Absence, Communion, Anarchy : Temporal Experience and the Objects of Pittsburgh'S Erroll Garner

Monteverde, Irene Isabella University of Pittsburgh ProQuest Dissertations & 2024 해외박사(DDOD)

This is a dissertation about Erroll Garner (1921-1977) in time. The Pittsburgh-born, African American jazz pianist was known for his sense of rhythm, the component of music that is responsible for time. The thing about time is that it moves differently for everyone in every moment. However, our objective world - the objects that surround us - can ground our subjective experiences and connect us to each other. This project focuses on four objects that were shaped by Garner: the city in which he grew up, the titles to his music compositions, his solo piano introductions in music performance, and his visual art "sketches" housed at the Erroll Garner archive at the University of Pittsburgh. It considers Garner's production or transformation of the objects to be representative of four fundamental activities expounded by Hannah Arendt in The Human Condition (1958), which are, respectively, speech/action, work, labor, and thought. Garner absorbed the object world around him and, in turn, created new objects that continue to affect us today in the way we feel through our existence. The aim of this dissertation is to suggest ways of approaching Garner's objects in time. Pittsburgh is explored as a polyrhythmic object wherein space is bracketed so that memories can move unencumbered by direction or speed; borrowing from Black Quantum Futurism, three Pittsburgh jazz elders guide the method for finding Garner in the layered present. The titles to his compositions are analyzed as metonyms, words that stand-in for Garner; Ishmael Reed's mystery novel, Mumbo Jumbo(1972), in which Henry Louis Gates, Jr. noticed an aesthetic play in the text, presents us with the double-time absence of language. Listening to Garner's piano introductions invites a suspended or freed sense of time, a notion embedded in the philosophies of Fred Moten, Alexander Weheliye, and Fumi Okiji; these sonic objects are largely responsible for the 'happiness' quality that Garner's music conjured. Finally, his "sketches" are emblematic of the continuities and discontinuities of the object world; as objects with anarchic potential, they stop us in time to reveal Garner's presence.

A Case Study Policy Analysis of One Bilingual Higher Education Institution: How Are Bilingual English-Spanish Universities Planning to Remain Viable?

Martinez, Carmen Alicia University of Pittsburgh ProQuest Dissertations & 2022 해외박사(DDOD)

Hispanic college enrollment in the U.S. will surpass 4.4 million students by 2025, far exceeding the growth rate of any other racial or ethnic group. Hence, the number of Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) identified by the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) increased to nearly 570 in 2020 and is likely to accelerate (Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, n.d.).This qualitative case study took place at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV). one of the largest U.S. HSIs. Located at the South Texas borderland, it claims to be a "highly engaged bilingual university." This qualitative case study describes and interprets UTRGV's bilingual model of higher education through institutional document analysis, supported by semi-structured interviews.Data were conceptualized using an adaptation of Dafouz and Smit's (2016) ROAD MAPPING of English-Medium Education in Multilingual University Settings (EMEMUS), originally used to study the introduction of English to European universities. Informed by sociolinguistics, critical language and race theory, LangCrit (Cumins, 2014), and bilingual education policy, this study addresses the primary question—how the first public bilingual English-Spanish university plans to remain viable.Findings suggest UTRGV's bilingual initiative is in its infancy. It is nested in how the community positions itself through language within a broader framework, e.g., language policy, bilingual education, HSIs' research, and meanings associated with personal value, legitimization, and social justice. Indeed, UTRGV has supported the creation of a bilingual, bicultural, and biliterate institute to promote higher education in English and Spanish; however, this strategic plan remains disconnected from institutional language policy.The success of the UTRGV bilingual initiative symbolizes the beginning of recognizing the linguistic capital of the U.S. Hispanic population and an opportunity for HSIs to capitalize on the wellspring of emerging bilinguals whose cultural heritage and linguistic wealth deserve strengthening, consideration, and relevance. Findings revealed that UTRGV's Hispanic and first-generation college student community is committed to becoming a highly engaged bilingual university and the blueprint for other HSIs to follow.

