Search

This research explored lived experiences of gender nonconforming people in a rural, Appalachian county in Southeastern, Ohio. The topic of transgender rights is intensively discussed in political spheres and day-to-day discourse, yet there is limited research on the true lived experiences of gender nonconforming people. This study aimed to increase education and understanding of gender nonconforming persons' experiences of discrimination, mental health strain, and resilience. The Meyer's Minority Stress Model provides a theoretical framework for the study, offering an understanding of the relationship between discrimination faced by gender nonconforming people and mental health strain. Nine gender nonconforming adults from Southeastern Ohio participated in this qualitative, phenomenological research. Semi-structured, open-ended interviews explored reactions from friends and family, treatment at work and school, reactions of others in public spaces, mental health strain and experiences with mental health treatment, and sources of support and resilience. Findings showed the greatest support among friends and romantic partners and limited support among family members. A reluctance to come out as gender nonconforming at work due to fear that family will learn of gender identity was identified. Dropping out of school due to treatment at school and/or poor mental health was commonly reported. Stares and disapproving looks from others were commonly reported reactions in public spaces, and participants shared discomfort with leaving the house and feeling unsafe in public settings. All participants reported experiencing frequent sadness and eight out of nine were found to be diagnosed with a depressive disorder. Similarly, feelings of stress and anxiety were commonly reported with seven out of nine participants reporting a diagnosis of an anxiety disorder. The most frequently reported negative experience with mental health providers was found to be a lack of education of the provider on issues related to gender nonconformity. Barriers to mental health treatment were found to be financial barriers and finding providers who felt safe and accepting of their gender identity. Strengths and resilience were sourced from understanding self and others, humor, and engaging in advocacy for their community. These findings are relevant to counselor educators so they may incorporate information on gender nonconforming persons' experiences and mental health strain to best educate future counselors and prepare them to serve this community effectively. Findings are also relevant to counselors and other mental health professionals who serve gender nonconforming people in rural, Appalachian communities.

The research and development of new drug therapies is reliant upon synthetic methods that are able to deliver diverse drug-like molecules in a straightforward manner. Some of the most common structural motifs found in numerous pharmaceuticals and biologically active natural products are fused and bridging azabicyclic frameworks and 1,3-dioxygen units. However, methods for accessing these structures are limited in the types of scaffolds that can be prepared in an efficient manner from simple starting materials. To address this problem, the research described in this dissertation is focused on the development of novel palladium- and gold-catalyzed reactions for the direct synthesis of diverse azabicycles and 1,3-dioxygen units. Common to these new transformations is the metal-mediated difunctionalization of alkene and alkyne starting materials, allowing for the construction of azabicyclic and 1,3-dioxygen motifs with unique substitution patterns that cannot be easily accessed with existing methods. Specifically, the first half of this dissertation details the work put forth on extending the scope of Pd-catalyzed alkene aminoarylation reactions towards the synthesis of biologically significant pyrrolizidine, indolizidine, and tropane scaffolds. The construction of pyrrolizidines and indolizidines was achieved by developing a novel Pd-catalyzed aminopalladation/carbopalladation cascade reaction of readily accessible Nallyl-2-allylaniline derivatives. This tandem reaction rapidly develops molecular complexity, as 3 bonds and 2 stereocenters are formed in a single step, providing diverse indolizidine or pyrrolizidine products in good yield and diastereoselectivity. Likewise, we devised an intramolecular Pd-catalyzed alkene aminoarylation methodology for arriving at pharmaceutically relevant benzo-fused tropanes. These transformations are highly efficient, generating 2 bonds, 1-2 stereocenters, and the azabicyclic scaffold in a single step, ultimately providing various tropane derivatives in excellent yield and diastereoselectivity. The second half of this dissertation describes the multicomponent synthesis of beta-alkoxy ketones through the development of novel Au-catalyzed carboalkoxylation reactions of alkynes with hemiacetals. The described Au-catalyzed transformation provides a non-traditional and atom-economical approach for beta-alkoxy ketone synthesis via the intermolecular capture of gold(I) enol derivatives with in situ generated oxocarbenium ions. The intermolecular capture of gold(I) enol derivatives with carbon electrophiles is unprecedented and will likely facilitate the design of other useful Au-catalyzed transformations.

The research and development of new drug therapies is reliant upon synthetic methods that are able to deliver diverse drug-like molecules in a straightforward manner. Some of the most common structural motifs found in numerous pharmaceuticals and biologically active natural products are fused and bridging azabicyclic frameworks and 1,3-dioxygen units. However, methods for accessing these structures are limited in the types of scaffolds that can be prepared in an efficient manner from simple starting materials. To address this problem, the research described in this dissertation is focused on the development of novel palladium- and gold-catalyzed reactions for the direct synthesis of diverse azabicycles and 1,3-dioxygen units. Common to these new transformations is the metal-mediated difunctionalization of alkene and alkyne starting materials, allowing for the construction of azabicyclic and 1,3-dioxygen motifs with unique substitution patterns that cannot be easily accessed with existing methods. Specifically, the first half of this dissertation details the work put forth on extending the scope of Pd-catalyzed alkene aminoarylation reactions towards the synthesis of biologically significant pyrrolizidine, indolizidine, and tropane scaffolds. The construction of pyrrolizidines and indolizidines was achieved by developing a novel Pd-catalyzed aminopalladation/carbopalladation cascade reaction of readily accessible N-allyl-2-allylaniline derivatives. This tandem reaction rapidly develops molecular complexity, as 3 bonds and 2 stereocenters are formed in a single step, providing diverse indolizidine or pyrrolizidine products in good yield and diastereoselectivity. Likewise, we devised an intramolecular Pd-catalyzed alkene aminoarylation methodology for arriving at pharmaceutically relevant benzo-fused tropanes. These transformations are highly efficient, generating 2 bonds, 1-2 stereocenters, and the azabicyclic scaffold in a single step, ultimately providing various tropane derivatives in excellent yield and diastereoselectivity. The second half of this dissertation describes the multicomponent synthesis of beta-alkoxy ketones through the development of novel Au-catalyzed carboalkoxylation reactions of alkynes with hemiacetals. The described Au-catalyzed transformation provides a non-traditional and atom-economical approach for beta-alkoxy ketone synthesis via the intermolecular capture of gold(I) enol derivatives with in situ generated oxocarbenium ions. The intermolecular capture of gold(I) enol derivatives with carbon electrophiles is unprecedented and will likely facilitate the design of other useful Au-catalyzed transformations.