Maryland Shared Open Access Repository

MD-SOAR is a shared digital repository platform for twelve colleges and universities in Maryland. It is currently funded by the University System of Maryland and Affiliated Institutions (USMAI) Library Consortium (usmai.org) and other participating partner institutions. MD-SOAR is jointly governed by all participating libraries, who have agreed to share policies and practices that are necessary and appropriate for the shared platform. Within this broad framework, each library provides customized repository services and collections that meet local institutional needs. Please follow the links below to learn more about each library's repository services and collections.

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Institutions in MD-SOAR

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Bowie State University

Frostburg State University

Goucher College

Hood College

Loyola Notre Dame Library

Morgan State University

Salisbury University

Stevenson University

St. Mary's College of Maryland

Towson University

University of Baltimore

University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)

University of Maryland Eastern Shore

Recent Submissions

From Application to Access: Exploring Barriers and Strategies to Improve Waiver Enrollment Efficiency in the Maryland DDA
(2025-12) Owusu-Donkor, Ama; Naylor, Lorenda; Williamson, Myles; Wyatt-Nichol, Heather; University of Baltimore. College of Public Affairs; University of Baltimore. Doctor of Public Administration
The Maryland Department of Health (MDH) Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) administers Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waivers, which provides critical support to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Despite efforts to reduce waiting lists and enrollment timelines, delays in waiver enrollment remain a persistent challenge, with hundreds of individuals experiencing postponed access to essential services. Internal audits highlight systemic inefficiencies, including insufficient guidance for Coordinators of Community Services (CCS), limited staffing, and missing monitoring documentation for the majority of applicants and recipients. These barriers not only create service backlogs but also threaten compliance with federal mandates and place vulnerable populations at heightened risk. This study explores the factors contributing to delays in the DDA’s waiver enrollment process and identifies strategies to streamline operations and improve service delivery. A mixed-methods research design is employed, combining quantitative analysis of administrative data including application volumes, processing timelines, staffing, and caseload sizes with qualitative insights from DDA staff collected through anonymous surveys. Survey items draw on prior work by Bogenschutz (2019) on the case management workforce and incorporate elements of the National Core Indicators (NCI) to assess staff perceptions of training, workload, organizational culture, and job clarity. Findings from this research illuminate the interplay between workforce constraints, administrative bottlenecks, and systemic inefficiencies that impact timely enrollment into DDA waiver services. The study also examines the potential role of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in reducing system redundancies, automating documentation review, and prioritizing urgent cases to enhance operational efficiency. By identifying both organizational barriers and potential technological innovations, this research aims to provide actionable recommendations for policymakers and administrators to strengthen MDH’s service delivery infrastructure, improve workforce sustainability, and expand equitable access to developmental disability services.
Words that Wound: Analysis of U.S. Law Enforcement and Mainstream Media's Characterization of LGBTQ+ Victims of Violence in Hate Crimes
(2025-12-17) Piazza, Christina; Naylor, Lorenda; Wyatt-Nichol, Heather; Williamson, Myles; University of Baltimore. College of Public Affairs; University of Baltimore. Doctor of Public Administration Program
This dissertation examines the ways in which United States law enforcement and mainstream media characterize members of the LGBT+ community who were victims of violent hate crimes, including fatal hate crime violence. Utilizing qualitative research methods, a thematic analysis of news reports and police press releases from 2010 to 2022, this study identifies and analyzes common themes and patterns in the language used by media and law enforcement after the passage of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr., Hates Crimes Prevention Act of 2010 (18 U.S.C. § 249). Through thematic analysis this research evaluates how LGBT+ individuals who are victims of hate crimes are characterized. This includes microaggressions, stereotypes, stigmatization, and victim-blaming.
ENVIRONMENT, EDUCATION, AND COMMUNITY: Exploring the Drivers of Volunteer Stewardship in Community Pollinator Gardens
(2025-12-12) Riegel, Cameron; da Rosa, Jenn; D'Adamo, Sarah; MA in Environmental Sustainability and Management
