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Predicting academic self-efficacy in foster care alumni
No full textThis dissertation explores academic self-efficacy in college students who were previously in foster care (termed “foster care alumni”). The research design is guided by and grounded in self-efficacy theory, using predictor variables aligned with Bandura’s (1982) four sources of self-efficacy (mastery experience, physiological arousal, social persuasion, vicarious experience). Findings demonstrate support for Bandura’s (1982) self-efficacy theory, that mastery experience, physiological arousal, social persuasion, and vicarious experience together predict self-efficacy (F(6,60) = 11.05, p < .001). Although findings did not support mastery experience as the strongest predictor of self-efficacy (high school GPA = -.12, p = .30 and college GPA = .09, p = .42), rather found physiological arousal to be most predictive ( = -.57, p < .001). As a result of these findings, clinicians and school personnel should consider focusing supportive efforts for foster care youth on decreasing academic anxiety and increasing social support to promote future academic success.Ph. D
The Grape Vine
No full textThis creative project is a documentary chronicling the formation and development of The Grape
Vine, an independent music group born out of friendship and shared ambition. Spanning
footage from 2021 to 2025, the film explores the challenges and triumphs of creating music
collaboratively while navigating distance, time constraints, and the realities of life post-college.
Drawing inspiration from groups like Brockhampton, The Grape Vine documents their work from
the ground up—building a musical identity outside traditional industry systems. The
documentary was constructed using interviews, archival footage, music sessions, and B-roll
collected over several years. Editing decisions were guided by themes of growth and
authenticity, with an emphasis on each member’s personality and creative role. The
accompanying thesis explores shifts in artist autonomy, the resurgence of self-released projects,
and the tension between creative control and visibility in an oversaturated market. This project
emphasizes the importance of self-starting, community-building, and carving alternative paths
in creative industries. Ultimately, this documentary serves as both an origin story and a
blueprint for others trying to make meaningful art without waiting for permission.M A
A portrait of time
No full textMy work has been heavily infl uenced by modern and contemporary artists. I am trying to express the idea of time in relation to the self. These themes are achieved by using recognizable symbols and objects and layering them with landscape footage. I feel as though the core of this work lies in the documentation of the land. I personally take this footage and curate an experience out of it. I will be exhibiting three installations as part of a greater concept of time.B.F.A.School of Ar
Communities of craft: the act of learning as the foundation for architectural design
No full textArchitecture of learning currently manifests in the form of classrooms and
residence halls, but these places could be more effective if they were formed
around specific activities and theories of education. This project illustrates how
the boundary between daily life and learning can be bridged through design,
creating healthier and more fulfilling experiences for a broader community in
a more compact campus. In this project, unique skill-building agendas inform
different educational spaces; studios for glassblowing, carpentry, clay-modeling,
and found-object assemblage are woven into the campus with important
relationships between areas for learning, living, and socializing. The design
agenda for academic spaces focuses on creating zones for experiential learning
progression. Novices are positioned to observe and interact with more adept
individuals, experts occupy stations that can be seen and exemplified, and
hobbyists from the surrounding neighborhoods have space to hone skills at their
own pace. The proximity between the residential, learning, and event spaces
creates a landscape for this learning hub to become an important part of a local
community culture.Thesis (B. Arch.)College of Architecture and Plannin
Between the Cracks
No full textDue to varying societal and social differences between those assigned male or female at birth, many neurodivergent women and femme presenting people are often overlooked or misdiagnosed. Overlooking paired with a lack of understanding and an overall negative stigma surrounding neurological disabilities in the Black community, can lead to those present at the points of intersection between communities to slip like sand through the fingers of society.
Between the Cracks shows audiences how the author navigated their day to day life as an undiagnosed adolescent, and the growth and self reflection she’s landed upon as a recently diagnosed adult. With dream-like color palettes similar to Takashi Murakami, careful yet confident, dynamic line art reminiscent of Trenton Doyle Hancock, and cut paper collage pieces in a similar vein to Faith Ringgold, these works aim incorporate the voices of underrepresented people into the growing conversation surrounding those who are neurodivergent. This collection of works aim to bridge the disparities between the black community and discussions of mental illness and disorders. The author discusses the inclusion of symbolism throughout various design elements and what her plans are past college.B. A.School of Ar
(Re)writing the pain: agency and recovery in young adult problem novels
No full textWhile some scholarship exists analyzing Young Adult (YA) problem novels, including texts that focus on self-harm and suicide, published work does not currently bring these texts into conversation with Rudine Sims Bishop’s seminal work “Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors.” This essay analyzes three YA problem novels—It’s Kind of a Funny Story (2007), Girl in Pieces (2016), and All the Bright Places (2015)—to demonstrate how all three texts act as mirrors for the reader, thus allowing readers to see various ways in which characters with suicidal and self-harm thoughts cope with their triggers and desires. By using Bishop as a lens, this essay also articulates the importance of providing problem novel texts to adolescent readers, despite the troubling and triggering content.M. A
Healing through design
No full textHealthcare design has focused on treatment as the primary issue that guides
design decisions. Many medical centers and hospitals have an atmosphere
that often seems cold, sterile, and unwelcoming. However, architects have the
unique ability to change this narrative by creating spaces that not only facilitate
treatment but also promote healing.
