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Competitive language use: A linguistic analysis of speech and debate
Get PDFThis study explores linguistic variation in competitive debate and prepared speech. A corpus of competitive public speech was collected and the situational characteristics of two contexts were analyzed. The linguistic characteristics of texts in each category were calculated along five dimensions of variation found across texts in English, and placed among other types of texts. Results show that three of the dimensions were able to distinguish between the two registers. The results indicate a clear direction for future work and implications for English for Academic Purposes instruction
BRAIN-TARGETING POLYMERIC MICELLES FOR INTRANASAL DELIVERY OF RAPAMYCIN IN ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE TREATMENT
Get PDFAlzheimer’s disease (AD) is a long-term neurological disorder associated with neuroinflammation and amyloid-beta (Aβ) aggregation, which leads to a decline in cognitive and behavioral changes. Rapamycin (Rapa) is an immunosuppressive drug effective in preventing organ rejection after a kidney transplant. In the last few years, orally delivered Rapa has emerged as a potential candidate for improving cognitive function in patients with AD. However, it is evident that long-term oral treatment of Rapa causes systemic toxicity, and although controversial, it may even trigger the aggregation of Aβ deposition. This study investigated the therapeutic potential of intranasally delivered brain-targeting polymeric micelles carrying Rapa. We successfully prepared Fibronectin CS1 peptide-conjugated poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(D, L-lactic acid) (FibCS1-PEG-b-PLA) micelles carrying Rapa, which were 98.08 ± 1.15 nm in particle size with a polydispersity index of 0.21± 0.01. FibCS1-PEG-b-PLA micelles showed a significant improvement in the nasal permeation of Rapa across RPMI-2650 epithelial cells. Behavioral studies such as the corner, novel object recognition, and Morris Water Maze tests showed promising results towards the improvement of cognitive function in a 3xTg-AD mice model when treated with intranasal FibCS1-PEG-b-PLA micelles carrying RAPA at a dose of 0.2 mg/kg (q4d x 5). The western blot and ELISA results of the brain tissues of 3xTg-AD mice treated with intranasal FibCS1-PEG-b-PLA micelles carrying Rapa showed significant reductions in Aβ and two pro-inflammation markers (e.g., interleukin (IL)-1β, tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α). Here, we conclude that brain-targeting FibCS1-PEG-b-PLA micelles carrying Rapa were effective in reaching the brain via the intranasal route, reduced pro-inflammatory markers and Aβ, and improved cognitive function in AD-induced mice
THE EXPERIENCES OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL EDUCATORS WHO CHOOSE TO WORK IN AND REMAIN WORKING IN SCHOOLS THAT SERVE MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES
Get PDFFor decades, teacher attrition has continued to plague education, especially urban schools serving marginalized communities (Berry, 2004; Carver-Thomas & Darling-Hammond, 2017; Jacob, 2007; Ronfeldt et al., 2013). It is well documented that almost 50% of educators leave the profession within the first five years of teaching (Allen et al., 2019; Palma-Vasquez, 2022; Sims & Jerrim, 2020), and it is unsurprising that literature primarily focuses on why teachers leave. As a result, there is limited research that focuses on why teachers remain, and my dissertation contributes to this underdeveloped line of research. Embracing a multicase study design, I examine the experiences of educators who choose to work in and remain working in elementary schools that serve marginalized communities. This study features eight elementary school educators who have taught for a minimum of 5 years in schools serving marginalized communities. The participants include three teachers and one principal from an elementary charter school serving a marginalized community in New York City, as well as three retired teachers and one retired principal from the New York City Department of Education who formally left the profession in the last three years. Through this dissertation research, I highlight the experiences of teachers and administrators who have chosen to work in and have remained working in elementary schools serving marginalized communities. Grounded in the theoretical frameworks of culturally relevant pedagogy, care, and resilience, these three theories work in concert to highlight the values, relationships, and interactions imbued in the educators’ experiences. Overall, this dissertation sheds light on the interconnection of six key factors that appear across all the participants’ experiences: a sense of safety, opportunities for creativity, valuing students, belonging to a collective, the leadership of the principal, and ongoing capacity building. The examination of the data in light of these six themes calls attention to the values, relationships, interactions—dynamics that not only shape the educators’ experiences, but also inform the responsive practices that support the students and the teachers in schools serving marginalized communities
