to apply a multidimensional item response theory (IRT) model to a newly developed measure of computational thinking utilizing both selected response and open-ended polytomous items to establish…

The main purpose of this study was to compare delay discounting of hypothetical monetary outcomes by adolescents adjudicated of illegal behavior to that of college students in order to lay a foundation for future discounting work with adjudicated adolescents. It is important to note that we conducted this work during the COVID-19 pandemic, which…

This quantitative, correlational study aims to determine if a predictive relationship exists between teacher perceptions of Tennessee's teacher evaluation and the linear combination of teacher gender, years of experience, and school-level taught (elementary, middle, high). Although teachers have recognized the current teacher evaluation system,…

Prominent student engagement theorist Nora (2011) cited the assertion that models of student engagement "such as those underlying the National Study of Student Engagement and the Community College Study of Student Engagement, are misspecified due to the lack of incorporation of culturally relevant variables" (p.127). The purpose of this…

The purpose of this study was to discover factors about first-time freshmen that began at one of the six 4-year universities in the former Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) system, transferred to any other institution after their first year, and graduated with a degree or certificate. These factors would be used with predictive models to identify…

The present study examined the intersection of sexual orientation identity, spirituality, and gender in queer male university students. Many higher education institutions offer a supportive, secure environment for queer persons to explore and grow into their understanding of self, resolving any potential conflicts arising from their intersecting…

This descriptive-comparative study investigated the impact of different instructional models on a university level Precalculus course on students' achievement. Participant data (N = 14,993) was collected from Fall 2008 to Spring 2019 and categorized into four different instructional models: traditional, modular, emporium v.1, and emporium v.2.…