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The Impact of Master-Level Counseling Programs’ Trauma Education on Internship Students’ Perceived Readiness to Work with Trauma-Exposed Clients

For the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Counselor Education

May 28, 2026 | 11 a.m.

The purpose of this study was to examine how different trauma education formats in CACREP-accredited master's counseling programs predict internship students' perceived readiness to work with trauma-exposed clients. Grounded in the New Haven Trauma Competency Model (Cook & Newman, 2014), the study evaluated whether completing a stand-alone trauma course and the degree of trauma content integration throughout the program predicted perceived readiness, measured by the Readiness to Work with Trauma-Exposed Patients Scale (RTEPS; Kazlauskas et al., 2023), while controlling for outside trauma training, clinical experience with trauma-exposed clients, and personal trauma history. Read more.

CENTERING BLACK WOMEN’S VOICES: A SISTER CIRCLE STUDYOF BARIATRIC PREOPERATIVE COUNSELING EXPERIENCES WITH EMPHASIS ON MENTAL NUTRITIONAL, AND PHYSICAL WELLNESS

For the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Counselor Education and Supervision

May 27, 2026 | 1 p.m.

This qualitative study explored the bariatric preoperative counseling experiences of eight Black women who underwent bariatric surgery within the past one to five years and received preoperative counseling from a licensed professional counselor prior to surgery. With particular attention to mental, nutritional, and physical wellness, the study was guided by Interpretive Description methodology and informed by the Indivisible Self Model of Wellness and Black Feminist Thought. Data were collected through culturally responsive Sister Circles designed to center the lived experiences of Black women within the bariatric surgery preparation process. Read more.

Centering The Voices of Community Assets in Building a Collaborative Framework For Advancing Latinx Adult Career Education Networks

For the Degree of Doctor of Doctor of Education, Interprofessional Leadership

This case study examines a postsecondary career education ecosystem in the San Francisco Bay Area to explore how existing Promise Neighborhood collaborators could enable more Latinx adult participation in career-building education. The study focuses on a highly diverse, historically marginalized majority-minority community where Latinx residents have the lowest local educational attainment. Read more.

EXPERIENCES OF EFL INSTRUCTORS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TABUK WITH AI-GENERATED FEEDBACK THEY ENCOUNTER ON STUDENT ACADEMIC WRITING

For the degree of Doctor of Philosophy 

The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of EFL writing instructors at the University of Tabuk’s Language Institute with AI-generated feedback they encounter on student academic writing. Guided by Teacher Cognition (Borg, 2003, 2006, 2015) as the primary theoretical framework, with TPACK (Mishra & Koehler, 2006) and CALL as complementary lenses, the study employed a basic interpretive qualitative design. Read more.

NAVIGATING ADVANCEMENT: ASIAN WOMEN LEADERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF LEADERSHIP STYLES AND ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXTS IN THE NONPROFIT SECTOR

For the Degree of Doctor of Education Interprofessional Leadership

This qualitative Dissertation in Practice examines how Asian women leaders in the nonprofit sector perceive the role of leadership styles and organizational contexts in shaping their professional advancement. Despite the nonprofit sector’s stated commitments to equity and social justice, Asian women remain underrepresented in senior and executive leadership roles. Read more.