Digital Commons Network^™

Security Vulnerabilities And Defense Tactics For Generative Ai Application Development, Kyle Klein

University Honors Theses

Generative AI (GenAI) applications such as OpenAI's ChatGPT leverage large language models (LLMs) trained on enormous amounts of data to accomplish tasks such as document editing, summarization, and query response. Chatbots and LLM programs that are equipped with retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) have the ability to draw upon data provided by developers and users to improve the quality of the program's responses. LLM technology has even expanded to generate images, audio, and video from user instructions. Designed around unpredictable user input and typically composed of many opaque components, LLM software products face a paradigm shift of new, constantly evolving security challenges. …

A Capstone Review: Strategic Solutions For A Small Macrame Business, Jenna Sarieddine

University Honors Theses

This essay presents an overview of the Business Capstone project, focusing on a macramé business currently facing a $10,000 debt due to limited marketing and financial management skills. The purpose of the project is to support the business in developing an effective elevator pitch, improving its social media presence, strengthening its financial statements, and enhancing both personal and business financial practices. The essay explores the company's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, as well as the team's collaborative approach to addressing these challenges. It outlines the goals established for the company, the strategies selected based on our academic backgrounds and business …

Money At Work: How The Inflation Reduction Act Reshaped The Irs, Richard Hansen

University Honors Theses

This thesis seeks to analyze and explore the ways in which the funding increase for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) present in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) has impacted the real life operations of the agency. These impacts will be examined across two broad categories: the ways in which the IRS has offered improved taxpayer services, and the ways in which the IRS has been better equipped to collect owed taxes and enforce tax compliance since the passage of the IRA. Existing data and literature indicates that the increased IRS funding has been correlated with some improvements across …

Decomposition Processes And Insect Indicators In Forensic Investigations, Eli Taylor

University Honors Theses

Insects play an essential biological and ecological role in human life, and their predictable relationship with decomposing remains has positioned them as a cornerstone of modern forensic science. Since the early 20th century, forensic entomology has provided critical evidence for estimating the postmortem interval (PMI), relying on patterns of colonization, species succession, and insect developmental timelines. Accurate PMI estimations are vital to medicolegal investigations, influencing the interpretation of biological evidence, guiding resource allocation, and informing determinations of cause and manner of death. However, insect activity is profoundly shaped by environmental and ecological variables, including temperature, humidity, seasonal shifts, and geographic …

Interventions For Online Gambling Addiction With Vulnerable Populations, Ethan Sarin

University Honors Theses

This paper looks at the modern rise of online gambling, what has been done to address it, and how we can improve upon them in the future. Online gambling is gambling done through a digital medium with two distinct forms: gambling adjacent activities (GAAs), and general online gambling. GAAs are activities that highly resemble gambling, but are legally distinct from gambling due to different kinds of obfuscation like using in-game currency to gamble instead of directly real world money. General online gambling is much clearer about it being gambling with many kinds of gambling activities to partake in from digital …

Flow Control Tactics For Photovoltaic Modules: Coherent Structure And Heat Shedding Amplification, Sarah Elizabeth Smith

Dissertations and Theses

Solar photovoltaic systems have become the fastest growing renewable technology in the last several years. However, large-scale systems are at the mercy of their external environments, where extreme heating and wind-flung debris impact their efficiency and useable life. The work in this dissertation presents studies aimed to both understand and mitigate for these effects by identifying the underlying physics which govern them. Exploring flow control as a tactic to combat environmental heating, collective work discusses the role of turbulent fluid dynamics within large-scale systems as pertains to convective heat transfer, turbulent structure formation, and particle-laden environments. Wind tunnel experiments on …

Renewal Of The Mind: Forgiveness Through The Lens Of Christian Faith And Neuroscience, Khelen Walsh