EXPLORING STUDENTS’ FEEDBACK LITERACY THROUGH ASYNCHRONOUS WRITING CENTER TUTORING SESSIONS: A MIXED-METHODS STUDY
Get PDFMLLs face linguistic and cultural complexities when engaging with writing feedback; however, writing center practices often follow monolingual models. This study examines how MLLs develop and apply feedback literacy—the ability to seek, interpret, and use feedback—compared to their non-MLL peers in asynchronous writing center consultations. Using a convergent mixed-methods design, the study integrates survey data from the Feedback Literacy Behavior Scale (FLBS) (N = 532; n = 146 MLLs, n = 386 non-MLLs) with qualitative case studies. The survey measured feedback-seeking behaviors, sense-making strategies, emotional regulation, and feedback application, while case studies used think-aloud protocols, semi-structured interviews, and revision analysis. Mann-Whitney U test results showed no significant differences in overall feedback literacy scores between MLLs and non-MLLs. However, two behavior items were significantly different, with p-values of Seeking Examples higher for MLLs (291.61 vs. 257.00, p =.017) and non-MLLs higher in Asking Clarification (278.65 vs. 234.37, p = .002). Qualitative findings revealed distinct engagement patterns. MLLs more frequently sought clarification, engaged in recursive revision, and synthesized feedback from multiple sources. In contrast, non-MLLs exhibited greater confidence in providing peer feedback but were more resistant to incorporating peer suggestions. Emotional responses also differed: MLLs showed greater adaptability while non-MLLs often viewed feedback as evaluation rather than development. These findings suggest four recommendations: (1) developing institution-wide initiatives to enhance feedback literacy support (2) training staff on how to embed feedback literacy in asynchronous consultations, (3) implementing cultural competency and training for writing center staff, and (4) establishing initiatives to address student use of AI tools in feedback utilization. This research advances understanding of MLL writing development and offers an evidence-based framework for equitable writing center practices that acknowledge and build upon MLLs’ feedback engagement strategies
BROAD AND SPECIFIC PARENTING PRACTICES’ EFFECTS ON TODDLERS’ PROSOCIAL DEVELOPMENT: A THREE-MONTH LONGITUDINAL STUDY
Get PDFProsocial behaviors typically emerge by age two and are associated with positive social and behavioral outcomes. Caregivers shape toddlers’ prosocial behavior development through broad (i.e., general warmth and sensitivity) and specific (i.e., social and material reinforcement) parenting practices. However, current research findings are mixed due to differences in toddler age, parenting practices studied, and the tendency to aggregate prosocial behaviors into one category. This aggregation approach overlooks the unique neurocognitive correlates, skills, and developmental trajectories of individual prosocial behaviors. To address these gaps, the current study investigates how broad and specific parenting practices relate to helping, sharing, and comforting, both concurrently and over time, and whether these relations differ by toddler age. Participants included 398 mothers of toddlers (18 or 24 months old) who completed parent-report scales measuring broad (i.e., parental warmth and sensitivity) and specific (i.e., social and material reinforcement) parenting practices and toddlers’ initial and three-month-later helping, sharing, and comforting frequency. Broad parenting practices were associated with toddlers’ increased initial helping, sharing, and comforting and with helping and comforting three months later. However, specific reinforcement strategies were mostly unrelated to toddlers’ prosocial behaviors. When parents used increased material rewards, their toddlers showed fewer initial helping behaviors. Yet, parents’ use of material rewards was unrelated to toddlers’ remaining prosocial behaviors at any other time. As parents used increased social rewards, there was no relationship with toddlers’ helping, sharing, and comforting at either time. Age differences emerged, such that broad parenting practices were positively related to initial helping frequency in older (24-month-old) but not younger (18-month-old) toddlers. These findings suggest parental warmth and sensitivity, compared to parents’ use of reinforcement strategies, may more strongly support the development of toddlers’ prosocial behaviors. These findings display the importance of examining relations between parenting practices and toddlers’ prosocial behavior development in nuanced ways