Physiological predictors of behavioral dysregulation in adults with traumatic brain injury: A novel ecological momentary assessment method

McKeon, Ashlee Brooke University of Pittsburgh ProQuest Dissertations & 2016 해외박사(DDOD)

Each year in the United States 2.5 million people sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI), making TBI one of the leading causes of death and disability. Difficulty self-regulating behavior is considered a hallmark deficit of TBI and can impede positive rehabilitation outcomes. Traditional clinic-based assessments with TBI cohorts are often compromised due to inaccurate self-reporting caused by self-awareness and/or memory challenges. This project developed out of the need for more adequate and objective assessment methods of behavior after TBI. The aim of this study was to identify physiological states that may serve as real world, real-time prodromes of behavioral dysregulation when compared to direct behavioral observation during task performance. Adults with TBI (N=14) were asked to complete a protocol of challenging, problem-solving tasks selected due to their potential to elicit negative responses believed to be indicative of dysregulation and result in task breakdown behaviors. Participants wore a portable biosensor band throughout the completion of all research tasks, which allowed for continuous physiological recordings of heart rate, breathing rate, and heart rate variability. Physiology was then synchronized with post hoc behavioral ratings conducted by trained clinicians from video recordings and analyzed through hierarchical linear mixed model methods to assess both between- and within-subject contribution related to the outcome. Testing was conducted at ReMed of Pittsburgh, a community-based brain injury rehabilitation program. This study was funded in part through the National Science Foundation's Integrative Graduate Education & Research Traineeship (IGERT) Program in the Department of Rehabilitation Science & Technology and the School of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences Dean's Research Development Fund, all at the University of Pittsburgh.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Training in Higher Education: How Enrichment Imbued with Reciprocity Could Sustain the Complex Work

Schindler, Bee University of Pittsburgh ProQuest Dissertations & 2022 해외박사(DDOD)

This project evaluates enrichment offered by a Health Sciences Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (HSDEI) department tasked with embedding and retaining diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in six health sciences schools in an urban higher education institution. The evaluation centers on the realities of a primarily white institution’s schools of health sciences’ attention to processes and action items related to diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, including antiracism and social justice advancement and by reciprocally attending to the unique positionality of the training participants and facilitators. Evaluation results offer pathways to build capacity in examining the self, the self in community, and the self in the system as a means to disrupt health inequities.Health sciences has a long history of oppressive and unethical processes affecting health and wellness, which is directly linked to disparate outcomes for minoritized and oppressed individuals and communities in health and life expectancy, affecting the spectrum of experience, including both joy and death. This is especially true for racial, ethnic, educational status, low- economic status, sexual, and gender-minoritized individuals and communities connected both to the university (staff, faculty, and students) and to communities outside of the university.Through document analysis, semi-structured interviews, and a version of a Community Engagement Studio (Joosten et al., 2015) framework, this study examines reciprocity as a driver for sustained DEI-related growth within the schools of health sciences to determine if the HSDEI training options align with stakeholder needs and assets. Four key findings re-frame enrichment options to interrogate: the colonization of DEI in higher education; the lack of attention to place- based learning for DEI to root histories and cultural significance; the dearth of attention to whiteness; and the criticality of the self for DEI facilitators and participants. The recommendations point to a spectrum of solutions to disrupt the components lacking in DEI training, including critical frameworks and questions to ask as an institution, as a unit, and as individuals. The evaluation analysis and recommendations lend support to future research with case studies, a flipped classroom model in DEI enrichment facilitation, and inquiry and best practice to sustain the work.

Understanding Experiences and Identifying the Needs of Transgender, Gender Non-Conforming, Genderqueer, and Gender Non-Binary Students: A Needs Assessment at a Private Urban Liberal Arts University

McQuillan-Krepps, Shawn A. University of Pittsburgh ProQuest Dissertations & 2022 해외박사(DDOD)

Trans* (transgender, gender non-conforming, genderqueer, and gender non-binary) students face unique challenges and have historically been an underserved population within higher education (Nicolazzo, 2017). The purpose of this inquiry was to understand the campus climate that exists for trans* students and their specific needs, challenges, and obstacles they encountered based on their gender identity. The inquiry was situated within a private urban liberal arts university setting and was guided by three questions: (1) what is the trans* student perception of campus climate around gender identity?; (2) what are the challenges and obstacles trans* students encounter while they adjust to and persist through college; and (3) what are the academic, social, and physical needs of trans* students at the University. The inquiry used a needs assessment framework that involved a comprehensive examination of qualitative data from nine trans* student and alumni interviews, six focus group participants, and 24 institutional documents. Through thematic analysis, using inductive coding methods and code mapping techniques, inquiry findings revealed that the campus climate is not trans* affirming or inclusive. Furthermore, key findings suggest that trans* students have unique needs as a student population, and they encounter a variety of gender identity-based obstacles while enrolled at the University. In sum, the inquiry indicated that trans* affirming support and care is lacking, generating a need for an institutional commitment to developing student support resources and services for trans* students. Based on the needs assessment framework, the inquiry concludes with a discussion of implications for practice and practical solutions that could be applied and implemented to address the needs of trans* students and the gaps that exist within the inquiry setting.

