Unmanned aerial systems (UASs), more commonly known as drones, have recently achieved commercial success for many public and private applications. As with all emerging technologies, new safety concerns and conflicts with existing paradigms are likely to arise. Many potential applications of UASs will result in their operation near roadway infrastructure,...
State Departments of Transportation (DOTs) are the primary owners of roadway infrastructure in the United States. Many of the employees of state DOTs work on roadway work sites, putting them at disproportionately higher risks of injury or fatality. A review of the literature determined that a combination of policies, standards,...
Drones are being used increasingly in the transportation sector for roadside applications such as surveying, structural inspection, and traffic monitoring, which raises distraction concerns for drivers. This study examines the visual attention of a group of Oregon drivers to determine drones’ potential as distracting roadside elements. Eye tracking data was...
Student engagement has been the focus of much engineering education research, in large part due to its ties to student learning. Widely considered to be a meta-construct, student engagement is often broken down into behavioral, emotional, and cognitive components. Reasons for ongoing research on student cognitive engagement are twofold: educators...
Ensuring sustainable development is a growing societal concern, providing rationale to examine the current role and efforts towards implementing sustainable building initiatives within the United States. Sustainable building initiatives refer to the design, operation, and maintenance of a building while considering its conservation efforts and pollution reduction performance. These initiatives...
The distribution of mobile marine predators often reflects underlying dynamic ecological processes. The geographical focus of this PhD is the South Taranaki Bight (STB) of New Zealand, where wind-driven coastal upwelling generates productivity and prey to support a blue whale foraging ground. The STB is also New Zealand’s most industrial...
A growing number of nonmetropolitan communities have chosen to pursue
nontraditional avenues for economic development including the promotion of the
nonmetropolitan area to older adults who may choose to migrate after retirement. The
purpose of this study was to help community leaders in nonmetropolitan areas make
informed decisions if they...
Species conservation depends on robust population assessment. Data on population abundance, distribution, and connectivity are critical for effective management, especially as baseline information for newly documented populations. I describe a pygmy blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus brevicauda) population in New Zealand waters with year-round presence that overlaps with industrial activities. This...