University Honors Theses

Within Christian theology, forgiveness is a foundational concept that is often understood as a divine command, a spiritual practice, and a path toward reconciliation and personal growth. Recent neuroscientific research further supports this viewpoint, providing data that shows forgiveness engages neural systems responsible for emotional regulation, empathy, moral reasoning, and perspective-taking. Through neuroplasticity, repeated acts of forgiveness reshape the brain, strengthen connections between prefrontal and limbic regions, reduce amygdala reactivity, and enhance emotional stability and cognitive flexibility. Although forgiveness offers many benefits, modern culture frequently distorts its meaning, framing it as a sign of weakness, gullibility, or a form of …

Understanding The U.S. Maternal Healthcare System At The Intersection Of Asian American Birth Outcomes And The Model Minority Stereotype: A Literature Review, Sophia Hevel

University Honors Theses

This thesis aims to explore the maternal healthcare system in the United States as it pertains to Asian American birthing people, the ways in which their racial, ethnic, and cultural identities are interacted with within the U.S. Healthcare system, and subsequently the detrimental effects of the medical system's devaluation of culturally specific birthing and postpartum practices have on Asian American birthing experiences. This will be accomplished through an exploration of the United States' maternal healthcare system, or rather, its crisis; how Asian Americans navigate a system that has not been structured to support their specific needs; and lastly, a discussion …

An Examination Of Disparities In Adhd Diagnosis Between Men And Women, Julia Holloway

University Honors Theses

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder has become an increasingly popular area of study over the last decade. The rise in cases over the same period likely explains this trend, as does ADHD’s status as one of the most commonly encountered neurodevelopmental disorders. While much of this research has served as an invaluable asset to both practitioners and patients there are still blind spots which have yet to be addressed by the existing body of research. This progress in our understanding of ADHD has gone far in illuminating the biases which have set the precedent for treatment and diagnosis, however, widespread understanding …

Art And Critical Thinking, Audrey Nixon

University Honors Theses

The voice of art molds and dictates norms and behaviors of society. Art eases people into sitting with discomfort or alternate ideas of the world. I work with mixed-media collage to respond and react to culture and the current American political climate. Through the act of expressing and working through thoughts and emotions, art teaches people how to process, it teaches histories of resistance, and empathy. Artists have the ability to engage their audience to critically think about what is happening in our world. By channeling expression and passion, art can help people make necessary connections about concepts that lead …

Hpv Prevention In Men: A Narrative Review Of Strategies, Risks, And Public Health Implications, Martin S. Lipsky, Bayler Gunnell, Justin Nguyen, Samantha Lee, Geo Wolfe, Man Hung

Institute on Aging Publications

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection worldwide, impacting both males and females. In men, HPV causes genital warts, more than 90% of anal cancers, and 60% of oropharyngeal cancers. Given that one in three men are infected with HPV worldwide, there is a pressing need for enhanced public health strategies focusing on prevention. This comprehensive narrative review presents an overview of HPV in men, key risk factors, and primary prevention in men. The most effective preventive measure for HPV in males is vaccination. Males at high risk for HPV include those who smoke, have human immunodeficiency …

Culture Clash: New Majority Students At Psu, David Peterson Del Mar, Alejandra Vazquez

PDXOpen: Open Educational Resources

At the heart of this open access book are nearly 100 interviews that the authors conducted with New Majority Portland State University undergraduates, especially first-generation students from immigrant families. These young adults have a lot to say about the practical and emotional challenges of balancing their warm cultures and extensive family obligations with college and classroom experiences that are often intimidating and impersonal. The book includes suggestions from the students and some of the faculty and staff they praised for how Portland State might become a place where many more feel at home and fulfill their dreams.

Friends In Our Lives: Perspectives Of Young People Who Participated In A Professional Mentoring Program, Kristian Jones, Karryn Satchell, Lakindra Mitchell Dove, Julissa Muñiz, Erik Hulman, J Mark Eddy, Kevin Haggerty, Deborah Cohen, Martie Skinner, Koren Hanson

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Mentoring programs are popular interventions to support holistic development for young people. One specific model of mentoring that has emerged over the past few decades in the United States is professional mentoring. Research has illustrated that this model of mentoring may be particularly helpful for young people who could benefit from extra support in their lives that a volunteer mentoring program does not have the capacity to provide. Despite the emerging utilization of professional mentoring programs, little is known about the ideal characteristics of a professional mentor and young people's experiences in these professional mentoring programs. This study interviewed 12 …

Unmasking The 1920s Ku Klux Klan In Tillamook County, Oregon, David A. Horowitz

History Faculty Publications and Presentations

The Ku Klux Klan (KKK) arrived in Oregon in the early 1920s, during the history of the second Klan. The Klan quickly spread throughout the state, aided by a mostly white, Protestant population, as well as by racist and anti-immigrant sentiments which were already embedded in the region.