Equity from the Start: Examining In-service and Pre-service Teacher Beliefs and Discourse of Colorblindness in the Early Childhood Classroom

Briggs, Jennifer O University of Pittsburgh ProQuest Dissertations & 2019 해외박사(DDOD)

Colorblind ideology, or the belief that one does not and should not acknowledge race, is common across fields of education. Particularly in early childhood, there is a belief that children are too young and innocent to notice race. Researchers have found, however, that by the time children reach preschool age, they are making decisions about who to interact with and how based on skin color. Yet little is know about the beliefs and practice of early childhood educators in addressing race in the classroom. The purpose of this dissertation was to explore the colorblind beliefs and discourse of in-service and preservice early childhood teachers to understand current practice and preparation. Study 1 included a sample of preschool teachers and families across nine classrooms with varying racial compositions. The purpose of this study was to understand the alignment between teacher and parent beliefs about addressing race in the classroom. A combination of classroom observations, interviews, and parent questionnaires revealed that teachers unanimously believed children noticed race. While results were mixed about whether teachers believe they should talk about race in the classroom, none of the sample teachers were intentionally addressing race. On the other hand, parents largely believed teachers should be addressing race in the early childhood classroom. The implications of this misalignment are discussed. Study 2 focused on a sample of undergraduate education students (UESs) enrolled at a university's School of Education with a commitment to race and equity. Students were part of a course focused on specific race-related topics. Pre and posttest measures of race-related beliefs/experiences and demographic information were collected and examined across UESs. Results showed that over the course, there was some change in race-related beliefs across students. However, individual UES experiences may have also contribute to beliefs regardless of course experience. Implications for practice are discussed. Taken together, the findings of this dissertation add to the literature by illuminating the need for more intentional race-related in-service teacher training and preservice teacher preparation.

Investigating and Improving Student Understanding of Mechanics, Electricity and Magnetism, Quantum Mechanics, and Thermodynamics Using Conceptual Surveys

Brundage, Mary Jane University of Pittsburgh ProQuest Dissertations & 2024 해외박사(DDOD)

Validated conceptual multiple-choice surveys administered before and after instruction in relevant concepts can be useful tools to gauge the effectiveness of curricula and pedagogical strategies. Here we discuss the use of four different validated surveys to investigate student understanding: The Energy and Momentum Conceptual Survey (EMCS), the Conceptual Survey of Electricity and Magnetism (CSEM), the Quantum Mechanics Formalisms and Postulates Survey (QMFPS), and the Survey of Thermodynamic Processes and First and Second Laws-Long (STPFaSL-Long). The EMCS and the CSEM were used to investigate progression in student understanding of introductory-level physics concepts by administering them to both introductory and advanced level students as a pre- and a post-test. The cross-sectional performance of students on these introductory level physics concepts reveals which concepts remain challenging for students past their first year of physics and how the most common incorrect answers may evolve on various questions from introductory to advanced levels. The QMFPS was used to investigate co-construction and construction of knowledge in advanced quantum mechanics courses. Students were asked to take the QMFPS individually and then in a group of 2-3 with no feedback on their initial performance. Co-construction occurred when all students in a group originally answered a question incorrectly on their own but answered it correctly as a group after discussion. Construction occurred when only one student answered a question correctly individually, but the group answered it correctly. By comparing construction and co-construction of knowledge, we were able to determine which concepts were difficult and which concepts were easier for students so that they could answer them correctly by working together without feedback from the instructor. Lastly, we discuss the development and validation of the STPFaSL-Long survey instrument. This survey instrument was administered as a pre- and post-test to introductory-level students, upper-division students in an upper-level thermodynamics course, and graduate students across many different universities. We discuss the context dependance of student responses along with student difficulties with thermodynamic variables and the first and second laws of thermodynamics. We used both written data and interviews from the STPFaSL survey instrument to investigate these issues.

Flow Theory and Engagement: Observing Engagement Through the Lens of Flow in a Middle School Integrated Maker Space

Zollars, Jeffrey University of Pittsburgh ProQuest Dissertations & 2017 해외박사(DDOD)

The purpose of this study was to explore engagement as it occurred in the sample of middle school aged students situated in a learning environment of a Western Pennsylvania public school with an integrated Maker Space. This study was embedded within a larger two-year NSF study Making Success: Researching a School District's Integration of the Maker Movement into its Middle and High School conducted by the University of Pittsburgh's Collaborative for Evaluation and Assessment Capacity (CEAC). Flow theory, also called optimal experience theory first introduced in 1975 by Mikhail Csikszentmihalyi, played a critical role in this study. The importance of this study can be framed in the context of increasing the understanding of how students are engaged in learning within a Maker Space that is situated within a traditionally structured educational setting. This research explored student engagement from the student perspective as observed through the lens of flow theory. Flow Theory also informed the development of the research questions Evidence included data gathered to observe for presence of the nine components of flow (balance of challenges and skills, merging of action and awareness, clear goals, clear feedback, intense focus, paradox of control, loss of self-consciousness, autotelic experience, and loss of time).

