Dissertations

Conceptualization and implementation of independent research through the dissertation process is the culmination of doctoral study.

Prior to the dissertation process, doctoral candidates should familiarize themselves with policies and procedures described in the Handbook for Ph.D. Students and Advisors and the Guidelines for Preparation of Theses and Dissertations.

The Office of Administrative Affairs and Graduate Education examines all College and Graduate School of Education, Health, and Human Services dissertations prior to filing with the University Libraries. We are fortunate to have many highly productive doctoral program areas which generate and produce a considerable number of dissertations. Doctoral candidates use guidelines from the Ph.D. Handbook in the completion of their dissertation.

Find A Dissertation

The dissertation abstracts listed below are intended to give readers an awareness of the numerous issues covered as well as to provide a reference list about topics impacting professional education.

Current abstracts: Spring 2018

Implementation of communicative language teaching across six foreign languages

Alsaghiar, Ahmed A., Ph.D.

Curriculum and Instruction

Co-Directors of Dissertation:

Denise N. Morgan, Ph.D.
William P. Bintz, Ph.D.

Assessing intercultural competence and exploring practices of multicultural literature among elementary language arts teachers

Chang, Shu-Ching, Ph.D.

Curriculum and Instruction

Co-Directors of Dissertation:

Kenneth Cushner, Ed.D.
William P. Bintz , Ph.D.

Evaluation of a psychoeducationally -based program addressing bullying among students with disabilities through teacher training

Denzer, Anna Q., Ph.D.

School Psychology

Director of Dissertation:

Richard J. Cowan, Ph.D.

Physiological responses to single and double leg cycling in normoxic and hypoxic conditions

Draper, Shane N., Ph.D.

Exercise Physiology

Director of Dissertation:

John McDaniel, Ph.D.

Evaluating the feasibility of a group adapted shared reading emergent literacy intervention for children with ASD

Fissel, Schea N., Ph.D.

Speech Language Pathology

Director of Dissertation:

Sloane Burgess, Ph.D.

Understanding how couples maintain fidelity: the development of a theory of protective factors using grounded theory

Fye, Marissa A., Ph.D.

Counselor Education and Supervision

Co-Directors of Dissertation:

Jason McGlothlin, Ph.D.
Betsy Page, Ph.D.

The development of an instrument to assess students’ perceptions of quality of social media practices during the admissions cycle

Gregory, Dennis K., Ph.D.

Higher Education Administration

Co-Directors of Dissertation

Stephen Thomas, Ed.D.
Erica Eckert, Ph.D.

Patterns in allegations of workplace discrimination filed by Americans with substance use disorders under title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act

Leslie, Mykal J., Ph.D.

Counselor Education and Supervision

Co-directors of Dissertation:

Martin J. Jencius, Ph.D.
John S. Rainey, Ph.D.

An examination of whether scores of attitudes based on labels and counselor attributes predict scores of human relations and beliefs about rape in counselors

Litam, Stacey Diane A., Ph.D.

Counselor Education and Supervision

Co-directors of Dissertation:

Jane A. Cox, Ph.D.
Steven Rainey, Ph.D.

A narrative analysis of gay males’ experience with Christianity: identity, intersection, and counseling considerations

McKinney, Rob, Ph.D.

Counselor Education and Supervision

Co-Directors of Dissertation:

J. Steven Rainey, Ph.D.
Cassandra A. Storlie, Ph.D.

Adjustment experiences of Zimbabwean international students in the United States and their perceptions of United States mental health counseling

Mupinga, Emily E., Ph.D.

Counselor Education and Supervision

Co-Directors of Dissertation:

Jane A. Cox, Ph.D.
Lynne Guillot-Miller, Ph.D.

A qualitative study of faculty motivations of engagement in internationalization

Nyangau, Josiah Z., Ph.D.

Higher Education Administration

Director of Dissertation:

Martha C. Merrill, Ph.D.

An investigation of pre-service teacher assessment literacy and assessment confidence: measure development and edpta performance

Ryan, Kelli A., Ph.D.

Evaluation and Measurement

Director of Dissertation:

Aryn C. Karpinski, Ph.D.

International students’ experiences with academic advising at a mid-western public research university

Saha, Neete, Ph.D.

Higher Education Administration

Co-Directors of Dissertation:

Mark A. Kretovics, Ph.D.
Martha C. Merrill, Ph.D.

Working alongside a therapy dog: a phenomenological study of school counselors’ experiences

Sloan-Oberdier, Shirley M., Ph.D.

Counselor Education and Supervision

Co-Directors of Dissertation:

Jane A. Cox, Ph.D.
John D. West, Ph.D.

A phenomenological study of how Orthodox Jews experience spirituality and religiosity within the context of marriage

Stern, Sholom D., Ph.D.

Counseling and Human Development Services

Co-Directors of Dissertation:

Martin Jencius, Ph.D.
Jason McGlothlin, Ph.D.

Examination of a rating scale to assess teachers’ treatment acceptability of reading interventions for struggling readers in elementary schools

Unluol Unal, Neslihan, Ph.D.

Special Education

Co-Directors of Dissertation:

Andrew L. Wiley, Ph.D.
Brian R. Barber, Ph.D.

Multimodal composing in support of disciplinary literacy: a search for context in ela and history classrooms

Walsh-Moorman, Elizabeth A., Ph.D.,

Curriculum and Instruction

Co-Directors of Dissertation:

William A. Kist, Ph.D.
Kristine E. Pytash, Ph.D.