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DTSTART;TZID=America/Halifax:20260624T150000
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DTSTAMP:20260911T092235
CREATED:20260615T132338Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260615T133059Z
UID:10001313-1782313200-1782315900@grad.southernct.edu
SUMMARY:Thesis Defense: Alina Tran
DESCRIPTION:Title: UPPER THERMAL REGIMES AND QUIESCENSE IN THE TEMPERATE CORAL ASTRANGIA POCULATA \nAbbreviated Abstract: While climate impacts on tropical corals are well-documented\, the thermal limits of temperate species like Astrangia poculata remain understudied. Notably\, A. poculata enters dormancy during cold winter temperatures (<5°C)\, but it is unknown if it exhibits a similar “warm-water dormancy” observed in other temperate corals. This study investigates how elevated temperatures (18–33°C) influence tentacle behavior and responsiveness in Rhode Island A. poculata colonies. Following daily feedings\, tentacle activity will be monitored both during a week of thermal stress and a subsequent recovery period. Additionally\, zooxanthellae densities will be calculated in visually bleached colonies\, though counts were primarily used to verify the extent of symbiont loss. By analyzing the relationship between temperature and tentacle behavior\, this research will determine if A. poculata utilizes dormancy as a survival mechanism against heat stress. These findings will provide critical insights into the thermal tolerance and resilience of temperate corals in a rapidly warming ocean.
URL:https://grad.southernct.edu/event/thesis-defense-alina-tran/
LOCATION:Academic Science and Labratory Building\, 103\, Jennings Hall\, Fitch St\, New Haven\, CT\, 06515\, United States
CATEGORIES:Defense
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://grad.southernct.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/IMG_3791_Alina-Tran.jpg
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Halifax:20260701T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/Halifax:20260701T150000
DTSTAMP:20260911T092235
CREATED:20260629T155625Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260629T155753Z
UID:10001328-1782914400-1782918000@grad.southernct.edu
SUMMARY:Thesis Defense: Ilkay Tarman
DESCRIPTION:Title: DIGITAL TRANSLANGUAGING IN FIRST-YEAR COLLEGE WRITING: A CASE STUDY OF BILINGUAL STUDENTS AND INSTRUCTORS \nAbbreviated Abstract: The number of individuals who speak a language other than English as their first or dominant language continues to grow in the United States; however\, the first-year college writing (FYW) courses often remain unprepared to support emergent bilingual students. A mismatch exists between the predominantly monolingual orientation of FYW courses and the digitally mediated writing practices of emergent bilingual students. This study explores emergent bilingual students’ digital translanguaging practices and perceptions\, as well as instructors’ perceptions of digital translanguaging in FYW courses. Using a qualitative case study design\, data were collected through online writing tasks\, stimulated recall interviews and semi-structured interviews. Participants included three undergraduate emergent bilingual students enrolled in a first-year writing course\, specifically designed for bilingual students\, and three instructors teaching that specific course. Findings revealed that students used digital and linguistic resources as mediational tools to support their writing while simultaneously navigating English-only expectations. In contrast\, instructors\, approached digital translanguaging more cautiously because of ethical considerations and perceived challenges of implementing digital translanguaging in FYW classes. These findings have implications for policy\, practice and professional development. They highlight the need to create space for digital translanguaging practices in FYW courses so that emergent bilingual students could draw on their full linguistic repertoires.
