This thesis uses a series of non-fiction vignettes to explore objects, agencies, and networks, applying theories of rhetoric and composition directly to experience and vise versa. Focusing on agency--as understood through sociology's actor-networks, post- humanism’s Object Orientated Ontology, and Ecocriticism's ecological approach--I look at events, landscapes, and partnerships that have...
Excavation of pit feature 110 (F110) at the Cooper’s Ferry site (10IH73) in central Idaho provides a unique snapshot of the domestic lifeways associated with the Western Stemmed Tradition (WST). Analysis was conducted of the F110 assemblage to better understand the function F110 served. The contents of F110 include Canis...
The global water crisis is defined as one of the major threats facing humankind over the next decade with over 1 in 10 people lacking access to clean drinking water worldwide. An estimated 1.2 million people pasteurize their drinking water by using boiling as an indicator. Pasteurization is the process...
Forest management in the face of fire risk is a challenging problem because fire spreads across a landscape and because its occurrence is unpredictable. Additionally, management must be adjusted over time as unpredictable fire events are realized. Land managers have some control over the vegetation conditions that facilitate fire spread,...
As modern systems continue to increase in size and complexity, they pose significant safety and risk management challenges. System engineers and much of the government research efforts are focused on understanding the attributes and characteristics that emerge from the interactions of components and subsystems. As a result, the objective of...
This investigation was designed to determine the extent to
which students who are completing planned curricula in science education
are proficient in aspects of critical thinking, and possess
understandings of science consistent with those of the practicing
scientist. The effects of science curricula upon the development of
these abilities and...
Fathers play a critical role in child development and well-being, yet research on how men view their roles as fathers and their influence on their children's health is limited. The present study sought to answer the following questions: 1) What are men's expectations regarding fatherhood? 2) How have these expectations...
This research sought to identify the reasons physicians attributed for practicing in Oregon, the reasons for relocating out of Oregon, and the reasons for failures in recruiting physicians to Oregon. A random sample survey of 494 Oregon physicians identified the presence of economic and non-economic factors related to the recruitment...
This thesis presents a progression of novel planning algorithms that culminates in a new family of diverse Monte-Carlo methods for probabilistic planning domains. We provide a proof for performance guarantees and analyze how these algorithms can resolve some of the shortcomings of traditional probabilistic planning methods. The direct policy search...