Digital Commons Network^™

Generative Ai For College Students: A Collaboratively Developed Online Microcourse On Genai In The College Classroom, Amber Willenborg, Tessa Withorn

Communications in Information Literacy

Academic libraries have taken a variety of approaches to addressing the opportunities and challenges of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in higher education. For universities that have no standard policy around GenAI, instructors are left with little guidance on how to teach students about GenAI in the classroom and may have varying levels of comfort with GenAI and its applications. To address the need for more instruction around GenAI, a team of librarians and university writing center and digital media suite staff took an innovative approach to teaching AI literacy by creating a six-lesson microcourse in their learning management system all …

Range-Dependent Meso-Scale Geoacoustic Seabed Quantification, Tim Sonnemann, Jan Dettmer, Charles W. Holland, Stan E. Dosso

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study presents a probabilistic one-step two-dimensional (2D) inversion method of spherical-wave reflection coefficient data to estimate the range-dependent structure and geoacoustic parameters along a track. The approach of inverting such datasets independently as one-dimensional (1D) layered models and merging them to a 2D section is feasible but computationally expensive. This study demonstrates a more parsimonious 2D parametrization for active source data recorded on a towed hydrophone array. The comparison of data variance reduction for 1D- and 2D-based results clearly favors the 2D parametrization described here.

From Cynicism To Trust: Strategies For Teaching Students Source Evaluation Skills, Mandi Goodsett, Melanie Gagich

Communications in Information Literacy

Concerns about the spread and adoption of misinformation abound, and academic librarians have played a part in trying to stem the tide through information literacy instruction. However, teaching students how to evaluate sources can be complicated—teaching fact-checking skills may be insufficient if it increases students’ overall cynicism about information ecosystems. This study explores how teaching fact-checking and lateral reading skills, along with instruction about “bias filters,” can help to reduce the cynicism of first year writing students, while also increasing their misinformation detection skills. Results are mixed, but teaching about the information creation process and “bias filters” is especially promising. …

When Does Anxiety Increase Attempts To Spend Time And Money Efficiently?, Shruti Koley, Caleb Warren, Suresh Ramanathan

Business Faculty Publications and Presentations

Consumers today are anxious. How does this anxiety influence how they spend their time and money? Five experiments demonstrate that when consumers feel anxious because they are making insufficient progress toward a goal, they attempt to use their resources more efficiently while making decisions unrelated to the goal. This desire to be efficient makes them more likely to (a) choose jobs that offer higher payout rates rather than a higher total payout, (b) perform tasks simultaneously rather than sequentially (i.e., multitask), and (c) select products and activities that cost less money and time than usual (i.e., price and time discounts). …

Poa Annua Ecology, Biology, And Integrated Weed Management Practices In Turfgrass, David Ervin

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Poa annua L. is one of the most widespread and troublesome weeds of turfgrass. It persists as both an annual and perennial and is adaptable to almost any static maintenance regime, including adaptation to mowing heights and evolution of herbicide resistance. This management guide is intended to provide stakeholders with a summary of new and existing knowledge on integrated Poa annua management. Here we review the basic biology and ecology, as well as practical integrated weed management (IWM) strategies developed for its control.

Increasing Soil Respiration In A Northern Hardwood Forest Indicates Symptoms Of A Changing Carbon Cycle, Angela R. Possinger, Charles T. Driscoll, Mark B. Green, Timothy J. Fahey, Chris E. Johnson, Mary Margaret K. Koppers, Lisa D. Martel, Jennifer L. Morse, Pamela H. Templer, Angelina M. Uribe, Geoffrey F. Wilson, Peter M. Groffman

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Soil carbon dioxide (CO2) flux, or soil respiration, is a critical control on net ecosystem carbon (C) balance. Using long-term (2002-2020) measurements at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest (New Hampshire, U.S.), we show that soil respiration rates have notably increased since ~2015. In 2020, cumulative summer respiration flux was approximately 90% higher than the average summer flux over the 2002–2015 period. The increase in soil respiration cannot be explained directly by temperature or pH change alone. We also found that heterotrophic microbial C mineralization and microbial biomass C have also increased rapidly since ~2015, pointing towards an increase in the …

