Digital Commons Network^™

A Commentary On The Challenges Of Feminist Pedagogy From The Perspective Of Graduate Student Instructors, Megan Y. Phillips, Emily L. Tingle, Kaitlyn P. Hall, Rachel Allison

Feminist Pedagogy

This critical commentary addresses feminist pedagogy for graduate student instructors in the context of the Department of Sociology at Mississippi State University, a public 4-year university in the South. We cite the phenomenon of the neo-liberalization of the university as a disadvantage for feminist pedagogy, specifically as tests the ability of graduate student instructors of record to experiment with pedagogical practices. We illustrate moments of disempowerment and frustration within the institution, as well as ways that we have combatted the challenges of engaging with feminist pedagogy as graduate student instructors.

College Students Learn How To “Take Action!” To Disrupt Racial Microaggressions, Justine N. Egan-Kunicki, Renee N. Saris-Baglama

Feminist Pedagogy

The topic of prejudice and discrimination may be addressed in a variety of disciplines. When these topics are discussed in the classroom, students may not recognize microaggressions as acts of explicit or implicit prejudice. We designed and evaluated an Apply and Take Action! assignment to help students recognize microaggressions and learn techniques to disrupt them. Students were asked to identify definitions, key terms, and examples of microaggressions and microinterventions, and apply this knowledge to address a hypothetical scenario. Students favorably evaluated and recommended the assignment’s use. This assignment may benefit students who are targets of microaggressions, as well as those …

Undergraduate Student Process Reflections On Utilizing Photovoice To Learn Principles Of Feminist Research, Rachel C. Ormsbee, Ashtyn Winchell, Jenny English, Allie Martian, Molly L. Craig, Nikki M. Michaels, Amanda Haab, Abigail Girardot, Lauren Winter, Penelope Reed, Clare J. Hendricks, Alison Gaarsland, Elizabeth H. D'Amico, Alysah K. Southworth, Lilyanna Blevins, Tricia Saam, Genevieve R. Cox

Feminist Pedagogy

Photovoice is a qualitative research method often applied within participatory action research (PAR). Photovoice centers on the experiences and perspectives of its research participants, who capture photographs and develop narratives highlighting their communities’ strengths and concerns from their individual lens. Due to its connections with and development from feminist theories, Photovoice offers pedagogical potential in teaching feminist research principles. This article explores student process reflections on the application of Photovoice as a qualitative investigative method in an undergraduate capstone course where students act as the researchers. Integral to the course was the analysis of existing research, critical discussion, and Photovoice …

Gps Accuracy Of Smartphones For Crowdsourcing Research, Derron L. Dike

Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Management Projects

ABSTRACT GPS Accuracy of Smartphones for Crowdsourcing Research Derron Dike Utilizing crowdsourcing with smartphones as a method for field data collection can contribute an array of data for scientific studies and land management applications. This study used crowdsourcing to examine smartphone built-in GPS performance for providing location-specific information with potential forestry applications. The usability of smartphones for GPS data collection in forestry studies or other practical applications is dependent on the level of accuracy required for those applications. A Smartphone Accuracy Trial was designed to test the GPS accuracy performance of current smartphones. Participants used the ArcGIS Field Maps application …

A Study Of Commuting Conditions For Construction Professionals In The San Francisco Bay Area, Ethan John Argue

Construction Management

This paper investigates the commuting experiences of workers in the San Francisco Bay Area, with a focus on construction industry professionals. Numerous scientific studies and reports have been done regarding both traffic congestion in the Bay Area and commuting conditions for construction workers. By comparing points of information on Bay Area workers like their job type, commute length and commute satisfaction, this study aims to uncover correlations and understand who is affected the most by traffic congestion. After extensive surveys and interviews of Bay Area workers, average commute times were calculated and reported for several industry subsets, along with averages …

Effect Of Enzymatic Pretreatment On Biomethane Production From Olive Pomace, Ningjing Zhong

Master's Theses

In 2023, approximately 2.36 million metric tons of olive oil were produced globally. Olive pomace, a byproduct of the flesh and pits left after olive oil extraction, presents environmental challenges when used as landfill due to its high polyphenol and organic contents, or when combusted due to greenhouse gas emissions. Its potential as animal feed is limited, yet it holds promise for methane production via anaerobic digestion (AD), providing a source of renewable energy. However, the highly crystallized polysaccharides in olive pomace, such as cellulose, hemicellulose, and pectin, impede its conversion to methane, and the high polyphenol content inhibits methanogen …

Filipino Citizen Planners In Stockton & San Francisco, California: Little Manila Rising (Lmr) & South Of Market Community Action Network (Somcan), Natalie Pauline Delos Santos

City and Regional Planning

Citizen planners are direct representatives of their communities, “often working without formal position, a title, or support from the state” (Beard, 2012, p. 708). The purpose of this project is to enrich the existing literature of planning history, by including stories of citizen planners. And acknowledging them as key actors in building equitable communities. This project asserts the importance of local knowledge and citizen empowerment when it comes to successfully developing community.

