Latinas in engineering face discrimination on the intersectionality of their two identities, Latinx and woman. The barriers that happen to them as an indirect effect of previous or existing institutional systems of oppression are called systemic barriers. Coming from the lens of four subjects, in a ranking of the barriers...
The COVID-19 pandemic became the deadliest epidemic since the Influenza pandemic in the early 1900s. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2023). Every government level across the United States had differing responses to COVID-19, and politicians have been the center of attention for their role in COVID policy support or...
This paper explores the perceptions of street-level bureaucrats (SLBs) regarding benefits migration between Portland, OR and Vancouver, WA, specifically how perceptions might impact job performance and policy execution and delivery. To examine this question, interviews were conducted with SLBs in Oregon and Washington. From the interviews, themes concerning the role...
Access to higher education can be foundational in upward social mobility, especially for people of color. However, institutional and systemic racism continues to thrive under the guise of “access” within Predominantly White Institutions (PWI). In recent years, PWIs have actively recruited Black students to diversify their campuses. These same institutions...
The perception that there exists a lack of leadership can be found throughout history. Currently, according to Robert Putnam, there does appear to be a decline is social capital. This research examines the connection between business leadership style and effects on social capital. Most research on corporate social responsibility focuses...
Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, many newly independent nations have suffered internal instability as a result of ethnically based regional independence initiatives. This paper seeks to determine the effect historical legacies have on the formation of ethnic identities and the shaping of secessionist movements, using the...
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DwainePlaza, representing Sociology
I understand that my thesis will become part of the
Due to past hiring practices U.S. federal agencies have workforces that do not match the diversity of the populations they serve. In 2011, the Partnership for Public Service found that the United States Forest Service (USFS) ranked number 149 out of 206 agencies in the category of ‘Support for Diversity,’...
“International river basin is defined as an area extending over two or more states determined by the watershed limits of the system of waters, including surface and underground waters, flowing into a common terminus” (Shapiro-Libai, 1969, p. 22). There are 276 international river basins providing almost 60% of global freshwater...
Electricity is a vital energy source for modern life, and is used in almost every aspect of daily life. United States electricity consumption totaled nearly 3,886,403 gigawatt hours in 2011. Residential electricity consumption accounts for 37 percent of total electricity consumption in the United States. Between 1990 and 2007, the...
The popular perception, throughout the United States of America, is that there is a positive relationship between recent immigration and crime. The more immigration in an urbanized setting, the more violent crime occurs. Crime is socially constructed to be associated with large influxes of “outsiders” into the community. America has...
Ecotourism is recognized for its economic potential to reduce poverty in least developed countries. There is a general belief that ecotourism will benefit local development, but previous research has found mixed results. This paper explores the idea of ecotourism and its impact on local sanitation in Nepal’s Annapurna Conservation Area....
The settlement patterns of European immigrants arriving around the turn of the 20th
Century have been described using the theory of spatial assimilation. Recent academic
literature has called into question whether this theory is still relevant in describing the
settlement patterns of recent non-European immigrant groups, but has not been...
In this paper I examine the impact of recent immigration, in addition to other community predictors on community counts of violent and property crimes in Austin, Texas, a multi-ethnic city. I combine data from the 2000 US census of population and housing with census tract level uniform crime report data...
Diversity development has achieved higher agenda prominence based on the culmination of historical developments in problem recognition, political events, and university policies that have generated a window of opportunity. Oregon State University is currently at a critical time that will significantly transform the university's commitment inclusiveness and a diverse campus...
Law enforcement in Indian Country has been characterized as a “maze of injustice”—one in which offenders too easily escape and victims are too easily lost (Amnesty International, 2007). Tribal, state, and federal governments have recently sought to amend this through the passage of the Tribal Law and Order Act (TLOA)...
Early childhood is a crucial time for the holistic development of a child’s social, emotional, cognitive, and physical needs to build a solid and broad foundation for lifelong wellbeing and learning (Irwin et al., 2007). During this critical period, there is an increased demand for motor skills and executive function...
Increased physical activity (PA) in children has been linked to improved quality of life, as well as the establishment of life-long PA habits that lead to improved health outcomes. The literature suggests that children who participate in organized sport programs engage in more PA than children who do not. Notably,...
In this qualitative case study, the implementation of a student-centered model of teaching, “Design Thinking, is explored to understand the difficulties learners experience when studying a foreign language in formal learning environments. This study suggests that excessive concentration on factors of grammar, translation, pronunciation, vocabulary, and lack of speech activity...
African American male students are a small portion of the student body at NCAA Division 1-A schools, but they make up a large portion of population of college football players. African American male college students are also one of the most at-risk student populations on campus in regards to retention....
This study evaluates the distributional impacts of an alternative public roads finance method, a road usage charge (RUC) fee, on lower income households and rural households in Oregon. While previous research has relied on the 2001 and 2009 National Household Travel Survey (NHTS), this research will uses the 2011-2013 Oregon...
Background: Spina bifida (SB) is the most common birth defect, affecting approximately 1 to 2 in 10,000 live births. SB is a complex disability with many associated, secondary, and chronic conditions that require lifelong medical care. Individuals with spina bifida (SB) are living longer with advances in medical care, and...
This thesis explores the relationship between crime, transportation network connectivity, and engineered facilities built to increase walkability through a case study of twenty-five sites within the city of Spokane, Washington. Using data spanning between 2008 and 2010, the author developed a GIS model representing conditions of the built environment, social...
This study addresses the question: "What are the incentives and disincentives for conflict prevention and mitigation in the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), and how do they factor into Reclamation's management of water in the western United States?" Incentives and disincentives for conflict prevention (i.e., actions taken to avoid conflict) and...
