Supporting the development of an antiracist identity in counselors could facilitate change toward equity, justice, and opportunity within the counseling profession and increase awareness of white counselors in working with clients of color. Understanding obstacles to and enablers of antiracist attitudes in white women counselors holds the…

This dissertation is comprised of two studies that investigate the nuances of parent and peer ethnic racial socialization (ERS). I focus on the dynamic relationship between parent and peer ERS by examining its frequency and effects specifically for Black emerging adults in college as well as uncovering the prevalence of Black college students'…

Predominant sustainability pedagogy and science largely focus on fixing existing problems via solutions external to humans (e.g. carbon sequestration, renewable energy). While external or outer interventions can support a transition to a sustainable future, internal or inner developments should also be highly valued. For this dissertation, I…

The purpose of this study was to explore how emotions and identity development create pathways for White deans of students to understand their responsibility in fostering a campus community that is equitable for all. From the frameworks of emotional intelligence and White identity development, I illustrated the nature of the varying, often…

This dissertation offered insights into the repercussions of safetyism within societies shaped by cognitive distortions and political correctness. Safetyism, which prioritized emotional safety over intellectual liberty and a multitude of viewpoints, contributed to heightened vulnerability among individuals. Protecting individuals from provocative…

Mindsets have been gaining popularity recently in the field of second language acquisition (SLA). There have been studies exploring language mindsets in relation to emotions such as anxiety and fear of failure (e.g., Lou & Noels, 2017), anxiety, rejection sensitivity, contact avoidance, and willingness to interact (e.g., Lou & Noels,…

Despite the massive influx of new Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion roles created across the public and private sectors since 2020, there remains a glaring gap in research in this critical area. While existing research showcases the disparities that systems of oppression created for Black women, what's missing is research providing actionable…

The purpose of this quasi-mixed methods study was to explore how African American males' psychosocial factors impacted their motivation to pursue a postsecondary education and if differences existed between the demographic variables and external psychosocial factors of African American males who pursued a postsecondary education and those who did…

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), including Computer Science (CS) are fields that are in great demand globally. This study's purpose was to explore the nature of the educational pathways, critical factors and commonalities/differences leading to CS undergraduate enrollment through the male and female perspectives focusing on…

During the past decade, college students have experienced increasing levels of anxiety, depression, and substance use, which impacts both academic performance and daily functioning. At the same time, declining levels of civic engagement among young adults highlights the importance of higher education's explicit goal of fostering the development of…

There is a significant body of literature highlighting the impact of unwanted sexual experiences (USEs) on undergraduate health, disproportionately affecting female students compared to their male counterparts. Although we know much about the negative consequences of this concerning social and public health issue, we know little about survivor's…

An unprecedented 65.6 million persons are forcibly displaced (e.g., refugees, asylum-seekers, IDPs). Half are youth. Hope is often the feeling that sustains youth through intolerable conditions. Basic education in protracted areas is seen as a protective factor that nurtures hope and psychosocial wellbeing in the lives of children and youth. This…

The purpose of this qualitative case study was two-fold: to investigate the dialog about psychosocial aspects of health care in problem based learning (PBL) groups in a single medical school; and to describe the factors that learners and PBL facilitators identify as influencing dialog about these issues in PBL groups. Medical education is a…

Devastating life experiences continually plague many foster care youth throughout their entire lives on social, emotional, educational, psychological, and physical levels. Oftentimes, the cumulative effect of these events results in large numbers of individuals dropping out of school and becoming increasingly disconnected from people and many…

Previous research has suggested that relationship education (RE) courses, whose curricula are intended to develop learners' emotional faculties, could raise participants' skills related to recognizing, managing, and empathizing with emotions, known as emotional competence (EC), but this relationship has not been ascertained to exist for…