This project follows the story of two Filipino citizen planner organizations. One is in Stockton, named Little Manila Rising (LMR) which is located in South Downtown Stockton. The …

2023 Kahramanmaras Earthquake Sequence: Geospatial Visualization And Analysis Of Multiple Building Damage Datasets, Alejandra Bravo, Jerry Hue Truong Luong, Anahid Behrouzi

Architectural Engineering

To learn from past earthquake events, a critical task is validating observations with data. After a significant seismic event like the 2023 Kahramanmaras Türkiye earthquake series, various organizations perform reconnaissance efforts to collect building response data. Some reconnaissance missions focus on visiting fewer buildings and recording detailed information (high-resolution, HR), while others aim to visit as many buildings as possible recording basic information (low-resolution, LR). Both dataset types are vital for learning, and the next step is analyzing and visualizing the data to validate in-field observations. This paper has three purposes: 1) examine a HR dataset by Degenkolb with 138 …

Development Of An Undergraduate Course On Women In The Design Of The Built Environment, Anahid Behrouzi, Kira Hope Tolman, Paige Van Rossum

Architectural Engineering

The Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly) Architectural Engineering (ARCE) department has seen significant progress in reaching gender equity as evidenced by recent student enrollment numbers. However, ARCE-affiliated technical and history classes still lack discussion of notable female practitioners or the value of input from women as project stakeholders. This educational shortcoming is likely true at many other civil or structural engineering, construction management, and architecture programs. To address this gap, the authors developed a new 1-credit hour course offered in Spring 2024 to Cal Poly Honors and ARCE students to expose them to the contributions and concerns …

Exploring The Relationships Between Food Insecurity, Wic Participation, Early Life Feeding Practices, Diversity Of Dietary Exposures, And Diet Quality In The First Two Years Of Life, Vivian M. Drewelow

Master's Theses

Diet quality during early childhood is a strong predictor of mental and physical outcomes, as well as future diet quality. Although many factors determine diet quality during childhood, food insecurity is a significant predictor of lower diet quality. On the other hand, participation in nutrition assistant programs, such as the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is a significant predictor of higher diet quality. In addition, specific feeding practices, including timing of complementary food and beverage (CFB) introduction, types of CFB introduced early, and diversity of dietary exposures (DD), in the first year may predict future …

Robert E. Kennedy Library Dei Action Plan, Robert E. Kennedy Library

Library Publications and Administrative Reports

No abstract provided.

Teaching Critical Language Awareness To Combat Failure Of Black Language In Education, Kathleen Turner Ledgerwood

Feminist Pedagogy

Currently most educational systems teach students there is a singular, “correct” way to write. Moralizing language regarding an arbitrary system of standardized English writing, a White Mainstream English (WME) connotes a failure for other languages to conform to a white standard. I teach at a small, open-enrollment, Historically Black University in the Midwest where most of my students explain that their biggest fear is academic failure. The majority of my students self-identify as Black and are Pell Grant eligible. When I surveyed my students, they reported that their biggest fear is failure, both in the class and in the university …

Failure To Contain Or Failure Of Imagination? Exploring Artificial Intelligence’S Implications For Feminist Pedagogy, Anne Kerber

Feminist Pedagogy

No abstract provided.

Ungrading As A Tool To Combat Students’ Fear Of Failure, Sarah M. Scott

Feminist Pedagogy

Atychiphobia, the fear of failure, has been correlated with academic procrastination, imposter syndrome, cheating behaviors, and negative self-efficacy. This critical commentary argues that ungrading, as a feminist pedagogical practice, is a useful way to encourage students to embrace, rather than fear, failure. By reframing failure as a process of discovery, failure becomes a necessary, expected, and embraced part of learning that helps to combat the traditional and often adversarial relationship between educators and students.

Feminist Pedagogical Requirements Of Vulnerability In Writing Failure: Bad Claims And Worse Reviews, Katherine J. Denker

Feminist Pedagogy

Our students have limited perception of their faculty based on our classes, or for our graduate students in our publications. This is a potentially harmful for emerging scholars to understand faculty work only in its final form. Feminist scholars need to actively seek spaces in their courses to note the challenges and limitations of their own work[1]. In this critical commentary, I offer an overview of student standpoints, feminist possibilities and futures with less threating failures. The emotional and face threating vulnerability in failure by feminist scholars can create more welcoming failures moving forward.