Much of the influence of KKK Tillamook Chapter No. 8 came between 1921 and 1928, when the lodge pursued an anti-Catholic agenda and supported Prohibition and law enforcement through its dominance of local government, the police, and the courts.

Ultimately, the struggles and decline of the Klan in Oregon coincided with the …

Perspectives Of Cannabis Farmers On Intersection Of Water Access And Cannabis Frontier Constraints In Southern Oregon, Tapiwa Malvin Chabikwa

Dissertations and Theses

Cannabis farming and use are being legalized at unprecedented levels by many states in the United States. Oregon was one of the pioneer states to legalize cannabis in 2016. Although it is legalized at the state level (in Oregon), cannabis remains illegal at the federal level. Due to the quasi-legalization of cannabis, an agricultural frontier for marijuana is unfolding. Cannabis farming in Oregon has grown as there is a market and ideal weather climate for the cannabis industry to flourish. This study seeks to understand the challenges cannabis farmers face in accessing water and the socio-economic and political constraints that …

Just-In-Time Adaptive Intervention To Improve Hiv Prevention And Substance Use In Youth Experiencing Homelessness (My-Ride): Protocol Fora Randomized Controlled Trial, Diane Santa Maria, Nikhil Padhye, Michael Businelle, Natasha Slesnick, Stefani Ricondo, Marguerita Lightfoot

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Youth who are experiencing homelessness face a higher risk of HIV infection compared to their housed peers, and suicide and overdose remain the leading causes of death among homeless youth. Just-in-Time Adaptive Interventions (JITAIs) are gaining momentum for HIV prevention and substance use research. Yet, most interventions for homeless youth have not addressed modifiable real-time factors. Objective: This paper describes the development and implementation of a randomized attention-controlled trial to assess the efficacy of motivating youth to reduce infections, disconnections, and emotional dysregulation (MY-RIDE), a JITAI to improve HIV prevention and substance use in homeless youth. Methods: This study …

Digging Deeper With Deep Ram Networks, Andrew J. Wagner

Dissertations and Theses

While Deep Neural Networks (DNNs) have driven major breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, their internal complexity often makes their behavior hard to explain, resulting in the well-known “black box” dilemma. This thesis addresses the challenge of interpretability in DNNs and deep reinforcement learning (DRL) through two main contributions.

In Part I, we revisit and extend the use of Deep RAM Networks (DRNs) within the Arcade Learning Environment (ALE), showing that, with modern architectures and careful hyperparameter tuning, RAM-based agents can achieve performance competitive with established pixel-based baselines on Atari 2600 games, while offering additional advantages for research and analysis. We also …

Characterizing Meteorological Patterns For Oregon's Winter Elevated Pm2.5 Concentrations From 2000-2023, Arielle Golda Sherbak

Dissertations and Theses

Valleys and basins are uniquely susceptible to the buildup of air pollution during the wintertime due to cool, dense air pooling under favorable meteorological conditions, a common occurrence in the Intermountain West. In Oregon, wintertime anthropogenic air pollution is primarily from woodburning stoves and heaters and although efforts have been made to reduce wintertime pollution, stagnation events continue to result in decreased air quality. This analysis aims to understand the relationship between air pollution in six Oregon counties and the associated meteorology in the cool season (November-March) using a 2000-2023 climatology.

