Digital Commons Network^™

Patients' Willingness To Accept Social Needs Navigation After In-Person Versus Remote Screening, Anna Louise Steeves-Reece, Melinda Marie Davis, Jean Hiebert Larson, Zoe Major-Mcdowall, Anne Elizabeth King, Christina Nicolaidis, Bruce Goldberg, Dawn Michele Richardson, Stephan Lindner

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Social needs screening and referral interventions are increasingly common in health care settings. Although remote screening offers a potentially more practical alternative to traditional in-person screening, there is concern that screening patients remotely could adversely affect patient engagement, including interest in accepting social needs navigation.

Design And Optimization With Quantum And Memristor Platforms, Yiwei Li

Dissertations and Theses

The complexity and diversity of modern computing challenges have made it difficult for traditional computers to efficiently handle tasks such as computer-aided design, design optimization, and combinatorial problems within a reasonable time frame. In applications such as bitcoin mining and robotic control, power consumption and circuit size are critical factors. To overcome these limitations, this dissertation examines alternative computing technologies such as quantum computers and hybrid memristive circuits. The research demonstrates that these technologies hold the potential to offer more efficient and effective solutions for particular problems, whether in terms of faster computation or reduced power consumption.

Examining Mesopredator Detections In The Portland Metropolitan Area, Hunter Storm

University Honors Theses

Mesopredators--medium-sized predators such as coyote (Canis latrans), common raccoon (Procyon lotor), and Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana)--are well established in cities and live closely with humans. However, we still know relatively little about these animals' habitat selection and behavior as they navigate urban space.

In collaboration with the nationwide Urban Wildlife Information Network (UWIN), we established 27 monitoring sites spanning 50 km of the Portland metropolitan area. Using motion-triggered camera traps active during spring 2022 we collected presence and absence data for three non-domestic mesopredator species: coyote, raccoon, and opossum. Using 40 landscape and sociodemographic …

Preserving Healing: Understanding Historic Preservation Through The Lens Of Restorative Justice In Portland, Oregon, Bri Brady

University Honors Theses

This essay explores historic preservation through a lens of restorative justice focusing on community inclusion practices. Portland, Oregon serves as the case study for the research, and aims to better understand how the past examples of preservation have carried into our preservation practices today. This essay concludes with world building ideas that focus on restoring community impact and voice in preservation practices.

Navigating The Transition: Strategies For Supporting The Success Of At-Risk Youth From Middle School To High School And Beyond, Jessica L. Hlavinka

University Honors Theses

It has been demonstrated that small class sizes are beneficial for at-risk students transferring to high school. With fewer students, teachers are better able to give personalized attention and assistance, which can encourage students' engagement and motivation to study. Small class numbers can also foster a feeling of community and belonging, which is essential for at-risk students who may feel alienated at school. Also shown to be successful in assisting at-risk adolescents with the transition to high school are mentoring programs. High school students can get assistance and support from mentors as they negotiate the obstacles of the academic environment. …

Diversity In Recruitment: The Role Of Realistic Website Job Previews For Racial And Ethnic Minority Applicants, Jennifer Saucedo

Dissertations and Theses

Prior research has examined the effects of diversity-related recruitment on racial and ethnic minority applicants, but less research has focused on how objective and realistic information about diversity influences applicant outcomes. Drawing from previous literature on realistic job previews (RJPs) and social identity theory (SIT), the current study investigates how recruitment material with objective racial demographic information (i.e., percentage of racial minorities employed) and leader diversity testimonials (i.e., positive or realistic) on diversity recruitment webpages affect racial and ethnic minority applicant outcomes (i.e., organizational attraction, sense of fit, and organizational trust) using a 3x2 between-person experimental design. Finally, the study …

Purinergic Receptors In Lung Disease, Emily Mize

University Honors Theses

Purinergic receptors regulate a wide range of physiological processes including neurotransmission, inflammation, and pulmonary function. This review examines the role of purinergic receptor subtypes in the lung with a focus on their relevance to disease and potential as therapeutic targets in future drug development.