Why Democracy Has Lost The Trust Of Modern People In The Modern Era, Erica Rubel

University Honors Theses

This thesis examines the growing crisis of democratic legitimacy among young people in the 21st century. Across the United States and globally, young people are increasingly disillusioned with formal democratic systems, not because they are disengaged or apathetic, but because they feel systematically excluded from structures that claim to represent them. Through an interdisciplinary framework rooted in political theory, affect studies, intersectionality, and critical media analysis, this research argues that democratic trust cannot be repaired without emotional truth, structural accountability, and reimagined participation.

Drawing on the work of Lipset (1959), Crenshaw (1989), Cohen (2020), Papacharissi (2015), and Spade (2020), this …

Exploring Natural Competence Of Escherichia Coli Through Biofilm Formation, Thulni Liyanaarachchi

University Honors Theses

Escherichia coli is a species not known for natural competence; however, specific growth conditions can induce the process in this bacterium due to the presence of homologous competence genes. These conditions could be met with biofilm formation through an active growth phase in the two-layer architecture. Therefore, my thesis examined whether natural competence is exhibited in E. coli during biofilm formation as determined by the genetic transfer of ampicillin and chloramphenicol-resistance genes between two separate strains. The experiments were broken into three aims to determine the morphology of the biofilm in inter-strain co-cultures and cell-DNA mixes, the effect of …

Penicillin: The Burdensome Physiology Of Β-Lactamase, Lena Uyen-Thi Ngo

University Honors Theses

This thesis is a literature review investigating the effects of overusing penicillin and the nonadherence to proper treatment on the evolutionary changes in a bacterium's resistance. Drawing upon the history, present, and future of penicillin research, the examination analyzes how penicillin came to be, how bacteria developed their resistance, and how scientists are combating this issue. In doing so, the study investigates the historical timeline regarding the discovery of penicillin as an antibiotic. Furthermore, the review will examine the scientific changes within a bacterium's physiology to develop its antibiotic resistance. Finally, the review will delve into what scientists are currently …

Buddy Team 9: The Legacies Of Hiv/Aids Caregiving (New York City, 1990-1993), Jeff Donaldson-Forbes

University Honors Theses

An autoethnographic thesis asks, How were the volunteers of Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC) Buddy Team 9 (NYC, circa 1990-1993) impacted by HIV/AIDS caregiving? The author, a former member of GMHC Buddy Team 9, provides context to the HIV/AIDS crisis in a particular era (1990-1993), place (New York City), and cultural setting (via volunteer work supporting a major AIDS service organization).

Is Sharing Always Caring: Critical Discourse Analysis On The Parasociality Of Family Influencing Content On Tiktok, Riley Brown

University Honors Theses

Sharenting, the practice of parents sharing images and information about their children on social media, is a growing, cross-platform phenomenon threatening the privacy and safety of children, especially on TikTok. As this content gained popularity it became monetizable through influencer marketing, or paid partnerships with brands, and created a form of sharenting referred to as family influencing. Influencer marketing encourages the development of parasocial relationships (PSRs) to build a loyal audience for financial success. PSRs develop when a viewer forms a non-reciprocal relationship with a figure through a series of one-sided, mediated interactions simulating face-to-face or intimate interactions. The present …

Playing Makes Believing: Narrative Creation In Tabletop Role-Playing Games, Evan Salthouse

University Honors Theses

Tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) are a medium of narrative creation that combine collaborative improvisation, dice rolling, and game mechanics to allow players to tell mythical stories of fantasy and adventure. How are TTRPG systems used to create such memorable, evocative narratives? This research paper analyses Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) 5th Edition, examining its multifaceted system of narrative creation and the forces of influence at play, and outlining how narrative emerges from each aspect of the game. It highlights the act of play as the catalyst for these narratives supported by scholarship of role-playing game studies, and suggests future research investigating …

Not Just An Ad: Exploring Exposure, Persuasion Knowledge, And Health Misinformation On Social Media, Danielle Murray