The Association of Trait Mindfulness with Psychosocial and Bio-Behavioral Variables Among Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes

Abujaradeh, Hiba University of Pittsburgh ProQuest Dissertations & 2021 해외박사(DDOD)

Background: Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is one of the most common chronic diseases in childhood. Adolescents with T1D are especially vulnerable to stress, diabetes distress, depression, and anxiety, which can lead to deteriorated diabetes self-management (DSM) and glycemic regulation. Protective factors have been identified to improve the well-being of adolescents with T1D by decreasing the risk of stress, depression, and anxiety which could improve DSM and glycemic regulation (A1c). Mindfulness, either as an individual trait or as a result of training, has been identified as a protective factor against stress and is associated with positive well-being in adults with diabetes. However, there has been limited investigation of mindfulness among adolescents with chronic disorders in general and among adolescents with T1D in particular.Objectives: 1) Describe trait mindfulness and mindfulness practices among adolescents with T1D; 2) Compare levels of trait mindfulness and mindfulness practices on adolescents’ demographics, clinical, and bio-behavioral variables; 3) Examine the association of trait mindfulness with psychosocial and bio-behavioral variables; 4) Examine which mindfulness facets (Observe, Describe, Act with Awareness, Nonjudgement; and Nonreactivity) are associated with psychosocial and bio-behavioral variables; 5) Explore the association between trait mindfulness and stigma toward chronic disorder; and 6) Explore the potential moderating and/or mediating role of shared responsibility on the relationship between trait mindfulness and bio-behavioral variables.Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited adolescents (age=12-18 years) with T1D at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. Participants completed questions on a tablet computer including demographic data, measures on mindfulness, and psychosocial variables (stress, diabetes-specific stress, diabetes distress, depression, anxiety). For bio-behavioral variables (diabetes self-management and glycemic regulation) participants completed diabetes self-management measures on the tablet and A1c was obtained from medical records.Summary: Adolescents with higher levels of trait mindfulness and with more types of mindfulness practices had lower diabetes-specific stress, higher DSM, and lower A1c. Higher mindfulness as a unidimensional concept was significantly associated with better psychosocial variables and DSM. Mindfulness facets Act with Awareness, Nonjudgment, and Nonreactivity were associated with most psychosocial variables. Nonjudgement was associated with DSM and Nonreactivity was associated with A1c. It appears that mindfulness-based interventions could be tailored to target different mindfulness facets which may improve varied aspects of mental and physical health in adolescents with T1D. These findings provided better understanding of trait mindfulness among adolescents with T1D, which could be applied to establish a theory-based and developmentally-appropriate mindfulness-based intervention to improve psychological health, adherence to diabetes self-management, and glycemic regulation.

The Perceptions of High School Students from Refugee, Immigrant, and Visiting Professional Families about Their School Experiences in Pittsburgh

Rissling, Karen University of Pittsburgh ProQuest Dissertations & 2019 해외박사(DDOD)

This phenomenological investigation examined how high school students from refugee, immigrant, and visiting professional families perceived their schooling experiences in Pittsburgh. For more than 4.8 million (9.5%) students in the United States, English is not the language that they speak, read, or write. This statistic does not include the many students who were born abroad, have learned English, but stand out among their American classmates because they remain ethnically and culturally diverse. This study had two main foci. The first was to understand these students’ lived experiences from their own perspectives with an emphasis on their interpretations of the school contexts in which they participated. The second was on how the conceptual perspectives of family literacy, funds of knowledge, third space, and translanguaging provided frameworks for analyzing and contextualizing students’ perceptions. Seven high school students, who attended four public schools in Pittsburgh, were involved in three in-depth phenomenological interviews and ongoing two-way text conversations during a six-week period. Using these data, I created portraits of each student, foregrounding their voices and experiences while also integrating my own observations. I present suggestions for the educational community to consider in order to address some of the difficult issues and obstacles these students identified. By creating awareness of these, I anticipate that some solutions might be developed and then implemented. If this occurs, ethnically, culturally, and linguistically diverse students might feel that their needs are recognized, discover that they are valued by their school community, and also achieve academic success.