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Artistic Exploration of Synesthesia
Full text linkThis thesis investigates synesthesia as both a neurological condition and a broader sensory perception shaped by culture, cognition, and creative practice. Although not a synesthete in the medical definition of the condition, I explore how sensory overlaps particularly between sound, sight, touch, taste, and smell can be simulated and explored through art. Through historical research, theoretical analysis, and personal experimentation, I examine synesthesia as a potential extension of universal perceptual pathways rather than an isolated anomaly. Drawing from semiotic theories by Ferdinand de Saussure and Charles Sanders Peirce, the project considers how meaning is made through sensory signification and how these processes are culturally and personally constructed. Important influences to the project include artists such as Vincent van Gogh, Wassily Kandinsky, and contemporary figures like Billie Eilish and Pharrell Williams, who exemplify the power of cross-sensory creativity. The culminating project is an immersive synesthesia simulator: an interactive installation that uses sound-reactive visuals in Touch Designer, textured projection surfaces, essential oils, sensory music, and flavored elements to create a fully embodied sensory experience. This work challenges viewers to reconsider the boundaries of perception, particularly in art and design, proposing that synesthetic experiences may lie dormant within us all, awaiting activation through immersive, multi-sensory art
Empowering Educators, Transforming Futures: An Explanatory Multiple Case Study of the Smou Schools in Saudi Arabia
No full textSaudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 emphasizes educational reform as a critical pathway for national development, highlighting the role of educators in fostering student success. The Smou program, a professional development initiative, seeks to enhance the instructional and leadership capacities of school leaders and teachers in elementary public schools. This study explores how school leaders navigate their role in supporting teachers’ application of Smou program strategies and how teachers perceive their preparation for implementing these strategies in their instructional practices. Using an explanatory multiple case study approach, the research explores two elementary schools in the Mecca region—one high-performing and one low-performing—selected based on their performances in the Smou program. Data collection methods included 21 semi-structured interviews with school leaders and teachers. The study employs professional capital theory (Hargreaves & Fullan, 2012) as an analytical lens, focusing on human, social, and decisional capital to explore educators’ preparedness, collaboration, and instructional decision-making. Findings revealed differences in how school leaders invested in their human capital (HC) and how this, in turn, influenced social capital (SC) and decisional capital (DC) in both schools. In the high-performing school, school leaders actively engaged in professional development, mentoring, and collaborative decision-making, and fostering a culture of shared learning (SC). This collaborative environment enabled teachers to exchange best practices, increasing their ability to make informed instructional decisions (DC). In contrast, the low-performing school experienced frequent turnover in leadership, leading to a gap in institutional knowledge and weak investment in leaders’ human capital. As a result, teachers in this school reported challenges in applying Smou strategies, limited collaboration, and a lack of sustained support. These differences highlighted how variations in school leaders’ human capital influence teachers’ capacity to integrate new instructional approaches. This study contributes to the discourse on professional development and educational leadership in Saudi Arabia by offering insights into how capacity-building initiatives can be optimized to support teachers and school leaders in driving instructional improvement. The findings have implications for policymakers, educational practitioners, and stakeholders seeking to reform public education and refine professional development programs within the framework of Vision 2030
Analysis of Synaptotagmin Isoforms in LßT2 Gonadotrophs
No full textThe anterior pituitary is comprised of five cell types which secrete regulatory hormones into the bloodstream. Specifically, gonadotrophs synthesize and release sex hormones follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) in response to gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH). GnRH signals from the hypothalamus regulate the differential secretion of LH and FSH from the anterior pituitary. Exocytosis of FSH and LH from dense core vesicles (DCVs) occurs in response to an intracellular calcium signal, sensed by the synaptotagmins proteins. Various isoforms of synaptotagmins exist and each isoform has varying affinity for calcium, causing calcium-regulated exocytosis to be finely controlled. Because LH and FSH are sex hormones that directly impact fertility, understanding the role of synaptotagmins is critical to understanding sex hormone secretion.
In this study, I used the model gonadotroph cell line LßT2 to characterize the synaptotagmin isoforms that are associated with sex hormone secretion. Synaptotagmin 5/9 and synaptotagmin 7 are expressed in the LßT2 cell line, while synaptotagmin 1 is not expressed. Quantitative immunofluorescent staining indicates that there is an increase protein levels of LH beta in response to treatment of GnRH by a factor of ~2.6. In addition, quantitative immunofluorescent staining indicates that the protein levels of both synaptotagmin 5/9 and synaptotagmin 7 increase in response to GnRH treatment. With GnRH treatments, double staining of synaptotagmin 5/9 or synaptotagmin 7 with DCV marker LH beta show low colocalization in general with some puncta clearly colocalizing as well. Strikingly, in untreated cells, co-staining of synaptotagmin 5/9 and synaptotagmin 7 show strong straining of both synaptotagmins that also have high colocalization of puncta in roughly 10% of cells. Preliminary experiments using western blots tested the effects of steroids known to alter LH secretion. These studies show preliminary data and lay the groundwork for further analysis of synaptotagmin isoforms in sex hormone secretion
How to Survive White Supervisors: Practical Implications for Cross-Cultural Supervision