University Honors Theses

This study explores how exposure to sponsored health and fitness content on social media influences users' perceptions of influencer motivation and belief in health-related misinformation. Drawing on parasocial interaction (PSR), attribution theory, and influencer marketing research, this study investigates two hypotheses: that frequent exposure to branded content is positively associated with (1) perceptions of influencers as commercially motivated and (2) belief in pseudoscientific health myths. A cross-sectional online survey (N = 104) was conducted using convenience sampling of adult social media users. Results partially supported the first hypothesis: exposure frequency was positively correlated with recognition of persuasive intent, but …

Rebellion In The Streets: Activist Art As A Tool For Resistance, Anika Nichols

University Honors Theses

This paper explores the connection between art, anarchism, and Black liberation through the works of Emory Douglas, the AfriCOBRA collective, and Betye Saar. It argues that these artists create a visual language as an expressive form of resistance. One that challenges state violence, capitalist exploitation, and the cultural distortion and marginalization of Black individuals. Framed through anarchist theory, including April Carter's The Political Theory of Anarchism along with writings by Emma Goldman and Lucy Parsons, the project places activist art within a broader tradition of anti-authoritarian ideology. Therefore, by staying rooted in community and rejecting centralized control, these creative practices …

"I Just Kind Of Wish People Knew We Existed:" Rethinking Queer Visibility, Identity, And Belonging In Rural America, Alyson C. Hagen

University Honors Theses

This thesis explores how LGBTQ+ individuals in rural America navigate identity, visibility, and belonging amid the pressures of metronormativity--the dominant cultural narrative that equates queerness with urban life. Through qualitative interviews with five queer adults who lived in rural settings, the study shows that rural queer life is shaped by not only structural erasure and limited resources but also adaptive strategies, emotional labor, and creative community-building. Participants described environments where queerness was often unspoken or denied, yet they developed contingent forms of visibility, online belonging, and grassroots kinship to survive and thrive. Although all participants had migrated to urban areas, …

Alloparenting And Male Infant Care Behaviors In Varecia Rubra (Red-Ruffed Lemur), Noelle Wilcox

University Honors Theses

Nonhuman primates are known for their complex social structures that sometimes includes cooperative breeding strategies. In recent years there has been an increase in investigating alloparenting (infant care provided by an adult or subadult that is not a genetic parent) and male infant care, and how such behaviors contribute to the overall assistance to the extreme energetic investment and costs of the mother for the rearing of offspring. There is also debate to how male care has evolved in the primate clade, be it through the theory of kin selection or theory of mutualism. However, there is not enough research …

East Portland Grid: Supporting Clean Industry And Residents, Allison Kirkpatrick, Andrew Azar, Diego Joao Murphy-Mendez, Evan Howington, Kate Carroll, Maura Paxton

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Workshop Projects

Supporting clean industry and residents in ways that are mutually beneficial requires a diversity of efforts. The Columbia Salmonry Group, working for the Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, finds that designating the Sumner-Parkrose-Argay Terrace neighborhoods as a Green Resilient Industrial District (GRID) can, with the following recommendations, build on the work of community and city partners to sustain and grow clean industry in Portland. This area is well suited to be a GRID due to the close proximity of industry and residents, a history of over-planning and under-delivering of investment, and the engaged community. Focusing on the needs of …

What Language Are We Speaking?: Marketing Information Literacy On University Library Websites, Aleksandar Golijanin

Communications in Information Literacy

This study investigates how Canadian university libraries communicate information literacy (IL) to non-library faculty members on faculty-facing web pages. A content analysis was conducted of websites from institutions affiliated with the Canadian Association of Research Libraries (n = 25) to identify trends in the terminology used to describe IL. The findings reveal that the term "information literacy" appears with varying frequency across website headings, subheadings and body text, while terms like “research skills” and “critical information use” may appear in its stead. University libraries may intentionally be employing these terms to enhance faculty engagement in response to the existing …

Visual Literacy Instruction At Scale: Developing Asynchronous Learning Objects For First-Year Art And Design Students, Jacqueline Huddle, Sarah Carter

Communications in Information Literacy

While learning modules are not new to academic librarianship, student-centered, asynchronous learning modules are an innovative approach not commonly considered within the academic librarianship literature. This article discusses the development and implementation of visual literacy asynchronous learning modules created by two librarians for a cohort of first-year studio art students. In creating these modules, the goal was to offer studio art students visual literacy instruction specific to their personal interests and future careers. Specifically, this article discusses the module design process and how student-centered learning can be incorporated into modules in order to offer deep learning opportunities.

