WKU News

Graduates of three doctoral programs will be recognized Friday night (May 12) during WKU’s 181^st Commencement.

WKU will confer 29 doctor of physical therapy, 11 doctor of education and nine doctor of nursing practice degrees during The Graduate School ceremony. (More: Commencement website; WKU News Commencement preview; parking information; 181st Commencement program)

Doctor of Physical Therapy graduates

The 29 graduates of the Doctor of Physical Therapy program are (name, hometown, project title): Kayla Brianne Alvey of Clarkson, The Cardiovascular, Physiological, & Musculoskeletal Changes from Hot Yoga in Novice & Experienced Practitioners; Apurva S. Ambekar of Pleasanton, California, Motor Profile of Individuals with Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum: A Systematic Review; Christopher A. Bidwell of Glasgow, The Effects of Heat and Cold Immersion on Performance Measures during the Wingate Anaerobic Test; Emily A. Bouchard of Owensboro, Clinical Decision Making: Orthotic Device Use to Treat Toe Walking in Children Diagnosed with Autism; Scott William Boudreaux of New Iberia, Louisiana, Comparison of Shoulder Force Production in Make and Break Tests as Assessed by DPT Students Using a Hand-Held Dynamometer; Ashley M. Bower of Grand Ledge, Michigan, The Cardiovascular, Physiological, & Musculoskeletal Changes from Hot Yoga in Novice & Experienced Practitioners; Ann-Ashleigh M. Davis of Park City, Motor Profile of Individuals with Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum: A Systematic Review; Jesse T. Espe of Monticello, Comparison of Shoulder Force Production in Make and Break Tests as Assessed by DPT Students Using a Hand-Held Dynamometer; Brandon LaBarrius Evans of Charlestown, Indiana, The Effects of Whole Body Vibration on Vertical Jump Height, Power, Balance, and Agility in Untrained Adults; Gary Kenneth Goss of Laramie, Wyoming, The Effects of Whole Body Vibration on Vertical Jump Height, Power, Balance, and Agility in Untrained Adults; Jennifer Lee Grothe of Bowling Green, The Cardiovascular, Physiological, & Musculoskeletal Changes from Hot Yoga in Novice & Experienced Practitioners; Jennifer Lynn Harrington of Crestwood, Clinical Decision Making: Orthotic Device Use to Treat Toe Walking in Children Diagnosed with Autism; Mary Laura Hood of Apopka, Florida, The Effect of the MELT Method on Plantar Sensation, Foot and Ankle Range of Motion, Functional Mobility, and Balance; Adam Alexander Hyman of Alvaton, The Effects of Whole Body Vibration on Vertical Jump Height, Power, Balance, and Agility in Untrained Adults; Samuel K. Knott of Owensboro, The Effects of Heat and Cold Immersion on Performance Measures during the Wingate Anaerobic Test; Emily Ann Krimple of Paducah, Determining Average Time and Confounding Factors Affecting Pediatric Wheelchair Procurement; Daniel Le of Morton Grove, Illinois, Prevalence of and Risk Factors Associated with Congenital Anomalies of the Nervous System in Kentucky 2000-2010; Alexandrea J. Lewis of McLeansboro, Illinois, Clinical Decision Making: Orthotic Device Use to Treat Toe Walking in Children Diagnosed with Autism; Benjamin Tyler Mahoney of Corvalis, Oregon, Prevalence of and Risk Factors Associated with Congenital Anomalies of the Nervous System in Kentucky 2000-2010; John A. Marlow of Independence, Missouri, The Effect of the MELT Method on Plantar Sensation, Foot and Ankle Range of Motion, Functional Mobility, and Balance; Sarah E. McCandless of Glasgow, Prevalence of and Risk Factors Associated with Congenital Anomalies of the Nervous System in Kentucky 2000-2010; Corey W. Moore of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, Comparison of Shoulder Force Production in Make and Break Tests as Assessed by DPT Students Using a Hand-Held Dynamometer; David Ross Murphy of Nashville, Tennessee, The Effect of the MELT Method on Plantar Sensation, Foot and Ankle Range of Motion, Functional Mobility, and Balance; Adam Michael Paicely of Thousand Oaks, California, The Effects of Whole Body Vibration on Vertical Jump Height, Power, Balance, and Agility in Untrained Adults; Sarah E. Parks of Corbin, The Use of Lower Extremity Field Tests to Predict Wingate Test Performance; Carrie A. Revlett of Shelbyville, The Use of Lower Extremity Field Tests to Predict Wingate Test Performance; Katryn Inga Steenbergen of Lucas, Determining Average Time and Confounding Factors Affecting Pediatric Wheelchair Procurement; Leah C. Taylor of Bonnieville, Prevalence of and Risk Factors Associated with Congenital Anomalies of the Nervous System in Kentucky 2000-2010; Erica Wilson Vincent of Smiths Grove, The Cardiovascular, Physiological, & Musculoskeletal Changes from Hot Yoga in Novice & Experienced Practitioners.

