Patriarchal systems of power, privilege, and oppression are reinforced by college men every day, but there are certain populations of college men who wield a stronger ability to influence change. Student-athlete men at NCAA Division III institutions are often viewed as "culture creators" on their campuses. Moreover, many of these…

Billions of dollars are spent each year on athletic teams and the education of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) student-athletes. Successful athletic programs require teams that are excelling in the classroom and also within their sports. Stakeholders are continually searching for factors that impact the academic success of the…

The purpose of this study was to examine whether resilience would predict the frequency of non-medicinal use of prescription drugs [NMUPD] among college students. A further objective of this study was to explore differences in the frequency of NMUPD by groups based on gender identity, race, and sexual identity. A total of 1,950 undergraduate…

Men of color (MoC) and Black male initiative (BMI) mentorship programs create a complicated experience for men who identify as gay, bisexual, and queer. The purpose of this phenomenology and arts-based research study unearths the experiences of Black gay, bisexual, and queer men (BGBQM) within these programmatic contexts. This study sought to…

Although the body of research about LGBTQ+ students in higher education is growing, little is known about the experiences, success rates, persistence, and graduation rates of sexual minority community college students. Researchers studying this population frequently cite a lack of available data that would assist in exploring the experiences of…

Dominant systems of White masculinity--or attitudes, behaviors, and ideologies rooted in White masculine dominance alongside homophobia, misogyny, and racism--within higher education impact how students frame and understand their identities and experiences during their undergraduate careers. For sexual-minority men and transmasculine individuals,…

The purpose of this qualitative study is to examine the college choice experiences of Black College Women. Through the theoretical framework of Yosso's (2005) Community Cultural Wealth model, this study sought to examine how Black College Women incorporated aspirational, familial, linguistic, navigational, social, and resistance capital in…

This dissertation is concentrated on transgender students with recognition of LGBTQIA+ students across the board. There is a deficiency of information in education on how to assist high school students who are transgender. This literature review encompasses the transgender experiences and addresses major depression, gender dysphoria, minority…

Purpose: The purpose of this journal-ready dissertation was to determine the degree to which cyberbullying prevention and intervention efforts were provided at different school levels (i.e., elementary, middle, and high). In the first journal article, the extent to which the frequencies of cyberbullying teacher trainings differ by school level was…

Graduate education follows an apprenticeship model, primarily aimed at preparing students for academia; however, the inclusion of teaching within this apprenticeship is not always clear as faculty, students, and other stakeholders do not agree on the need for instructional training (Golde & Dore, 2001). Despite the variability in training,…

The benefits of physical activity to individual physical and mental health, as well as wider society, are well established. Yet, the physical activity participation levels of many remain insufficient, and considerable disparities (inequities) exist. Physical activity inequities tend to mirror those in associated health outcomes. Thus, identifying…

US elementary schools and classrooms are settings for gender socialization. Whether intentional or not, teachers communicate expectations for students' gender identity/expression in their classrooms and beyond; however, teachers' influences on gender identity/expression remain underexamined. The current study aims to fill gaps in the literature by…

This work aims to connect the disparate elements of 'doing astronomy' involved in the production of knowledge, highlighting the advantages of an interdisciplinary approach and emphasizing the importance of each component to the overall success of the field. Broadly dividing the work into ideas, tools, and people, each area will be exemplified to…

This dissertation explores the identity development of Muslim American women (N = 25) in higher education, utilizing intersectionality as both a methodological and theoretical framework. First and foremost, it centers the lived experiences, agency, and autonomy of Muslim women throughout the findings. Second, it takes into account the intersecting…

This multiple case study interrogates the pedagogical practice of queering LGBTQ-inclusive children's literature in 3rd-6th grade classrooms. Five teachers, representing both private and public schools, demonstrated their process of using LGBTQ-inclusive literature by participating in interviews, observations, and providing supporting documents.…