Exploring Positional Knowledge: Using Theory To Teach Bias, Thomas C. Weeks, Melissa E. Johnson

Communications in Information Literacy

In this article, the authors explain how librarians can use positionality theory to understand how students produce value judgments around questions of bias, authority, and credibility. Librarians can help guide students to recognize the student’s own positionality when approaching issues of bias. Students are often instructed to choose credible sources for their research, which they often interpret as sources that avoid bias. Source evaluation tools and checklists, such as the CRAAP test and SIFT, also tell students to watch out for biased language. Unfortunately, many people, students and librarians alike, misunderstand bias and fail to recognize its significance in the …

Raising The Roof For All: Integrating Companion Planting Ecology, Policy And Community In Portland's Green Roof Future, Zoe Edelman

University Honors Theses

Green roofs, or ecoroofs, provide environmental and social benefits in urban areas. Ecoroofs manage stormwater by absorbing rainfall, reducing rooftop temperatures, supporting pollinators, and offering green space in densely developed cities. Portland, Oregon has adopted progressive policies that encourage green roof installation through incentives and building requirements. However, many ecoroofs in the city are underperforming due to poor maintenance, low public awareness, and limited access to rooftop spaces. This thesis explores whether companion planting can improve the ecological performance and long- term viability of extensive green roofs. A rooftop experiment at Portland State University tested the growth of radishes, with …

More Than Hormones: Psychological Consequences Of The Medicalized Menopausal Experience, Haley Derrickson

University Honors Theses

Menopause, a transitional period that roughly half the population may experience, has a high degree of variability in onset and intensity of symptoms, one of which is depression. It is also a period in which the lives of those transitioning are highly medicalized. This literature review investigates how medicalization has increased since the term was created, and how it impacts perimenopause, menopause, and mental health.

American Consumer Culture And Social Media Polarization: Analyzing Twentieth Century Trends And Their Effects On Twenty First Century Politics, Max Lally

University Honors Theses

The emergence of social media as a mainstream communication technology during the early twenty first century has had an outsized impact on the United States' political system. By analyzing trends in American culture and economics beginning in the decades following the end of World War Two, the circumstances that shaped social media during its development can be tied to long term historical changes. Shifts away from traditional models of community and towards rising individualism reshaped communication with both political allies and opponents. Generational shifts in political attitudes have heightened these divisions as well, as younger and liberal perspectives challenge traditional, …

Cultural Shadows: Vampires And The Shifting Fears Of The West, A Creative Exploration Of Vampire Media And Its Reflection Of Evolving Social Anxieties, Tasha Sayre

University Honors Theses

Cultural Shadows: Vampires and the Shifting Fears of the West is a creative-critical thesis that explores vampire media as a reflection of evolving social anxieties in Western culture. Focusing primarily on film and television, with reference to key literary texts, this study examines how the vampire figure is used to articulate and dramatize recurring societal fears—particularly those surrounding women's sexuality and autonomy, queer identity, and class-based inequality. Through close readings of influential vampire narratives, the thesis demonstrates how these stories mirror cultural tensions and moral panics, transforming the vampire into a symbol of both fear and fascination. Drawing on gender …

Early-Stage Detection Of Copper Ion Release From Bronze Corrosion Using Uv/Vis Spectroscopy And Hydrogel Sensing, Hibah Khan