Using “Slow” To Reframe Failure: Fusing Wisdom From The Slow Movement With Self-Compassion Principles To Transform Communication Failures, Christine E. Crouse-Dick

Feminist Pedagogy

This pedagogical approach invites students to critically examine conventional conceptions of failure. Informed by principles of the Slow Movement and self-compassion, this teaching activity prompts recurring reflection on who has power to define failure and how our responses to perceived failures shape our identities, relationships, and trajectories. Through reflective writing, speaking, and listening exercises, students are encouraged to reframe evaluations of communication failures with a lens that prioritizes contemplation, holistic context, self-companionship, and openness. By challenging masculinized notions of failure that lack self-compassion, this approach cultivates a growth mindset and helps students find more equitable, collectively compassionate interpretations of perceived …

Unraveling Communication Failure: Room For Revision, Jill Fredenburg

Feminist Pedagogy

"Unraveling Communication Failure: Room for Revision" delves into the intricacies of communication breakdowns, both at macro and micro levels, within the context of a general education public speaking course. Rooted in feminist pedagogy, the assignment encourages students to critically reflect on their least successful speech performance of the semester, analyzing societal and hegemonic influences impacting their communication dynamics. Through reflective analysis, students explore power dynamics shaping academic standards and their own positions within these norms. The assignment fosters an inclusive learning environment, empowering students to challenge hegemonic knowledge production and engage in self-directed learning. This paper outlines the rationale behind …

Possibilities From Failure: Pedagogical Dispatches From Osclg 24, Desirée D. Rowe, Jessica Kratzer

Feminist Pedagogy

No abstract provided.

As-974-24 Resolution On Consolidation Of Ge Area C Subject Guidelines And Modification Of Ge Area C2: Humanities Prerequisites, General Education Governance Board

Academic Senate Resolutions

Approves the attached GE Area C Subject Guidelines which includes removing GE Areas A1 and A3 from the prerequisites of GE Area C2 in the Template for General Education; and it further resolves that the GE Area C Subject Guidelines be used for the review and implementation of pre-existing and proposed General Education courses from Area C2 starting in the Fall 2026 academic term.

Academic Senate - Agenda, 6/4/2024, Academic Senate

Academic Senate Agendas

No abstract provided.

A Study On The Effects Of Cementless Total Knee Arthroplasty Implants’ Surface Morphology Via Finite Element Analysis, Scott Hazelwood, Peter J. Hunt, Mohammad Noori, Naudereh B. Noori, Wael A. Altabey

Biomedical Engineering

Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is one of the most commonly performed orthopedic surgeries, with nearly one million performed in 2020 in the United States alone. Changing patient demographics, predominately indicated by increases in younger, more active, and more obese patients undergoing TKA, poses a challenge to orthopedic surgeons as these factors present a greater risk of long-term complications. Historically, cemented TKA has been the gold standard for fixation, but long-term aseptic loosening continues to be a risk for cemented implants. Cementless TKA, which relies on the surface morphology of a porous coating for biologic fixation of implant to bone, may …

Development Of An Advanced Step Counting Algorithm With Integrated Activity Detection For Free Living Environments, Paige M. Dolan

Master's Theses

Physical activity plays a crucial role in maintaining overall health and reducing the risk of various chronic diseases. Step counting has emerged as a popular method for assessing physical activity levels, given its simplicity and ease of use. However, accurately measuring step counts in free-living environments presents significant challenges, with most activity trackers exhibiting a percent error above 20%. This study aims to address these challenges by creating a machine learning algorithm that leverages activity labels to improve step count accuracy in real-world conditions. Two approaches to balancing data were used: one employed a simpler oversampling technique, while the other …

Education And Land Management On The Pacific Crest Trail Phase 4, Ben Sherman, Emma Perry, Cade Cappello, Hattie Cahill, Anna Macklyn, Aidan Tull, Tristian Xu, Augrey Gregg

Baker/Koob Endowments Awarded Projects

This research is a continuation of research collected on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). The purpose of this study was to investigate land ethics and education, Leave No Trace principles, and hiker experiences on the PCT. From July 2023-January 2024, interdisciplinary students collected qualitative and quantitative data through interviews and surveys with hikers on the trail. Past phases of this project have determined that this research is necessary, but due to Covid, the team has only been able to gather data remotely via online surveys and interviews prior to this study. The Baker Koob grant funded travel and research equipment …