BARRIERS TO SUCCESS IN HIGHER EDUCATION FOR SECOND-GENERATION CARIBBEAN AMERICAN MEN
Get PDFWhile the United States may be progressing, second-generation Caribbean American men, those with at least one foreign-born parent (US Census Bureau, 2016), are a population that, despite literature addressing benefits and detriments of their cultural experiences, still warrants continued examination through empirical testing (Lyttle et al., 2011). These students have a range of factors that make them nontraditional students. Challenges such as racism, sexual and ethnic identity, and generational status in this country can be compounded when cultural perspectives of immigrant families are factored in. Caribbean American men are guided by learned behaviors and cultural traditions that influence training and long-established education, specifically surrounding their perceptions of women, Black Americans, and themselves. Structures such as institutional racism and hegemony play heavily in the hierarchy of the higher educational system. These constructs impact the sense of belonging of the target population (Moore & Barker, 2012). The researcher will use phenomenology as the qualitative methodology to examine the perspectives of second-generation Caribbean American males in higher education regarding barriers to success, while infusing personal experiences from learner, teacher, to administrator and apply it to the barriers faced. Through the use of interview, focus groups, and use of documents as a part of qualitative research methods, the researcher will examine the barriers to success of second-generation Caribbean American men in higher education. For this study, success at the student level entails completion of an undergraduate degree in five years or fewer. At the administrative level, success encompasses employment at an accredited institution with employee evaluations that are satisfactory or above. Higher education is education beyond the high/secondary school level, specifically attendance at college or university. The study will be conducted at a four-year institution in the Northeast United States with second-generation Caribbean American men
BEYOND THE BORDER: ANALYZING THE ROLE OF UNJUST U.S POLICIES IN SHAPING THE MIGRANT CRISIS IN NEW YORK CITY.
Get PDFThis thesis examines how unjust and dysfunctional U.S. immigration laws have shaped the migrant crisis in New York City, particularly during the 2022-2024 influx of migrants, through the lens of Critical Race Theory (CRT). It explores how racialized immigration policies, systemic inequities, and rising nativism have intensified challenges faced by migrants from Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, and other marginalized regions. The study examines political opposition and media portrayals since the mid-1980s that hindered immigration reform, exposing a flawed system lacking adequate legal pathways. This inadequate framework has fueled discrimination and worsened asylum seekers\u27 hardships. Driven by nativist sentiment and biased media, these policies worsened New York City’s 2022-2024 migrant crisis, overwhelming infrastructure, depleting resources, and prompting ineffective responses.. The thesis highlights the intersection of race, immigration law, and socio-economic status, demonstrating how unjust immigration practices and xenophobic attitudes perpetuate cycles of marginalization, legal exclusion, and dehumanization. Ultimately, this work advocates for comprehensive immigration reform rooted in racial justice and human dignity. It calls for reevaluating immigration policies to create a just, humane, and effective system that promotes inclusivity, addresses systemic inequities, and respects all immigrants
THE BELIEFS AND ATTITUDES HELD BY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ON EMOJI USAGE FOR COMMUNICATION
Get PDFThis qualitative, phenomenological study explored the attitudes and beliefs of high school students regarding emoji use and its impact on their communication with others. Despite the prevalence of emoji use among adolescents, limited research has examined how students interpret and apply these visual symbols. Eleven high school students from Dutchess County, New York, participated in in-depth interviews. Data were analyzed using the theoretical frameworks of semiotics and constructivism to interpret how the students assigned meaning to emojis. Key findings identified emojis as emotional amplifiers, tone clarifiers, and tools of efficient communication. Participants also noted challenges related to misinterpretation and generational differences. This study offers insights into the evolving role of emojis in digital communication, emphasizing the importance of emoji literacy for clearer and more effective communication among students. Recommendations for future research include exploring the application of these findings in educational and professional settings