Climate Change Proposal: Coupling Equity And Scientific Rigor In Facing Global Warming, Rebecca Mcnicholas

University Honors Theses

Global warming has detrimental effects on the health and population of our planet. For years, scientists have known that in order to preserve the earth for future generations, it is necessary to adopt more sustainable practices that reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and waste. Policy makers across the globe have attempted to address the issue but have received pushback from the general public, industry and politicians on the other side, alike. Controversy surrounding necessary changes encompasses issues from livelihood, to affordability, to health equity, to taxation. This multifaceted problem cannot be solved with a simple solution; rather, it requires consideration …

Paid Sick Leave, Chronic Disease, And Systemic Racism: A Systematic Review, Lauren Yee

University Honors Theses

The purpose of this systematic review is to assess the impact of paid sick leave (PSL) availability on chronic disease prevention, treatment, and recovery. Furthermore, this study aims to investigate the role of race on this relationship as a possible source of systemic racism. The findings of this review show a growing body of evidence that affirms the statistically significant association between PSL and chronic disease-related outcomes. The availability of PSL has the potential to remove financial barriers allowing employees to access preventative services for chronic diseases. Access to PSL also increases work resumption by improving financial stability after being …

Analysis Of Oregon Multi-Family Housing In Relation To Covid-19 Pandemic, Conor Paterson

University Honors Theses

The purpose of this paper is to examine notable metrics of multi-family housing markets before and since the COVID-19 pandemic. The primary locations for the analysis of this issue were Portland, Oregon and other cities located near Portland. This paper attempts to demonstrate the ways in which the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the landscape of multi-family housing options and affordability since the year 2020. A literature review was first conducted to obtain a better understanding of what the discourse community surrounding housing changes has stated about the pandemic's role in the housing market. After drawing conclusions from the prior literature, …

Nationalist And Non-Nationalist Christianity In The United States, Aaron Epperson

University Honors Theses

Christian nationalism has broken into the American news cycle over the last few years through its connection to former President Donald Trump, and it's closely associated with violent events like the January 6th insurrection and the Charlottesville, VA, Unite the Right rally. However, its close association with Trump and depiction in a 24-hour news cycle makes defining what Christian nationalism is--and is not--difficult for those unfamiliar with nationalism and the broader American Christian tradition. This paper hopes to briefly explore what Christian nationalism is within the United States through an exploration of nationalism itself and a discussion of nationalist and …

Gender Violence Or Tradition?: Media Coverage Of Child/Forced Marriage In Us Newspapers, Manjusha Gupte, Sundari Anitha

Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

The news media play an important role in influencing public perceptions and raising awareness of an issue. This research analyzes media framing of child/forced marriage through an examination of six US national newspapers over a ten-year period. It probes how narratives are constructed based on issue perception, blame attribution, and protagonist perceptions. It finds that print media has afforded increasing coverage to minimum marriage age legislation in the US. Mediated by advocacy organizations and survivors, the discourse surrounding child marriage has used a thematic frame as a legal issue with the onus on the state to amend laws facilitating child …

Classifying Severe And Enduring Anorexia Nervosa: A Literature Review, Phoenix Black

University Honors Theses

Little focus is placed on the subsection of the eating disorder patient population who struggle chronically with their illness. This review synthesizes research on the topic to identify gaps in knowledge and reflect on implications for diagnosis and classification of severe and enduring anorexia nervosa. There was some variability between both clinicians and researchers who focused on this patient population, which is discussed based on different classifying criteria used to include or exclude an individual into the study. This review considers traditional methods used for classifying psychiatric diagnoses in relation to this disorder.

Exploring Perspectives On Social And Emotional Learning Programs In Schools, Gina N. Carruth

University Honors Theses

This study explores different viewpoints on the implementation of social and emotional learning (SEL) programs in schools. Using a literature review approach, information was collected through peer-reviewed and online articles to examine the benefits and potential challenges of SEL programs in promoting students' social and emotional development. The findings reveal that while there is widespread support for SEL programs, there are also concerns about its implementation, effectiveness, and potential unintended consequences. This study contributes to the field by highlighting the need for a more nuanced and critical understanding of SEL programs, and their impact on students as well as insight …

If It Ain't Broke, Don't Fix It: Understanding The Value In Producing Film Adaptations And Movie Franchises, Courtney Mcdonald

University Honors Theses

The business of making movies is not an easy one; in an industry where very few see financial success, risk aversion often takes the wheel. In order to combat the immense amount of uncertainty, existing research has attempted to establish factors of film success, including actor star power and reviews. However, statistical studies evaluating these factors have produced consistently inconclusive results. To approach this idea from another perspective, this paper investigates two specific areas of film—movie adaptations and film franchises—that contain valuable properties not always as explicitly connected to box office results. While many movies are referenced, two film franchises …

Extracting Extractivism: Technopessimism, Green Anarchism And (Gestures Toward) Indigeneity, Matthew Anglin