This is completed through a composite analysis using key …

An Evaluation Of Therapeutic Harm Reduction And Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy Within Oregon's Measure 109, Bodhi Norton

Dissertations and Theses

Despite psilocybin still being a Schedule I substance in the Federal Controlled Substance Act (OHA, 2022), Oregon voters passed Measure 109 in 2020, now codified into law as ORS457A, which allowed for the opening of psilocybin clinics for eligible clients. The passing of Measure 109 allowed for an adult-use model to be created, which is different from a therapeutic-use model. Advocates and Measure 109 framers employed the terms "harm reduction" and "mental health support" in order to secure the passing of Measure 109, but there is no specific definition of therapeutic harm reduction within M109 and ORS475A. To receive psilocybin …

Communities Of Practice: Aging, Emergency Management, And Churches In Rural Clackamas County, Oregon, Lukas Robert Aberle

Dissertations and Theses

As the population of the United States ages, questions arise of how to best care for older adults in daily life and emergency situations. This research looks at the daily activities of churches to see how they affect everyday and emergency care practices. As a collaboration with Clackamas County government, I researched the relationship between churches and care through participant observation and interviews during the summer of 2024 to understand congregations’ support for older members, the role of church congregations in emergency management, and the implications of the decline in religious participation alongside aging in the United States. I found …

Modeling Effective Shade For Oregon Streams Using Satellite Derived Vegetation Structure Metrics, Ella Wagner

Environmental Science and Management Professional Master's Project Reports

In the Pacific Northwest, rising stream temperatures threaten the survival of cold-water species, such as salmonids. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) regulates stream temperature statewide through Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs). To do this, the DEQ uses stream shade as a surrogate measurement for heat, as stream shade and stream temperature have a well-known strong relationship. This project focused on developing effective shade modeling and monitoring methods that increase the pace and scale of temperature TMDL implementation and tracking in Oregon. Stream shade can be measured in the field and modeled with computer models such as HeatSource, which …

Hybrid Publishing And The Legacy Memoir: A New Model For Preservation, Julie Kanta

Book Publishing Final Research Papers

This research investigates the advantages and limitations of hybrid publishing models for legacy-focused memoirs that integrate written narratives with visual ephemera. As traditional publishers prioritize commercial viability and self-publishing platforms present technical challenges for complex projects, legacy memoir authors face unique obstacles in preserving personal histories with professional quality while maintaining creative control.

Through an analysis of industry standards, case studies of published legacy memoirs, and an examination of current publishing models, this study identifies how hybrid publishing can address the specialized needs of legacy memoir authors in ways that traditional and self-publishing models cannot fully accommodate. The research contributes …

Faith Vs. Morality: Do Viewpoints Of Protestant Christians Attending Psu Align With Anti-Transgender Legislation Being Proposed In Oregon?, Asher Schneider

University Honors Theses

Transgender-identifying individuals living within the US face significantly higher rates of discrimination and harassment compared to the general US population. Recently, there have been thousands of legislative measures introduced with the intent of limiting the rights of Transgender and other LGBTQ identifying individuals. Christian Americans are significantly more likely than irreligious Americans to be against various rights for Transgender people, such as the ability to participate in sports or use restrooms that correlate with their self-identified gender rather than their biological sex. Research indicates that recent anti-transgender legislative measures introduced in several states is in part driven by the large …

Sex Worker Stigma, Morality And Ambivalent Sexism, Emily Kate Kinzel

Dissertations and Theses

Sex worker stigma has received limited attention in psychological research. Although stigma is often theorized to relate to moral concerns, the relationship between stigma and moral concerns has not been empirically established. This study aims to address these gaps by developing a measurement tool for attitudes towards sex workers--specifically an implicit association test (IAT)--and explore the relationships between sex worker stigma, moral concerns, and ambivalent sexism. Mock policy questions on the criminalization and punishment of sex workers were also included to approximate behavioral intentions of participants. A cross-sectional correlational study of 168 community members found evidence that both moral concerns …

Immigrant Selection And Global Subordination: A Critical Response To Sahar Akhtar, Alex Sager