URL:https://grad.southernct.edu/event/thesis-defense-ilkay-tarman/
LOCATION:Engleman Hall\, D149\, 385 Fitch Street\, New Haven\, 06515\, United States
CATEGORIES:Defense
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://grad.southernct.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Ilkay-Tarman.jpg
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Halifax:20260720T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/Halifax:20260720T180000
DTSTAMP:20260911T092235
CREATED:20260720T132109Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260720T132109Z
UID:10001333-1784566800-1784570400@grad.southernct.edu
SUMMARY:Dissertation Defense: Jessica Rodican
DESCRIPTION:Title: Lived Experiences of Licensed Professional Counselors with Mandated Reporting Abuse and Neglect \nAbbreviated Abstract: Licensed professional counselors (LPCs) are legally and ethically obliged to report suspected abuse and neglect\, yet the emotional\, relational\, and interpretive scopes of this responsibility remain underexplored in the counseling literature. The purpose of this Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) study was to explore the lived experiences of LPCs with mandatory reporting abuse and neglect. Five practicing LPCs in Connecticut\, each with direct experience filing mandatory reports\, participated in semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed following Smith\, Flowers\, and Larkin’s (2022) IPA framework\, resulting in three group experiential themes. Professional Responsibility captured participants’ shared duty to protect vulnerable clients alongside the ongoing negotiation of professional accountability. The Weight of Reporting reflected the emotional burden\, relational and professional consequences\, and the uncertainty participants experienced when deciding whether a situation warranted a report. The Significance of Supervision illustrated the protective role of consultation and peer support counselors receive when navigating reporting decisions without carrying that responsibility alone. Findings suggest that mandated reporting is experienced not as an isolated legal act but as an ongoing process of meaning-making that shapes counselors’ professional identity\, ethical decision making\, and therapeutic relationships. Implications include strengthening counselor education\, supervision\, and organizational support to address the emotional\, relational\, and interpretive complexity or mandated reporting alongside legal and procedural requirements. The findings should be understood within the context of the study’s Connecticut based sample and the phenomenological and interpretive nature of IPA.
URL:https://grad.southernct.edu/event/dissertation-defense-jessica-rodican/
CATEGORIES:Defense
LOCATION:
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Halifax:20260807T093000
DTEND;TZID=America/Halifax:20260807T123000
DTSTAMP:20260911T092235
CREATED:20260720T132501Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260720T132501Z
UID:10001334-1786095000-1786105800@grad.southernct.edu
SUMMARY:Dissertation Defense: Kayla Toole
DESCRIPTION:Title: “NO ONE PREPARED ME”—A QUALITATIVE STUDY EXAMINING NOVICE COUNSELORS’ EXPERIENCES SERVING MANDATED CLIENTS \nAbbreviated Abstract: In the United States\, a substantial number of individuals participate in counseling because of mandates from external entities rather than voluntary self-referral (Choi et al.\, 2022). Mandated clients may be referred by a variety of systems\, including the criminal justice system\, courts\, child protective services\, employers\, and educational institutions\, requiring them to engage in counseling services (Ritchie\, 1986; Sotero et al.\, 2016). Novice counselors are likely to encounter mandated clients early in their careers\, particularly in community-based settings where mandated counseling is common (Freadling & Foss\, 2014; SAMHSA\, 2023). Although graduate training introduces some clinical interventions for working with mandated clients (Kim\, 2008; Doumas et al.\, 2019)\, novice counselors often receive limited preparation\, supervision\, and ongoing support (Kim et al.\, 2018; Aarons et al.\, 2009)\, leaving them to navigate challenges such as client resistance\, limited client motivation\, and the demands of involuntary counseling (Ritchie\, 1986; Lui et al.\, 2020; Cook et al.\, 2020). Together\, these factors increase the risk of counselor burnout and reduced job satisfaction\, particularly among novice counselors (Cook et al.\, 2021; Ellis et al.\, 2014; Cook & Sackett\, 2018; Morse et al.\, 2012). This study explored the lived experiences of novice counselors in providing counseling to mandated clients\, explored gaps in training and educational programming\, and explored the importance of supervision practices and counselor wellness. \n\nThrough Interpretative Phenomenological (IPA)\, this study explored novice counselors’ experiences of conceptualizing and counseling mandated clients (Smith et al.\, 2021). Data were gathered using semi-structured interviews then analyzed using a constructivists lens. Throughout data analysis\, five main themes emerged: Navigating the Complexities of Mandated Clients\, Learning through Immersion\, Feeling Unprepared for the Realities of Mandated Clients\, From Stigma to Understanding\, and Navigating the Emotional Demands of the Counselor Role along with multiple subthemes for each larger theme. This study identified a gap in counselor education and training related to counseling mandated clients and insights into improvements in counselor education\, training\, and supervision practices to improve counselor experiences with providing quality care to this vulnerable population while maintaining counselor wellness. Keywords: mandated counseling\, novice counselors\, counselor education\, systemic barriers\, counselor wellness\, counselor preparation\, interpretative phenomenological analysis
URL:https://grad.southernct.edu/event/dissertation-defense-kayla-toole/
LOCATION:Davis Hall\, Room 223\, 537 Fitch Street\, New Haven\, CT\, 06514\, United States
CATEGORIES:Defense
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