University Honors Theses

A certain ethics of technology has begun appearing in "extractivismo/extractivism" discourses concerning resource extraction in relation to the greater socio-ecological emergency in order to describe a critique of, inter alia, prevalent conceptions of, and efforts to promote and expand, "sustainable development" and the "renewable energy transition." This thesis reviews political ecology literature concerning various conceptualizations of extractivism, highlighting the critical concept of total extractivism; it focuses on the relatively divergent intellectual resources of technopessimism and green anarchism that converged in the late-twentieth century, revealing another strand of influence coming from interactions with Indigenous peoples--all of which inform …

21st Century Learning Ecosystem Opportunities: Research And Findings With Kathy Harris, Kathy Harris

PDXPLORES Podcast

In this episode of PDXPLORES, Kathy Harris, the Director of the Literacy, Language and Research Group in the Department of Applied Linguistics at Portland State University, discusses 21st Century Learning Ecosystem Opportunities: Research and Findings. 21 CLEO is a research project launched to increase the understanding and of the complexities of learning ecosystems in employer supported training and education initiatives for individuals struggling with the digital literacy skills required to navigate life in the 21st Century.

Click on the "Download" button to access the audio transcript.

Global Climate Governance: Does Bilateral Cooperation Matter?, Nataliya Stranadko

Dissertations and Theses

The international relations literature looks at the climate regime from a perspective of power distribution, state interests, institutions, and multilateral negotiations. The international law literature focuses on legal analysis and design of international climate agreements. The transnational governance literature examines the participation of transnational actors at different levels of governance. However, each of these disciplines overlooks the trend in bilateral cooperation between national and subnational actors in a multilateral setting, which arises as part of the construction of the international regime. Why do national and subnational public actors in global climate governance cooperate bilaterally when multilateral cooperation already exists? What …

Does Structural Racism Influence How Black/African Americans Define Memory Loss And Cognitive Impairment? An Africana Phenomenological Study, Andre Pruitt

Dissertations and Theses

With the variety of research about dementia and Alzheimer's disease (AD), few studies have explored the effect of social structures, such as racism, on how Black/African Americans conceptualize memory loss, dementia, or AD. Furthermore, limited within the scholarship are the environmental factors and structural racism that are thought to influence cognitive impairments and meaning making about cognitive decline impacting Black/African Americans.

Most U.S. research centers on methodologies and epistemologies grounded in Eurocentric ways of knowing (objectivity, individuality, either/or logic). However, Eurocentric methodologies fail to acknowledge the cultural experiences with memory loss, cognitive impairment, dementia, and AD, as well as the …

Perceptual Mismatch Between Meso And Macro Policy At Tokyo International University, Brianna M. Ross

PSU McNair Scholars Online Journal

Educational policies of Japanese institutions of higher education regarding English language instruction have looked at both macro and micro level variables. Through conducting interviews researchers gained knowledge of how or if institutions portray their standards to students and staff and how those goals are displayed through curriculum. This research showed a disconnect between the stated goals and in class instruction. While the researchers looked at overall disconnects, none looked at specific universities and their programs. My study aims to fill that gap, focusing on a university known for its international approach to learning. The intention is to find if there …

Invasive Plant Species And Their Impact On Stream Health Using Macroinvertebrates In The Willamette Valley, Oregon, Michelle Hesek, Patrick Edwards

PSU McNair Scholars Online Journal

Oregon spends approximately $83 million annually to maintain invasive plant species, which decreases resource availability for the environment and humanity. Their continued spread affects riparian zones, one of the most biologically diverse ecosystems that supplement stream and upland habitats. Some of the energy flow in these systems circulates by macroinvertebrates that decompose leaf litter during their immature stage of life. Upon metamorphosis, they rely on plants in riparian zones for reproductive habitat, making them prey to predators in stream and upland food webs, referred to as a transformational link. This research examines how invasive plant species affect stream health in …

Defining Dementia-Friendly Communities From The Perspective Of Those Affected, Iris Alexandra Wernher

Dissertations and Theses

More and more communities across the globe are pledging to become more "dementia friendly," yet many initiatives lack direction as to what this pledge might entail. The intent of this qualitative study, conducted in the metropolitan area of Portland and several other cities in Oregon, was to better understand how communities can increase their dementia friendliness – from the perspective of people living with dementia and their care partners. The study further aimed to clarify if and how age- and dementia-friendly efforts can be integrated.

