Ph.D. in Strategic Leadership and Administrative Studies Student Dissertations
2022
Charles Salvo
- Dissertation Title: "Stress Levels Amongst Home Health Care Workers Following the COVID-19 Omicron Variant."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Alan Levine.
Abigail Davis
- Dissertation Title: "Admission Variables as Predictors of Success on the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Alan Levine.
Aleni Mackarey
- Dissertation Title:" An Exploration of the Challenges and Opportunities Faced by Recent College Graduates in the TriState Area Seeking Employment During the COVID-19 Pandemic."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Alan Levine.
Tammy McDonald
- Dissertation Title: The Impact of the Interruption in Learning Caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic on English Language Arts and Mathematics Achievement of Middle School Gifted Students: A Quantitative Case Study.
- Dissertation committee Chair: Dr. Lia Richards-Palmiter.
Ann Romanosky
- Dissertation Title: "The Foundational Predictors of Loneliness in Older Adults Living in Northeastern Pennsylvania with the Added Influence of COVID-19 Pandemic."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Alan Levine.
Narad Pokhrel
- Dissertation Title: "Ongoing Effects of Pre-Migration Trauma on the Mental Health of Bhutanese Refugees in the United States: A Qualitative Inquiry."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Alan Levine.
PREVIOUS DISSERTATIONS
2021
Sneh Akruvala
- Dissertation Title: "Breastfeeding attitudes and intentions in nursing students in India and the United States: a descriptive study."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Diane DellaValle.
Sheikh Dukuly
- Dissertation Title: "The Impact(s) of Cultural Factors on Health-Seeking Behaviors among Racial-Ethnic Minorities in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota while Controlling for Income & Health Insurance Status."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Philip Jenkins.
Kimberly Coleman
- Dissertation Title: "Nontraditional Students’ Lived Experiences and Obstacles to Persistence: A Phenomenological Investigation."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Alan Levine.
Dan Langan
- Dissertation Title: "A Query into the Motivation of senior Runners in Northeastern Pennsylvania: A Pilot Study."
- Dissertation Chair: Dr. Lori Swanchak.
2020
Christina Brundage
- Dissertation Title: "An Examination of Racial/ Ethnic Minority Student Engagement in Career Development Activities and Barriers to the Career Development Process While Attending a Predominantly White Institution of Higher Education: A Quantitative Case Study."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Alan Levine.
Brooke Hansen
- Dissertation Title: "Examining Factors Related to Academic Achievements: Grit, Self-Efficacy, Mindset, and Socioeconomic Status."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Alan Levine.
Sister Kevin Karimi
- Dissertation Title: "Exploring the Impact of Nontraditional Leadership Training on Catholic Sisters' Self-Efficacy and Latent Potential for Sustainable Leadership Skills Development in Africa South of the Sahara."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Lloyd Lyter.
Kelly Kemmerer
- Dissertation Title: "Female Leadership of Volunteers in Nonprofit Organizations: Leadership Practices that Retain Volunteers."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Renee Zehel.
Ryan Leckey
- Dissertation Title: "The Effects on Self-Esteem of Viewing Male Idealized Bodies on the Setting of Social Media: A Comparison of Gay and Straight Men."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Lea Palimiter.
Janice Mecca
- Dissertation Title: "Examination of Non-Hodgkins's Lymphoma Survivor's Self-Disclosure of Cancer History in the Workplace."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Lori Swanchak.
Caroline Millen
- Dissertation Title: "The Impact of Teaching Resilience, Goal Attainment, and Other Essential Leadership Skills to Young Adults via Virtual Instruction."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Alan Levine.
Justine Samanas
- Dissertation Title: "Physician Assistant Education for the Opioid Epidemic."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Alan Levine.
2019
Kenneth Luck
- Dissertation Title: "Emergence of Conspiratorial Ideas and Big Data: A Google N-gram Viewer Quantitative Analysis of Historical Trends from 1900 to 2008."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Deborah Hokien.
Leon John
- Dissertation Title: "Self-Efficacy among Students of Color at Predominantly White Institutions of Higher Education in Northeastern Pennsylvania."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Maria Montoro-Edwards.