The US airline industry is going through a period of consolidation through mergers between leading airlines. A number of recent mergers have been approved by the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice (DOJ) based on the presence of Southwest Airlines in merger-affected markets. In doing so, the DOJ makes...
The increasingly corporatized and privatized public university has resulted in significant role changes for students and faculty. Among these changes includes the development of online education and its proliferation among various disciplines to not only increase educational access, but to sustain budgetary program needs. Such processes are occurring in women's...
Existing literature on first generation students focuses on the challenges these students encounter in arriving at and persisting within higher education. The area of first generation student involvement, particularly within clubs and organizations on campus, is relatively unknown. In this study, I conducted nine qualitative interviews with first generation students...
The objective of this thesis is to provide a predictive model for the archaeological investigation of the first farmsteads in the Pacific Northwest, established in the early- and mid-nineteenth century by Canadien and Métis families retiring from their service in the fur trade. Past studies of this population have either...
This thesis examines the experiences of international Latin American graduate students when taking on the role of graduate assistants while completing their academic program. Using phenomenology, a qualitative research approach, and relying on two main theories, Challenge and Support by Sanford (1966) and the Community Cultural Wealth Model, this study...
Students with disabilities are not being afforded the same access to sporting opportunities as their peers without disabilities. The purpose of this dissertation was to build on a foundation of information regarding collegiate adaptive sports through a Critical Disabilities Studies lens. Specific aims included: (1) identifying and describing intercollegiate, adaptive...
Research has confirmed a lack of diversity and persistence of underrepresented populations in the STEM fields. Recruiting and retaining more women and people of color into STEM fields has long been a goal of higher education, per a notable lack of women and people of color who enter and complete...
This paper examines equitability of critical facilities within resilience planning efforts and how it relates to accessibility and utilization for Latinx community members along the Oregon coast in relation to natural hazards including the Cascadia Subduction Zone. Interviews and focus groups were conducted with emergency management personnel and Latinx coastal...
This qualitative study informed by a phenomenological approach explored the experiences of students when deciding to disclose bias-related incidents. Through an individual interview and follow-up focus group, eight participants shared their experience with bias-related incidents, decision to disclose or not to disclose, and perception of university resources. Five themes emerged...
The environmental movement needs people from communities of color and the differing perspectives they provide. Latinas/os are one of the largest communities of color in the US, and their numbers continue to grow. However, mainstream environmental organizations have failed to engage this community in authentic ways. The lack of meaningful...
According to most health organizations, "obesity" (defined as body mass index [BMI] greater than 30) is a world health problem of "epidemic" proportions. The underlying assumption is that weight is a proxy for health. However, obesity prevention and reduction interventions are designed to regulate body weight, rather than improve health....
In the forest products business and management literature, one common categorization of different types of innovation is product innovation, process innovation and business systems innovation. Forest products companies have long placed high emphasis on process innovations, which are related to yield maximization, manufacturing efficiency and operating costs reduction. This is...
The primary goal of my studies was to elucidate the mechanisms for the well-recognized interaction between two nutrients, vitamins E and K. The outcomes from my studies assess mechanisms for adverse effects of vitamin E and provide novel information on mechanisms for vitamin K homeostasis. These findings will provide information...
Innovation is a critical component for long term success of an organization. However, being innovative is rarely easy. Successful implementation of any innovation (product, process, or business system) can heavily rely on the functionality of the current innovation system in a given industry. An innovation system is composed of policies,...
Thesis explores the ways in which Information and Communication Technology (ICT)use, specifically that of telephones and the Internet, impacts the lives of Eritrean refugees in Rome, Italy. Informal interviews, semi-structured interviews, and participant observation were carried out in a 'center of second reception.' Results show that information obtained through the...
The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of foster alumni in community and technical colleges, with a focus on Washington State, using a qualitative research approach. Foster alumni may be considered a sub-set of first generation students, yet they have needs that extend beyond those of other...
My dissertation concerns two separate issues. The first issue is examined in Essay One, and the second issue is examined in Essays Two and Three.
The first essay develops an economic model of the determination of the rental rate of leased farmland in the United States. Particular attention is placed...
This study examines the U.S. educational experiences of Saudi Arabian students. Using qualitative case study and photo-elicitation research methods, this study conducted multiple interviews with 25 Saudi students and explored their perceptions of their American learning environment, how it differed from Saudi Arabia, and the strategies they developed to successfully...
Field tests are often the most practical method to assess aerobic fitness, but
demonstrate greater error variability than laboratory tests. Researchers can improve
field tests by identifying factors that contribute to systematic error in VO₂max
estimation. PURPOSE: To examine the validity and reliability evidence of two field
tests of aerobic...
Recently, changes in human performance following whole-body vibration (WBV) training have been attributed to enhanced neuromuscular function. However, the exact neural and muscular mechanisms responsible for these changes remain less understood. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the acute and chronic effects of whole body vibration on the...
This dissertation addresses issues of oligopoly markets where advertising plays a prominent role. The first study empirically investigates the effect of advertising regulations on equilibrium consumption of an addictive commodity using U.S. cigarette industry data. The results of the first study show that the advertising regulations reduced cigarette consumption by...
Entrepreneurship is regarded as a viable way for women to enter the economy and improve their quality of life (Morris et al., 2018). However, little attention has been paid to understanding how women, and specifically women of color, utilize their ways of knowing to learn entrepreneurship. Grounded in Chicana/Latina feminism...
This dissertation examines development and the implications of information and communication technology, particularly computers, on issues relating to education, labor, and the overall wellbeing of Black and indigenous people in Bocas del Toro, Panama. It details the Black and indigenous legacy of dependency in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries on...