Educational Leadership Doctoral Program graduates

The 11 graduates of WKU’s Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership are (name, hometown/current residence, dissertation title): Rita Gale Burnett of Princeton/Petersburg, Virginia, The Evolution of Women Pastors in Mainline Protestant Denominations; Pamela J. Decker of Smiths Grove, Think Large and Bring the World to Lyon: A Case Study of IAELyon's International Week Program; Lois Michelle Edwards of Owensboro, Early Childhood Educators’ Perspectives of Play in Preschool Classrooms; Chika Ejike of Nigeria, The Influence of Culture on the Utilization of Healthcare Services in Southcentral Kentucky; Kristin Line Froedge of Munfordville/Horse Cave, The Effect of a Growth Mindset on Student Achievement Among Students with a Disability; Brant von Goble of Louisville/Bowling Green, The Goal-Driven, Resilient, And Influential Teens Program In Kentucky High Schools: The Impact On Social And Emotional Learning And Influencing Factors; Matthew Lloyd Hunt of Sharer community in Butler County, Nonprofit Board of Director Training: The Experiences of Chief Executive Officers in Western Kentucky; Jennifer Lynne Jackson of Owensboro, Factors that Influence Physicians to Assume Leadership Roles: A Focus on Clinical Integration; Andrew Kester of Cuba, New York/Clarksville, Tennessee, An Analysis of Technical Leadership in Radiology Technology; Komako Suzuki of Nagoya, Japan/Bowling Green, Using Collaborative Discussions in College Classrooms; Wouter Van Alebeek of Sint-Michielsgestel, The Netherlands/ Bowling Green, “Do You Want Kentucky?” “… No Thank You, I'm Not Hungry.”: A Case Study of International Student Choice In Higher Education.

Doctor of Nursing Practice graduates

The nine graduates of the Doctor of Nursing Practice are (name, hometown/current residence, dissertation title): Lauren Ann Bates of Jackson, Attitudes of Nurses in the Kentucky River Area Development District (KRADD) Regarding Patients with Substance Abuse; Linda Gartland Bragg of Bardstown, Congestive Heart Failure Readmissions from the Patient's Perspective; Emiley Wyatt Button of Glasgow, A Skin Cancer Educational Program: Knowledge, Behavior, and Attitudes of High School Freshmen; Lori Mischelle Sharp Donahoo of Whitesville, Addressing Compassion Fatigue and Stress of Special Educators Using Mindfulness and Prayer; Salita Danise Hogan of Franklin, Educational Intervention to Determine Intent to Receive Herpes Zoster Vaccine; Jennifer Nicole Hughes of Clarkson/Leitchfield, Nurses' Knowledge, Intent, and Behavior Regarding Smoking Cessation Delivery: A Pilot Study; Ruth S. Martin of Monticello, Improving Knowledge of Antibiotic Use in Adults 50 Years and Older; Jessica Lauren Miller of Madisonville/Hermitage, Tennessee, Effects of Case-Management Participation on Medical Adherence and Primary Care Utilization in Homeless and Precariously Housed Adults; Rebekah R. Pierce of Leitchfield/Hendersonville, Tennessee, Intrathecal Infusion Devices for Chronic Non-Cancer Pain.

Contact: Registrar, (270) 745-3351