By incorporating healthy design principles, spaces can be created that uplift
mental health and reinforce the recovery process. Integrating spaces that create
abundant natural light and exposure to natural green elements can create
a sense of calmness and relaxation. Effective sound control also enhances
the incorporation of quiet, peaceful spaces that provide privacy and quiet for
patients in need. The incorporation of warm and comforting materials, such
as wood, can also play a significant role in the overall space and make it more
welcoming and supportive. A form that focuses on the idea of layering enables
these principles to have a full effect on the design. The creation of spaces within
the site helps create moments of peace and relaxation within nature. These
design principles all blend to create a positive environment that enriches the
patient’s experience and reinforces the idea of healing through design.Thesis (B. Arch.)College of Architecture and Plannin
The nature of (dis)satisfaction: the potentialities of contemporary Christian asceticism in a hypercapitalist state
No full textWe are trapped between two desires: continue surviving on our overburdened planet in a
just and equitable manner or satisfy our unending urge to consume. Between the two paths, the
latter is much easier but ignores how hypercapitalism, climate change, and stratification of
wealth are rooted in unethical overconsumption. To challenge these injustices, we must
understand our destructive desire to consume. In Capitalism and Desire, Todd McGowan
attempts to explain the enduring presence of capitalism and the accompanying desire to
accumulate. In this book, McGowan argues that capitalism is satisfying because humans find
failure and loss satisfying. Capitalism allows humans to repetitively fail in acquiring the object
that will bring us satisfaction and it is this repetition of failure that brings us satisfaction even as
we pretend otherwise. According to McGowan, once we understand this source of satisfaction,
we are no longer under capitalism’s psychic hold. While his argument is brilliant, how do we
apply it consistently and successfully? This paper argues that Christian asceticism is one
sustainable strategy to apply McGowan’s argument.
For the purposes of my paper, I limit my scope to the potentialities of Christian
asceticism in contemporary United States. When discussing Christian asceticism, I refer not to
Weber’s capitalist asceticism but instead to Christian lifestyles of ascetic practice that pursue
God through intentional rituals of sacrifice. I focus on the practices within Christian ascetism to
examine its potentialities as a strategy of resistance to hypercapitalism and overconsumption.
I argue that Christian asceticism is one pragmatic, enduring strategy to apply McGowan’s
argument due to the way its ultimately impossible and sacrificial nature mirrors the failing nature
of capitalism. By examining Christian asceticism as a mode of resistance, we can discover
another way to combat overconsumption and hypercapitalism in the face of injustice, climate
change, and Christian nationalism.M. A
Retrofitting abandonment
No full textThere are a large number of abandoned structures in the United States—and
if they are not yet fully abandoned, there are many structures that are majorly
underutilized or possess a program of anticipated abandonment. In our culture,
demolition and reconstruction are typically seen as the most efficient approach
to architecturally “starting over”. However, surely there are more sustainable
alternatives including repurposing existing structures. Theoretically, nearly any
building can be reimagined in a way that gives it new purpose while avoiding the
common (and wasteful) choice of demolition.
In this project, this thesis bridges our reality with a dystopian, post-apocalyptic
future in order to weave a narrative that explores the daily patterns and needs of
everyday living that must be considered for the continued survival of the human
race. Using the Muncie Mall, a local extensively underutilized enclosed shopping
mall, this project explores how a self-sustaining community might operate within
its footprint, implementing a language of material reuse in order to address
contemporary environmental and societal upheaval that threatens our future.Thesis (B. Arch.)College of Architecture and Plannin
Remaking the mall
No full textThe last decade has seen a significant decline in the retail fabric of America,
and many cities are now haunted by the empty shells of once-thriving
shopping malls at the epicenters of their communities. This commercial
decline coincides with a national housing shortage and the exponential
growth of the aging population. To tackle these ongoing societal challenges,
I am proposing a project focused on the adaptive reuse of disused malls into
holistic senior housing communities that facilitate ongoing mental and physical
health. A successful adaptation includes specific mixed-use, non-commercial
programming that addresses the transformative local needs of a given
community.
This project seeks to revitalize the urban welfare of Anderson, Indiana using
architectural language that promotes active connections and renewed
identities for underrepresented groups. This redevelopment explores scales of
healthy communities by splitting the existing homogenous form into several
complimentary programmatic spaces that encourage intergenerational
interaction and social gathering. The existing self-contained form has been
reopened with an intersecting greenway to allow natural elements to penetrate
throughout the building to aid in healthy aging. Reintroducing topography into
the site aids with natural revitalization in downtown Anderson and transforms an
asphalt lot into a green park that serves the surrounding neighborhoods.Thesis (B. Arch.)College of Architecture and Plannin