Yerodin Lucas
- Dissertation Title: "Factors Affecting Black Male Student Persistence to Earning a Baccalaureate Degree at Predominantly White Institutions in Northeastern Pennsylvania."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Adam Shiprintzen.
Cynthia LaRosa
- Dissertation Title: "Mental Health and Public Secondary School Students: Perceptions of School Administrators in a Public School Setting."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Patricia Arter.
Kimberlee Jennings-Heckman
- Dissertation Title: "Use of Principles to Increase Preparedness of Special Education Teachers in the Education of Students Diagnosed with Emotional Disturbance Disabilities."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Alan Levine.
Tara Lopatofsky
- Dissertation Title: "The Perceived Impact of Post-Secondary Education Program on Kenyan Catholic Sisters' Understanding of their Lives as Women Religious: A Case Study."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Diane Keller.
Matthew Hill
- Dissertation Title: "Self-Regulated Learning and Ninth Grade Reading."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Jennifer Barna.
Jennifer Elizabeth Welgosh
- Dissertation Title: “Women’s Perceptions of Workplace Sexual Harassment: A Phenomenological Study”
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Joseph Polizzi.
Dorothy June Grill
- Dissertation Title: “Vanquishing the Labyrinth: Re-framing a Future with Androgynous Authentic Nonprofit Women Leaders.”
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. A. Dawody.
Linda Denz
- Dissertation Title: "Effects of Self-Care Practices and Personal and Occupational Variables on Compassion Satisfaction, Burnout, Secondary Traumatic Stress, and Compassion Fatigue in Hospice Nurses."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Sister Gail Cabral.
Diana Bixby
- Dissertation Title: "The Future of Zero Tolerance and/or Exclusionary Discipline Policies: Perceptions from the Front Line."
- Dissertation Chair: Dr. Alan Levine.
Kelley McConnell
- Dissertation Title: "Teacher Attitudes and Beliefs on the Socialization of Cyber School Students."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Alan Levine.
David Schweitzer
- Dissertation Title: "Differences in Quality of Life Among College Students in Northeastern Pennsylvania: The Role of Family Structure and Parental Conflict."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Tracie Pasold.
Tiffany Mulally
- Dissertation Title: "An Examination of Exposure Risk, Economic Growth, Household Responsibility, and State Parity Score to Predict Gender Equity of Bicycle Use in Active Transportation."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Alan Levine.
Nadine Urash
- Dissertation Title: "An Investigation of the Impact of Prevailing Wages on Employee Motivation on Taxpayer-Funded Public Works Construction Projects in Merit Shops."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Alan Levine.
Amy Washo
- Dissertation Title: "Social Engineering Susceptibility: A Study on Demographics and Information Security Awareness in Small Businesses."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Alan Levine.
2018
Stanley J. Kania III
- Dissertation Title: "The Use of Social Media and E-Marketing Practices in Graduate Student Recruitment: An Investigation of Graduate Enrollment Management Practices."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Alan Levine.
Joseph Cice
- Dissertation Title: "Cice Crucial Cs Assessment (CCCA): Design, Development, and Initial Validity Establishment for an Assessment of the Crucial Cs."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Deborah Hokien.
2017
Jeffrey Attick
- Dissertation Title: "The Process and Practice of Transformative Learning in an International Education Context."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Joseph Polizzi.
Tanya Carrelle
- Dissertation Title: "The Hidden Cost of Special Education Due Process."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Patricia Arter.
Erin Dunleavy
- Dissertation Title: "Empathy During the Third Year Clerkship: A Crossover Study of a Traditional Block and a Longitudinal Integrative Clerkship Experience."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Brooke Cannon.
Sandra Kerstetter
- Dissertation Title: "Healthcare Excellence and Clinician Characteristics."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Alice Elaine McDonnell.
Meagan Mielczarek
- Dissertation Title: "Rape Myth Acceptance in High Education: A Quantitative Study of Faculty, Staff, and Administration at Two Religiously Affiliated Schools Located in Northeast Pennsylvania."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Deborah Hokien.
Mark Shaffer
- Dissertation Title: "The Experiences of African American Studies at Predominantly White Institutions."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Kerri Tobin.
Amanda Silva
- Dissertation Title: "Women Living History: A Case Study Exploring Persona, Transformative Learning, and Social Identity in Group Participation."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Joseph Polizzi.