THE LONG SHADOW OF PRIDE AND PREJUDICE ON CONTEMPORARY FICTIONS OF ARRANGED MARRIAGE AND MARRIAGES OF ALLIANCE
No full textThis dissertation is an examination of the conflicts between arranged marriage and companionate marriage in selected contemporary Anglo-Indian novels and novels about Orthodox Judaism. The project’s guiding focus is how modern ideals of independence and choice in marriage coexist simultaneously with older ideals of marriage as family or personal “alliance.” The dissertation has a historical chapter that shows that although ideals of companionate marriage have become norms of 20th century western society and literature, the term “companionate marriage” is a recent invention and convention, and that various degrees and forms of arranged marriage, or marriages of alliance, continue despite their unfashionability among English speakers. Contemporary Anglo Indian and orthodox Jewish novels show this tension clearly. In following chapters, the principal texts I study from Orthodox Judaism include Deborah Feldman’s, Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots (2012) as well as Abraham’s The Romance Reader (1996) and Eve Harris’ The Marrying of Chani Kaufman (2013). I will also be using Shoban Bantwal’s, The Dowry Bride (2007) and Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s, Arranged Marriage Stories (1995) to illustrate how representations of arranged marriage are being exemplified within the Anglo-Indian novel. Finally, I analyze two modern day novels revolving around Jane Austen’s influence, such as, Eligible (2016) by Curtis Sittenfeld and Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart (2010) by Beth Pattillo. Both Pattillo and Sittenfeld’s novels suggest a nostalgia for a time when a comfortable arrangement could be harmonized with a satisfying companionate choice. The yield of this project is to enlarge our sense of the contemporary marriage plot, where a meeting of the minds is only one part of the significant social rituals that surround marriage
OPERATION AIRLIFT AFRICA: AMERICAN EDUCATION AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF FUTURE LEADERS FROM BRITISH COLONIES IN EAST AND CENTRAL AFRICA
No full textIn the late 1950s and early 1960s, over 800 students from British East and Central Africa gained access to American education through Operation Airlift Africa (OAA), a visionary initiative led by Kenyan trade unionist and politician Tom Mboya. Funded by private American donors, including Senator John F. Kennedy, and supported by scholarships from U.S. institutions, the program enabled African students to attend high schools, colleges, and universities in North America, mostly in the United States. This dissertation explores the impact of OAA on educational access for colonial subjects and its role in shaping future African leadership. The study argues that British colonial education policies restricted higher learning opportunities for Africans, prompting nationalist leaders to seek alternatives abroad. The research draws on archival records, declassified government documents, personal memoirs, and oral histories to assess whether missionary education helped mitigate these deficits and how OAA expanded access. Notable beneficiaries include Barack Obama Sr., father of the 44th U.S. president, and Dr. Wangari Maathai, Kenya’s Nobel Peace Prize laureate. The Cold War context significantly influenced the program’s trajectory. While the 1959 and 1960 airlifts were privately funded, the involvement of the U.S. government in 1961, due to its strategic interests in Africa, enabled broader participation and institutional support. This shift helped solidify educational pathways for African students and indirectly strengthened U.S.-Africa relations. Although the African American Students Foundation (AASF) ceased operations in 1961, favorable U.S. policies allowed African students to continue studying in North America. Legacy programs inspired by OAA, such as the Unitarian Universalist Association, Zawadi Education Fund (founded by Susan Mboya), and the Obama administration’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), have sustained this educational pipeline. The dissertation concludes that the OAA program was a catalyst for leadership development in post-colonial Africa. It not only addressed educational inequities but also laid the groundwork for enduring partnerships between Africa and the United States. The program’s legacy continues through modern initiatives that promote African advancement through education