Twenty-five community-dwelling individuals living with dementia and their 25 informal carers participated separately in semi-structured …

Graphical Models In Reconstructability Analysis And Bayesian Networks, Marcus Andrew Harris

Dissertations and Theses

This research focuses on the investigation of two machine learning methodologies, Reconstructability Analysis (RA) and Bayesian Networks (BN). Both methods are probabilistic graphical modeling (PGM) methodologies. RA was developed in the systems community and has applications including time-series analysis, classification, decomposition, compression, pattern recognition, prediction, control, and decision analysis. BNs have origins in path models and have applications similar to those of RA. BNs are another graphical modeling approach for data modeling that is closely related to RA; where BN overlaps RA the two methods are equivalent, but RA and BN each has distinctive features absent in the other methodology. …

Faculty Senate Monthly Packet February 2023, Portland State University Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Monthly Packets

The February 6, 2023 Monthly packet includes the February agenda and appendices and the Faculty Senate minutes and attachments from the meeting held January 9, 2023.

Systems Thinking Activities Used In K-12 For Up To Two Decades, Diana Fisher, Systems Thinking Association

Complex Systems Faculty Publications and Presentations

Infusing systems thinking activities in pre-college education (grades K-12) means updating precollege education so it includes a study of many systemic behavior patterns that are ubiquitous in the real world. Systems thinking tools include those using both paper and pencil and the computer and enhance learning in the classroom making it more student-centered, more active, and allowing students to analyze problems that have been heretofore beyond the scope of K-12 classrooms. Students in primary school have used behavior over time graphs to demonstrate dynamics described in story books, like the Lorax, and created stock-flow diagrams to describe what was needed …

Elementary Principal Leadership And Special Education: A Case Study In The United States, Vivian M. Garrison

Dissertations and Theses

School districts have called upon principals to build capacity for inclusive learning environments and prioritize the needs of an increasingly diverse group of students. A principal's work to effectively include students so they are part of the school community and have opportunities to achieve academically has been challenging. As the instructional leader of the school, principals have played an essential role by collaborating with teachers and specialists, removing obstacles to learning, and ensuring that teachers meet the needs of all learners in their classrooms. They have also been held accountable for knowing the laws, policies, and best practices to support …

Racial Politics In The Contemporary Prison Society: The Importance Of Race And Ethnicity To Prison Social Organization, Arynn A. Infante, Stephanie J. Morse, Chantal Fahmy, Kevin A. Wright

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications and Presentations

Prior research documents race and ethnicity as central to how individuals navigate the social and physical space of prisons. Racial segregation persists as a feature of prison life, and in navigating this racialized structure, racial groups construct and enforce a set of racialized norms to govern behavior (i.e., the “racial code”) that reinforce and reify prison racial politics. These processes, however, have remained largely descriptive in nature. Using data from a sample of incarcerated men in Arizona prisons (N = 251), this article extends prior work by operationalizing the concept of the racial code, assessing its dimensionality, distinguishing it from …

"The Call Is Coming From Inside The House": Tracing Experiences In The Institutionally-Centered Process Of Establishing Limited Conservatorships In California, Barbara Alison Imle

Dissertations and Theses

In this institutional ethnography, multiple methods are used to explore California’s process of establishing limited conservatorships, which are legal proceedings that limit or terminate civil rights of people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD). This research uses observations of 93 conservatorship hearings, 16 interviews with people involved in the conservatorship process, and an analysis of over 40 documents related to these legal proceedings. These data are used to answer two questions: 1) what is the process of establishing a limited conservatorship in California; and 2) how is this process experienced by those involved?

Findings break down a complex process and …

"It Snows Year-Round Here": A Counterstory About Mexican/Mexican American/Xicanx Students’ Experiences With Racism At A Predominantly White University In The Northeast, Martín Alberto Gonzalez

Chicano/Latino Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Using critical race theory counterstorytelling, I tell a story about the experiences of Mexican/Mexican American/Xicanx (MMAX) undergraduate students at a private, predominantly white university in the Northeast. Drawing on in-depth interviews, participant observations, pláticas, and document analyses, I highlight the various ways MMAX students experience discrimination on campus. More specifically, discrimination and unsettledness are experienced by MMAX students through the following ways: 1) Racist Name Calling and Racial Slurs; 2) Discrimination by Professors; and 3) Class Discussions as Microaggressions. Through counterstories like this one, I argue that we can shed light on injustices while staying true to our ancestral ways …

Understanding The Experiences Of Latino Medical Students In A Learning Medical Environment, Leslie García

Dissertations and Theses

Very little is known about the experiences and perceptions of underrepresented minority (URiM) medical students in the U.S. allopathic medical schools. The limited literature posits URiMs experience more adverse experiences in the learning environment and have different learning outcomes in comparison to their White peer counterparts. Latino medical students represent 7.1% of all entering medical students across all U.S. medical schools. While they represent the largest ethnic minority in the United States within parity lack representation among the physician workforce [sic]. There is a dearth of knowledge of what factors contribute to the success of Latino medical students progressing in …