Philosophy Faculty Publications and Presentations

In 1908, the Canadian government passed a law to prevent immigration from British India, making the right to immigrate conditional on completing a continuous journey from the country of origin. Hundreds of thousands of European immigrants easily met this stipulation; doing so was nearly impossible for British Indians. In April 1914, Canadian authorities in Vancouver, British Columbia detained 376 British Sikh, Muslim and Hindu subjects travelling on the Japanese steamship Komagata Maru from the Punjab. The Komagata Maru incident, as it has come to be known, reminds us of the toxic role of immigration policy in promulgating anti-Asian racism in …

Exploring Impacts Of Diversity Ideologies On Allyship (Intergroup Responsiveness), Fiona Nguyen

Dissertations and Theses

Colorblindness and multiculturalism are widely studied diversity ideologies that reflect prominent attitudes about how diversity should be understood and managed, as they can help predict individual behavior. Colorblindness proposes that distinct group identities should be ignored, and can be used to exclude minoritized groups and downplay racial minorities' experiences, whereas multiculturalism embraces and values group differences, can foster inclusive environments for minority groups, and leads to positive intergroup outcomes such as reduced prejudice. Despite much research dedicated to exploring the intergroup outcomes of diversity ideologies, few studies have examined their impacts on specific interpersonal interactions, particularly allyship. Research has defined …

The Fate Of Recycled Water In Restored Wetlands, Punyotoya Paul

Environmental Science and Management Professional Master's Project Reports

This research investigates the hydrological fate of treated wastewater or "recycled water" used for irrigation at a restored wetland site (Thomas Dairy) near Tigard, Oregon, that is managed by Clean Water Services (CWS). CWS is interested in understanding how treated wastewater moves through plants and soil in ecosystems that might be targeted for recycled water applications. Using a water balance approach, we evaluated irrigation inputs, soil infiltration dynamics, and hydraulic conductivity measurements across three soil types with different textures and other properties. Field measurements were collected using advanced sensors (TEROS and ATMOS devices) and laboratory tools (KSAT) to quantify soil …

What Kinds Of Experiences And Activities Contribute To College Students' Sense Of Purpose? A Mixed-Methods Study, Katlyn Rochelle Viers

Dissertations and Theses

For many young people, attending college is a core marker of the transition to emerging adulthood. Some students thrive in college while others become lost, confused, or seem to be just marking their time. Some researchers have hypothesized that one thing that can help students take advantage of their college experience is if they are firmly anchored in their own life goals and sense of purpose. The primary goal of this study is to contribute to knowledge about the role of a sense of purpose in college students' development, including not only its potential benefits to their academic functioning and …

From Either-Or To All Together: Integrating Universal And Relativistic Approaches To Belonging And Engagement In The First Year Of Middle School, Kristina Shiann Tucker

Dissertations and Theses

Schools are designed to foster growth and learning while promoting positive educational outcomes for all students. Yet, there is some evidence that the education system is not meeting the needs of all students, nor are achievement outcomes the same for everyone. Some of the identified challenges seem to be developmentally based, whereas others are evident among different demographic subgroups. Developmental differences are apparent in many aspects of academic functioning, such as student motivation and engagement, which peak when students enter school and normatively decline, relatively steadily, throughout students' educational careers. Demographic disparities are even more pronounced, represented, for example, in …

Understanding Covid-19 Message Fatigue And Reactance In A Post-Crisis Context, Lillian Hamilton Mantel

Dissertations and Theses

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted widespread public health messaging encouraging behaviors such as vaccination, mask-wearing, and staying home when sick. However, persistent exposure to these messages has sometimes produced unintended effects, including message fatigue and psychological reactance. Drawing on psychological reactance theory (PRT) and the integrative model of behavioral prediction (IMBP), this study examines the relationships between message fatigue, psychological reactance, and behavioral intentions toward three COVID-19 preventive behaviors: vaccination, masking, and staying home when sick. A survey of 348 U.S. adults assessed participants' levels of message fatigue, psychological reactance, attitudes, perceived norms, self-efficacy, response efficacy, collective efficacy, and behavioral intentions. …