University Honors Theses

Detecting copper(I) (Cu⁺) release at early corrosion stages is important for preserving bronze heritage materials. This study investigated the use of neocuproine (NC), a Cu⁺-specific ligand, for simple and selective colorimetric detection of Cu⁺ in solution. NC reacts with Cu⁺ to form a Cu(NC)₂ complex, which produces a distinct orange-red color with peak absorbance at 455 nm. Solutions were prepared with varying concentrations of Cu⁺ generated by reducing Cu²⁺ with excess ascorbic acid. Ultraviolet/Visible (UV/Vis) spectroscopy was used to quantify absorbance changes. The absorbance at 455 nm increased linearly across the tested Cu⁺ concentration range (6.25–200 µM) with an R² …

The Competitive Advantage Of Storytelling, Jennifer V. Carroll

University Honors Theses

Ava Roasteria Company, a family-owned coffee business in Washington County, Oregon, faces the challenge of expanding in a saturated market. Despite a compelling origin story rooted in environmental remediation and community revitalization, Ava has not utilized this narrative in its branding. This capstone project applied strategic business and marketing frameworks to identify narrative storytelling as a key competitive advantage. Research shows that authentic, narrative origin stories of small businesses that align with stakeholder's values and beliefs can foster emotional connection, loyalty, and brand differentiation. Ava's history and alignment with the Portland culture of sustainability and social responsibility is an untapped …

Assessing The Challenges Latin Immigrant Populations Face In Accessing Healthcare And Proposing Solutions To Improve Accessibility, Melina Khiabani

University Honors Theses

Access to healthcare is considered a basic human right, yet many Hispanic and Latin immigrant populations in the United States, especially those living in rural areas, face significant barriers that prevent them from receiving the care they need. These barriers include language differences, cultural misunderstandings, financial hardship, fear of legal consequences, and geographic isolation. This literature review explores the challenges that Hispanic/Latin immigrants aged 19-25 in rural areas encounter when trying to access healthcare, particularly preventative services.

Drawing from a wide range of existing research, this thesis identifies how policy restrictions, social determinants of health, and systemic discrimination contribute to …

"We're Not Gonna Take It": The Parents' Music Resource Center And Reformist Tendencies In American Society, Nathaniel Todd Belcik

Dissertations and Theses

The Parent's Music Resource Center is a cultural curiosity that few historians have examined. Started by Tipper Gore and Susan Baker, the wives of prominent politicians, they advocated for a warning label on music with explicit lyrics and achieved their goal within only a few years of their creation. This thesis aims to contextualize the PMRC within a broader context of middle-to-upper class reformist movements. Many have argued that the PMRC falls on the conservative end of the political spectrum. Yet, a more complete story can be told by situating the organization within a reformist tendency in American history, thus …

The Rainbow War: Ballot Measure 9 And The Fight Over Gay Rights In Oregon, Patrick Douglas Lasalle

Dissertations and Theses

On November 3, 1992, Oregonians were asked to vote on Ballot Measure 9, an amendment to Oregon's constitution that would prohibit anti-discrimination protections for homosexuals, prohibit the use of public funds and facilities to "promote" homosexuality, and require schools to actively discourage homosexuality as "abnormal, wrong, unnatural, and perverse." In this narrative history, I will explore Measure 9 and the ways in which it divided the state, beginning with its introduction in May 1991. I examine the history and reasoning of the Oregon Citizens Alliance, the Christian Right organization behind the measure, as well as the gay and lesbian community’s …

Advanced Machine Learning Techniques For Social Support Detection On Social Media, Olga Kolesnikova, Moein Shahiki Tash, Zahra Ahani, Ameeta Agrawal, Raúl Monroy, Grigori Sidorov

Computer Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

The widespread use of social media highlights the need to understand its impact, particularly the role of online social support. In this study, we present a dataset of YouTube comments, initially comprising 66,272 entries, which was refined to 42,695, with a subset of 10,000 comments selected for detailed analysis without additional filtering. The dataset is annotated for three classification tasks: (1) distinguishing supportive from non-supportive comments, (2) determining whether the support is directed at an individual or a group, and (3) further categorizing group support into six subtypes (Nation, LGBTQ, Black Community, Women, Religion, and Other). To address data imbalances …