Katherine Stefanelli
- Dissertation Title:The Effect of Guided Meditation on Chronic Stress and Health-Related Quality of Life in Millennial Generation Students
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Tonya Saddler.
Teresa Tulaney
- Dissertation Title: "The Life of a Nurse: An Instrumental Case Study on Lateral Violence in Nursing."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Marie Bonavoglia
2016
Joanne Bohrman
- Dissertation Title: "Transcending Minority Trust Boundaries in a Multicultural School Community: An AutoEthnography."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Joseph Polizzi.
Kelly Carroll
- Dissertation Title: "Self-Efficacy in Behavior Management and Discipline and Psychological Type Among Secondary Education Teachers and Alternative Education Teachers."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Alan Levine
Kimberly Fetter
- Dissertation Title: "The Relationship Between Professional Development and Perceived Teacher Efficacy in Practicing School Teachers in Grades Kindergarten Through Twelve."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Gail Cabral.
James Feuerstein
- Dissertation Title: "Predicting Underachievement in Middle School Gifted Students Utilizing the SAAS-R."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Kerri Tobin.
Lisa Imbriaco
- Dissertation Title ":Factors Impacting College Students in Managing Credit Card Debt."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Arthur Comstock.
Margaret Ptakowski
- Dissertation Title: "The Significance of Professional Development as Perceived, Accessed, and Used by Early Childhood Teachers in Nine Northeastern Pennsylvania Early Childhood Centers."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Christine Fryer.
Melissa Heinlein Storti
- Dissertation Title: "Are Volunteer Resource Managers Experiencing Dimensions of Burnout? An Exploratory Study."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Diane Keller
Helene Strutko
- Dissertation Title: "General Education and Special Education Teachers' Perceptions of the Co-Teaching Experience in a Career and Technology High School in Northeast Pennsylvania."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Tammy Brown.
Mark Wade
- Dissertation Title: "How Well Do Emotional Intelligence, Discipline, Gender, Race and Socioeconomic Status Predict Academic Achievement of Secondary School Students in Northeast Pennsylvania?"
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Maria Montoro Edwards.
David Wright
- Dissertation Title: "Predictors of Performance on Fourth Grade State Science Assessments in Eastern Pennsylvania: Guided Inquiry-Based Science Instruction and Direct Textbook-Based Science Instruction."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Christine Fryer.
2015
Christina Bracey
- Dissertation Title: "How Practicing Teachers Identify and Address Ethical Dilemmas."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Joseph Polizzi.
Matthew Caputo
- Dissertation Title: "Factors Influencing Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Uptake Rate Among Undergraduate College Students in Scranton."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Deborah Hokien.
April Hortman
- Dissertation Title: "Self-Identified Multi-Racial Individuals: A Quantitative Exploration of the Effects of Racial Category Choices on Collective Self-Esteem and Perceived Discrimination."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Lloyd Lyter.
Elizabeth McGill
- Dissertation Title: "Predictors of Bullying Victimization on a College Campus."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Francis DeMatteo.
Rachel Francis
- Dissertation Title: "The Effect of a Yoga Therapy Program Among Cancer Patients: An Analysis of Personal, Psychological, and Economic Impacts."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Lori Swanchak.
Ronald Hollm
- Dissertation Title: "Predictors of Tobacco Reduction With Non-Treatment Seeking 18 to 24 Year Old Tobacco Users."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Lloyd Lyter.
April Hortman
- Dissertation Title: "Self-Identified Multi-Racial Individuals: A Quantitative Exploration of the Effects of Racial Category Choices on Collective Self-Esteem and Perceived Discrimination."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Lloyd Lyter.
Heather LaBarre
- Dissertation Title: "Understanding the Development of Cultural Competence for BSW Students: An Examination of Social Construction and Classroom Experience."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Lloyd Lyter.
Rodeen Lechleitner
- Dissertation Title: "A Cross-Sectional Study Assessing Home Health Nurses' Communication From a Therapeutic and Caring Perspective."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Alice McDonnell.
John Lichtenwalner
- Dissertation Title: "Factors That Influence Web 2.0 Usage Among Social Work Faculty: A Quantitative Study."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Diane Keller.