A Screening Life Cycle Analysis Of One-Way And Reusable Crate Designs – Estimating Environmental Impacts Via Lca Software, Nicolas R. Corona

Master's Theses

A comparison analysis conducted via COMPASS life cycle analysis software has indicated that a one-way crate design, rather than a reusable crate design, is in fact the more environmentally friendly packaging system. These results can be interpreted differently, however, as the manufacturer of said crate designs must confirm what impact indicators they would like to reference as environmental goalposts. The conducted analysis provides insight into what the environmental impacts of each packaging system look like as packaging at all three system levels has been identified as a means of reducing environmental impacts globally. As such, the manufacturer of said crate …

Assessing The Efficacy Of Hydraulic Pumping As A Remediation Method Of A Subsurface Light Non-Aqueous Phase Liquid Spill In Arroyo Grande, California, James M. Raney

Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Management Projects

The efficacy of hydraulic pumping as a remediation method of a petroleum, or Light Non-Aqueous Phase Liquid (LNAPL) spill in Arroyo Grande, California will be assessed by determining aquifer properties, assessing the chemical properties of the contaminant, recovering the contaminant from the subsurface, and proposing alternative remediation techniques. Soil, groundwater and contaminant characteristics, cumulative volume of LNAPL skimming test data, pumping rates, and LNAPL thicknesses in wells installed within the contaminant plume were collected. Sediments around the LNAPL source are contaminated with hydrocarbons in the gas and diesel range. Pumping efficacy is expected to continue to decrease at the site, …

Fire Protection And Life Safety Analysis Of The Carlsbad Village Lofts, Nathaniel Cheung

Fire Protection Engineering: Culminating Experience Project Reports

This culminating project has been submitted as part of the graduate program in Fire Protection Engineering at Cal Poly. The building is a 221,000 square feet mixed-use residential apartment building comprising of 106 units. The report is split into two sections. The prescriptive based analysis considers the building’s compliance with the requirements found in the 2016 California Building and Fire Codes. The performance based section evaluated design fires to verify that the final building design and operating procedures met the life safety needs of its occupants.

The prescriptive based analysis was split into four main parts. The four parts were …

Fire And Life Safety Evaluation Western School Of Science And Technology, Brian Mosberian

Fire Protection Engineering: Culminating Experience Project Reports

This report evaluates the fire and life safety systems of the Western School of Science and Technology utilizing the prescriptive, and performance-based approach.

The Western School of Science and Technology is located in Phoenix, Arizona. The two- story building is 41,896 square feet and was designed and constructed with Type VB per a prescriptive based approach. The primary use of the building is for educational purposes for students grades 7 through 12 and classified as Educational (E) Occupancy.

The prescriptive based design evaluated the provisions of the building code and compliance with the egress, fire suppression, fire alarm, structural, and …

Project Buildings, Anthony Pamintuan

Fire Protection Engineering: Culminating Experience Project Reports

This report analyzes the prescriptive based design of a government-use high-rise building whose primary use is a business office building in California utilizing the California Building Code 2022 Edition. For security purposes, the name of the project will be the “Project Building.” The project site consists of a common podium underground parking garage with two high-rise buildings and an auditorium built on the parking garage. The project buildings that were analyzed consisted of the underground parking garage, the auditorium, and one of the high-rise buildings.

The parking garage is approximately 135,000 square feet consisting of mixed occupancies throughout. The mixed …

Fire & Life Safety Evaluation Of The Goff Health Sciences And Technology Building, Philip Bond

Fire Protection Engineering: Culminating Experience Project Reports

The purpose of this report is to practically apply the information conveyed in the Cal Poly Fire Protection Engineering Master of Science program by selecting a building and analyzing prescriptive and performance-based design features that accomplish the building’s life safety strategy. The selected building is the Goff Health Sciences and Technology Building located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

The Goff Health Sciences and Technology Building is a three-story educational facility with business, education, and assembly occupancies. The fire safety strategy of the building depends on a fire alarm communication system, wet pipe sprinkler system, structural fire protection components, and egress elements …

Office Building, Grant Iwamoto

Fire Protection Engineering: Culminating Experience Project Reports

The purpose of this report is to conduct a prescriptive and performance-based fire and life safety analysis of a building. The chosen building is a five-story building with a basement and uses construction type IB, primarily with steel framing with concrete fill over metal deck. The use of the building is manufacturing, assembly area, open concept office space, and storage, and the total area is approximately 104,000 square feet.

The prescriptive analysis covers the building and fire code requirements such as allowable height, stories, and area and all the fire protection systems in the building including the fire sprinkler system, …