Pollinator biodiversity decline, caused by a wide range of anthropogenic pressures, is a threat to the sustainability of Earth’s ecosystems. This study explored the motivations driving voluntary participation in urban community pollinator garden stewardship by residents of Baltimore, Maryland, USA. The purpose of this research was to examine the extent to which these volunteers are motivated by explicit environmental concerns. Six semi-structured interviews with volunteer gardeners were conducted and analyzed using a qualitative case study approach to determine motivations driving participation in pollinator garden stewardship. Analysis revealed that gardeners are primarily motivated by environmental concerns, with the most prominent motivations being an interest in and a desire to give back to birds, an interest in trees and native plants, and a desire to interact with the urban natural environment. Social factors also shaped motivations but proved less influential than environmental factors in driving participation among most gardeners. The findings differ from previous studies on other forms of urban gardening, suggesting that focusing on the potential positive environmental impacts of pollinator garden stewardship could be an effective tool for community groups, environmental non-profits, or local governments to increase participation in community-based pollinator garden stewardship.
HISTORIC PRESERVATION IN THE AMUSEMENT AND THEME PARK SPACE
(2025-12-12) Heasley, Nathaniel; Lytle, Melanie; Przybylek, Leslie; Sprinkle Jr., John; MA in Historic Preservation
This thesis examines four case studies in the amusement space and their relationship with historic preservation. Factors such as the realities of operating an amusement space, the abilities of non-profit organizations to assist businesses, and the place attachment of guests to these spaces are examined and discussed. Case studies are then used to support the proposal of a new process, through which decisionmakers in these spaces can better preserve the historic fabric within them. With a revised process, preservation in amusement and theme park spaces could more readily meet the needs of those concerned with or responsible for them and preserve more valuable cultural assets. The thesis is organized into four parts. The first part serves as an introduction to preservation in the amusement space as it has been. The second part delves into the history of amusement and theme park spaces to provide readers with a fuller context for their existence. The third part is comprised of case studies. The four case studies include two operating parks, Disneyland Park in California and Kennywood Park in Pennsylvania, as well as two defunct parks, Glen Echo Amusement Park and the Enchanted Forest, both of which were in Maryland. Each case study includes an overview of the history of each park, a focused discussion of the park’s relationship to historic preservation, and an outlook on preservation in the park going forward. Though these case studies are limited due to a lack of primary sources, they examine a variety of secondary sources which illuminate each case’s relationship with preservation. The final part argues that these spaces are worthy of preservation and makes recommendations for the future preservation of these spaces. These recommendations include a new thought process which considers the historic value of these places and the attachments which guests have to them. In addition to this process, this final part considers the role of professional preservationists and non-profit organizations in the amusement space today and how they could be of additional assistance through partnerships. These recommendations make some progress in creating better preservation outcomes for these spaces, but there is more to explore regarding the relationship between historic amusement spaces and preservation.
Factors Influencing Participation in a Campus Community Garden: The Example of UMBC’s The Garden
(Univeristy of Maryland, Baltimore County, 2016) Maffei, Clare Jordan
The Garden is a collaborative endeavor seeking to build both social cohesion and environmental engagement through an organic community garden on the University of Maryland, Baltimore County campus. For several years there has been fluctuating interest in having a community garden on campus. The Garden began in 2013 and took advantage of growing concern with sustainability and food equity to garner support from the student body, faculty, and administration. The organization behind The Garden proved adept at navigating the university’s complex institutional structure to ultimately garner the support of the administration. It did so by securing land permissions, adequate funding, and the support of multiple academic and administrative departments. Grants, student government allocations, and the ProveIt! campus change program provided sufficient funding to meet initial construction and firstseason needs. The support of faculty who tied The Garden into their courses and gave students academic credit for their work provided academic legitimacy to the project. As an interdisciplinary project, it sought to bring together experts and amateurs from across the campus to work together to design and build raised beds and a permaculture space.