Elizabeth McGill
- Dissertation Title: "Predictors of Bullying Victimization on a College Campus."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Francis DeMatteo.
Judith Rex
- Dissertation Title: "Exploring the Factors of Resilience, Health-Promoting Behaviors and Job Satisfaction Predicting Retention Among Pennsylvania Primary Nurse Aide Instructors."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Lee Harrison.
Sara Beth Rothenberger
- Dissertation Title: "The Relationships Between Perceptions of Feedback Utility, Procedural Justice and Quality of Teacher and Supervisor Interpersonal Interactions in Teacher Evaluations."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Jennifer Barna.
Arianne Scheller
- Dissertation Title: "Perceived Parenting, Self-Efficacy, and Parental Smoking: Effects on Adolescent Smoking Initiation."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Shamshad Ahmed.
Elizabeth Sechler
- Dissertation Title: "Social Entrepreneurship in Housing and Residence Life Organizations."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Robert Shaw.
Craig Robert Skaluba
- Dissertation Title: "Transition Into School Leadership: The Influence of Perceived Interpersonal Communication Competence on Perceived Stress, Perceived Coping Abilities, and Beginning Experiences of the Principalship."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Gail Cabral.
Renee Gregori Zehel
- Dissertation Title: "The Influence of Financial Aid and Student Engagement on Young Alumni Giving."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Alan Levine.
2014
Mark Choman
- Dissertation Title: "A Grounded Theory Study to Explore World Adoption Concerns and Experiences at Institutions of Higher Education."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Alan Levine.
Susan Elczyna
- Dissertation Title: "The Incidence of Postoperative Cognitive Dysfunction in the Elderly Population Receiving General Anesthesia For Short Stay Surgery."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Alice Elaine McDonnell.
Meaghan Ruddy Godwin
- Dissertation Title: "Transformative Learning in Graduate Medical Education."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Joseph Polizzi.
Heather Renee Hall
- Dissertation Title: "Spiritual Growth of Students at Baptist Bible Colleges."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Sr. Mary Salvaterra.
Jennifer Hertwig
- Dissertation Title: "Psychological Type & Multiple Intelligence Profiles of Secondary Students in Pennsylvania Approved Alternative Schools."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Alan Levine.
Benjamin David Ivey
- Dissertation Title: "Priming for Improved Attention to Auditory Social Stimuli in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Vijay Ramachandra
Eugene R. Kelly
- Dissertation Title: "Conformity to Masculine Gender Norms as Predictors of Subtle Rape Myth Belief."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. C. Estelle Campenni.
Rodeen Leichleitner
- Dissertation Title: "A Cross-Sectional Study Assessing Home Health Nurses' Communication from a Therapeutic and Caring Perspective."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Alice Elaine McDonnell.
Beth Taylor Mack
- Dissertation Title: "Health Behaviors of Extreme Commuters: A Phenomenological Study."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Lloyd Lyter.
Beverly M. McNamara
- Dissertation Title: "High Risk Students: Why Do They Persist in Completing Their High School Education?"
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Sr. Kathryn Clauss.
William Fred Miller
- Dissertation Title: "An Exploration of the Impact of Barriers to Nurse Practitioners Working in Primary Care: A Descriptive Study."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Alice Elaine McDonnell.
Erin A. Murray
- Dissertation Title: "The Perceptions of Behavioral Health Workers on Co-Occurring Disorders: A Quantitative Analysis."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Lloyd Lyter.
Jamie Lynn Valis
- Dissertation Title: "Physical Activity Differences for Individuals With Disabilities in a National Sample of U.S. College Students."
- Dissertation Committee Chair: Dr. Michelle Gonzalez.
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EMPOWER: The Campaign for Marywood Kicks Off
The public phase of "EMPOWER: The Campaign for Marywood," a $30 million comprehensive campaign, has begun; $24 million has been raised to date.
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Marywood’s Quality and Value Recognized by “Best Colleges”
"U.S. News & World Report’s 2024 Best Colleges" ranking deems Marywood University the Best Value among Northeast PA colleges.
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Business Students Win Awards at X-Culture Global Business Plan Competition
Marywood students were members of two of the four winning teams selected by company executives—tying the highest college-winning representation at the conference.