We present a novel multi-objective optimization methodology built upon a multi-agent blackboard framework. This multi-agent blackboard system (MABS) synthesizes blackboard architectures, multi-agent environments, and optimization theory. The blackboard architecture creates the framework for initializing, storing, and solving a multi-objective optimization problem. Multiple agents allow for an optimization problem to be...
This thesis examines the rhetoric (persuasive
discourse) of the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, the exiled
spiritual and temporal leader of Tibet. The analysis of
this thesis provides an historical foundation of
understanding for the international campaign of rhetoric
which the Dalai Lama has been leading for the past forty
years, culminating...
Changes in the federal farm program, in rainfall pattern and quantity, and
increased incidence of herbicide resistant weeds and diseases have generated
increased interest in spring grains in the Pacific Northwest. However, spring grains
have traditionally been treated as minor crops in this region, thus little research has
been done...
The research evaluated the remodeled lobby and reception office of the Linn- Benton Housing Authority, Albany, Oregon. Programming goals identified five needs: protect client privacy, provide for orderly queuing at the reception counter, decrease contact time between clients and staff, and improve reception office for attention focused tasks and for...
In this thesis, I examine composition scholarship on the intersections of religious faith and writing pedagogy over the past twenty years, tracing the origins of compositionists' discomfort with religion and focusing on pedagogical approaches for working with religiously-committed students. In particular, I emphasize the way in which these approaches are...
Using intersectional, matricentric feminist of color approaches, this study interrogates the particularities of Afghan immigrants' mothering experiences—as one of the hidden facets of their lived experience—in the United States from a life-course perspective. Using a combination of feminist oral historical approaches, semi-structured interviews, and participant observation, this thesis explores the...
The television show South Park, created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, is viewed by millions of people each week, regularly addresses a number of controversial issues and plays a major role in contemporary popular culture. Current academic research acknowledges Parker and Stone's willingness to attack the dominant views surrounding...
Oregon is a state with great social and ecological diversity. Unfortunately however, Oregon's water-rich reputation is more rumor than reality. As with many Western states, Oregon struggles with water scarcity, especially during dry summer months. Recent efforts by the state to develop an integrated water resource strategy (IWRS) to manage...
The increasing prevalence of marital breakdown in
the United States has been met by the proliferation of
premarital counseling programs in professional counseling
centers and churches. As increasing masses of couples turn
to premarital counseling to prevent future interpersonal
problems, and as communities and churches across the United
States deem...