No full textAs access to psychotherapy or assessment becomes more equitable for diverse clientele, the need for diversity in mental health programs becomes more prevalent. Cross-cultural supervision in psychology continues to present significant challenges for supervisees of color, who often face more systemic and relational barriers in educational and academic settings than their white peers. This paper examines whether, and how, white supervisors can provide meaningful, culturally responsive support to supervisees of color as they navigate the world of psychotherapy. To address this question, I introduce CURED: Cultural Unity & Relational Engagement through Development. CURED is a new supervision framework that integrates the Multicultural Orientation to Supervision (MCO-S) (Watkins et al., 2019) with the Integrated Developmental Model of Supervision (IDM) (Stoltenberg, 1981). CURED maps developmental stages (Levels 1–3) from the IDM alongside key multicultural processes. It combines cultural humility, cultural comfort, and cultural opportunities drawn from Watkins et al. (2019). It also draws from Heron’s (1989) facilitative and authoritative modes and Loganbill’s (1982) conceptual stance. This model offers structured guidance to help supervisors acknowledge and address power, privilege, and cultural dynamics that frequently disadvantage BIPOC supervisees in academic contexts. Detailed tables and a case conceptualization illustrate practical applications of CURED as an initial training tool for cross-cultural supervision. By providing a concrete framework, this paper calls on supervisors, particularly white supervisors, to engage intentionally and ethically with their supervisees of color. By engaging in complex work of cultural attunement, relational engagement in supervision and training, supervisees of color can not only survive but thrive with their white supervisors
Crece Conmigo: Creating a Group Couples Therapy Program for the Latiné Community
No full textWith the goal of outlining a group couples therapy program for the Latiné community, this doctoral paper explores the literature on the birth and importance of couples therapy, group couples therapy, Latiné couples in treatment, and enhancing relationship satisfaction through Gottman’s Sound Relationship House theory. As the Latiné population in the United States continues to grow, the need for accessible and culturally responsive care becomes increasingly critical. This paper discusses the systemic barriers that contribute to the underutilization of mental health resources and the unique cultural considerations clinicians must make when working with this population. Group therapy provides an opportunity to meet the needs of this population in a way that relates to cultural norms (i.e., familismo, respeto, personalismo, and collectivism). As such, the compilation of research creates the foundation and provides insight to inform a group couples therapy program designed specifically for Latiné couples and aimed to enhance relational well-being and increase access to mental health resources within this community
“I’m Not a Good Victim”: Denial, Disbelief, and Betrayal: A Call to the Community to Accept Sexual Violence
No full textThe purpose of this paper is to emphasize that sexual violence persists as a worldwide epidemic and enduring form of oppression as it is sustained by societal denial. The paper explores how this denial is supported by patriarchal and misogynistic structures by illuminating the psychological, cultural, and institutional mechanisms that enable the continued silencing of survivors. This paper includes an individual\u27s personal experience of rape after years of professional expertise in the treatment of sexual violence. Despite this individual’s extensive knowledge and advocacy, they responded to their own victimization with denial, disbelief, and betrayal highlighting the powerful impact of patriarchal socialization. This paper requests that the reader engage in critical reflection on how deeply embedded the denial of sexual violence exists as a cultural force that sustains the epidemic of sexual violence
Effects of ambient temperature on NOx emissions from heavy-duty diesel vehicles measured in Utah
No full textThis study investigates the effects of ambient temperature on NOx (NO + NO2) emissions from model year 2011 and later heavy-duty (HD) diesel vehicles. Emission measurements were collected in Perry, Utah, using the Fuel Efficiency Automobile Test (FEAT) remote sensing device. Data were limited to model year 2011 and later to focus on vehicles likely equipped with selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems, which control tailpipe NOx emissions and are shown to be temperature sensitive. HD diesel vehicles measured in the winter of 2020 had consistently higher NOx emissions than those measured in the summer of 2023, most significantly for vehicles aged 0 to 3. A non-linear model fit to the data that accounts for age effects, predicts fleet-average NOx emissions to be two times higher at colder ambient temperatures (−4.4 ◦C, 24 ◦F) than warmer ambient temperatures (28.1 ◦C, 82.5 ◦F). The temperature effect from this study supports temperature effects observed in other studies measuring real-world emissions from HD diesel vehicles. One possible improvement to the accuracy of NOx emission inventories could be including a temperature effect for SCR-equipped HD diesel vehicles
Culturally Aware Mindfulness Training for Army Leaders: A Scalable Solution to Strengthen Mental Readiness
No full textThis doctoral paper examines cost-effective, easily distributed mindfulness practices as a force-multiplier for psychological readiness in the U.S. Army. Daily mindfulness reduces symptom burden, raises distress tolerance, and sharpens performance—all without added equipment, appointments, or cost. However, stigma, long waitlists, and civilian-centric messaging still deter soldiers from adapting mindfulness practices. Rather than replacing clinicians, the program functions as preventive maintenance and a bridge while soldiers await care, thereby easing load on an overtaxed system. By embedding mental fitness alongside physical PT, the Army can advance its mandate to “deploy, fight, and win” with forces that are both mentally and physically ready. The findings provide a scalable template for integrating low-burden mental readiness training across the force. Drawing on the lived experience of focus group participants, this project introduces mindfulness framed in culturally appropriate military language
Recovering Palestinian Lives: Qudsiyya Khurshid from Mandate Palestine to Postwar Pennsylvania
Full text linkThis article works to recover the life story of Qudsiyya Khurshid, a once well-known Mandate Palestinian intellectual and educator, who wrote essays for publication and for broadcasting on the Palestine Broadcasting Service, while working as a principal at girls’ schools in al-Bireh and Jerusalem. One of a number of educated women active in the Mandate public sphere, she disappeared from public consciousness after the Nakba. But in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, where she had moved with her husband, a naturalized U.S. citizen, she became a prominent figure in civic work and as a community speaker on Palestinian and Middle Eastern life and culture. Recovering her full life story makes it possible to better appreciate the opportunities available for Palestinian women during the Mandate period and to similarly appreciate the efforts and impact of early Palestine activism among displaced Palestinians in the United States