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college of doctoral studies

Research white papers

Welcome to your source for scholarship and discovery emerging from ý College of Doctoral Studies.

latest publications

Autonomy and Competitive Edge: Mentorship as a Solution

ByLouise Underdahl, PhD

This white paper explores findings from the 2025 Career Optimism Index® and related scholarship and describes factors contributing to workers’ crisis of autonomy, employer initiatives to strengthen autonomy, and mentorship as a strategy to enhance competitive edge.

Reinventing Productivity: Aligning AI Innovation with Human Potential in the Modern Workforce

ByJessica Sylvester, EdD

This white paper explores AI’s impact on employee productivity, engagement, and psychological well-being, and considers the leadership practices essential for aligning AI integration with equitable, sustainable workforce outcomes, drawing on findings from the 2025 Career Optimism Index® and related scholarship.

The G.R.O.W. Generating Rural Opportunities in the Workforce™ Reportand Probing the Unique Characteristics of Rural Schooling: A Narrative Inquiry

ByJames Lane, EdD

In this white paper, the author analyzesG.R.O.W. Generating Rural Opportunities in the Workforce™ reportfindings to contextualize a narrative study of significant experiences and insights of current and retired educators who teach or have taught within small rural distant schools, in order to better understand characteristics that make these schools unique fabrics within the American educational tapestry.

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