Digital Commons Network^™

News Images, Race, And Attribution In The Wake Of Hurricane Katrina, Eran Ben-Porath, Lee Shaker

Communication Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study looks at the effect of news images and race on the attribution of responsibility for the consequences of Hurricane Katrina. Participants, Black and White, read the same news story about the hurricane and its aftermath, manipulated to include images of White victims, Black victims, or no images at all. Participants were then asked who they felt was responsible for the humanitarian disaster after the storm. White respondents expressed less sense of government responsibility when the story included victims' images. For Black respondents this effect did not occur. Images did not affect attribution of responsibility to New Orleans' residents …

Portland State Magazine, Portland State University. Office Of University Communications

Portland State Magazine

PSU’s alumni magazine, published 2-3 times a year. In this issue: Alumni of color tell what it is like to live and work in Multnomah County; professor Anna-Louise Reysenbach travels to extreme cold, hot and pressure-laden environments by submarine to gather microscopic life; is growing genetically engineered crops good for farmers and the nation?; applying the research from one environmental disaster to the next; and more

Technology And Communications Coursework: Facilitating The Progression Of Students With Learning Disabilities Through High School Science And Math Coursework, Dara Shifrer, Rebecca Callahan

Sociology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Students identified with learning disabilities experience markedly lower levels of science and mathematics achievement than students who are not identified with a learning disability. Seemingly compounding their disadvantage, students with learning disabilities also complete more credits in non-core coursework—traditionally considered nonacademic coursework—than students who are not identified with a learning disability. The Education Longitudinal Study of 2002, a large national dataset with both regular and special education high school students, is utilized to determine whether credit accumulation in certain types of non-core coursework, such as technology and communications courses, is associated with improved science and math course taking outcomes for …

Interview With Nicole Stein, Umpqua Bank, 2010 (Audio), Nicole Stein

All Sustainability History Project Oral Histories

Interview of Nicole Stein by Shivon Van Allen at SW Portland, Oregon on August 5th, 2010.

The interview index is available for download.

Interpretations Of Interpretations: Combining Community-Based Participatory Research And Interpretive Inquiry To Improve Health, Jessica Gregg, Lourdes Centurion, Julio Maldonado, Raquel Aguillon, Rosemary Carmela Celaya-Alston, Stephanie Farquhar

Community Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Latina immigrants from Mexico suffer significantly increased morbidity and mortality from cervical cancer when compared with non-Hispanic White women, largely owing to lack of screening and appropriate treatment. Objectives: To demonstrate that by combining the tools of community-based participatory research (CBPR) with the tools of interpretive inquiry, it is possible to address explicit community concerns surrounding a particular problem such as cervical cancer while also examining what other, perhaps less immediately visible, matters consume the time and attention of community members. Methods: We first briefly discuss and compare CBPR as an approach to research and interpretive inquiry as a …

Why Farm The City? Theorizing Urban Agriculture Through A Lens Of Metabolic Rift, Nathan Mcclintock

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

Urban agriculture (UA) is spreading across vacant and marginal land worldwide, embraced by government and civil society as source of food, ecosystems services and jobs, particularly in times of economic crisis. ‘Metabolic rift' is an effective framework for differentiating UA's multiple origins and functions across the Global North and South. I examine how UA arises from three interrelated dimensions of metabolic rift—ecological, social and individual. By rescaling production, reclaiming vacant land and ‘de-alienating’ urban dwellers from their food, UA also attempts to overcome these forms of rift. Considering all three dimensions is valuable both for theory and practice.

Image Of The Teacher In Educational Leadership, William A. Parnell

Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

Is the early childhood teacher a babysitter and the banker of knowledge lling empty-headed children with meaningless information? Or, is the teacher of young children a facilitator, guide and co-learner at the round-table of learning with competent children and educational community participants? Ex- amining teaching and learning, organizational leadership, politics and policy, and educational research, this paper explores the image of the teacher as a theoretical discussion in educational leadership with a fundamental question: How can teaching and learning, organizational leadership, politics and policy, and educational research inform and bolster the image of the early childhood teacher? Solutions are suggested …

Prevention Of Residential Burglary: A Review Of The Literature, Portland State University. Criminology And Criminal Justice Senior Capstone

Criminology and Criminal Justice Senior Capstone Project

The Summer 2010 PSU Criminology and Criminal Justice Online degree senior capstone class worked in teams to create a report summarizing existing research on the prevention of residential burglary. The definition, prevelence, characteristics of both victims and offenders and their motives are discussed. The reports are then presented to a community partner, the Portland Police Bureau.

Comparing Discrete Simulation And System Dynamics: Modeling An Anti-Insurgency Influence Operation, Wayne Wakeland, Una E. Medina

Complex Systems Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper contrasts the tradeoffs of modeling the same dynamic problem at a micro scale and at a macro scale of analysis: discrete system simulation (DS) versus continuous system simulation or system dynamics (SD). Both are employed to model the influence of entertainment education on terrorist system decay, with implications for field application. Each method optimizes different design, scope/scale, data availability/accuracy, parameter settings, and system sensitivities. Whether the research served by the computer model is applied or theoretical, DS tends to be useful for understand low-level individual unit/step influences on system change over time, whereas SD tends to shine when …

System Dynamics Implementation Of An Extended Brander And Taylor-Like Easter Island Model, Takuro Uehara, Yoko Nagase, Wayne Wakeland

Complex Systems Faculty Publications and Presentations

We provide a system dynamics implementation of a dynamic ecological economics model. Dynamic economic models are often constrained to use functions, such as the Cobb-Douglas function, chosen “conveniently” to allow for analytic solutions. The C-D function, however, suffers from its fixed elasticity that does not allow for the substitutability between man-made capital and natural capital to change, which is vital for economic sustainability. Using system dynamics removes this constraint and enables more realistic ecological economics models containing functions not amenable to analytic solution. The base model is the natural resource and population growth model developed by Brander and Taylor (1998) …

Tryin' To Get My Mojo Workin', Emily Ford

Library Faculty and Staff Publications and Presentations

The article discusses the reasons why librarians in the U.S. get burned out in their jobs and lose their librarian mojo. It states that librarians are dependent on systems which make them prone to systems failure while most libraries rely on tools and technologies instead of their skills and subsequently lose their mojo. It suggests to attend the American Library Association's (ALA) annual meeting and meet other librarians and get inspired about librarianship.

Long-Term Evaluation Of Individualized Marketing Programs For Travel Demand Management, Jennifer Dill, Cynthia D. Mohr

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

This research examines the use of individualized marketing as a transportation demand management (TDM) strategy, using the City of Portland's SmartTrips program. This research project has two specific aims: (1) to evaluate whether the benefits of these individualized marketing programs continue to at least one year after the project ends; and (2) to examine whether the theory of planned behavior (TPB) can help explain the behavior changes identified. Surveys of residents conducted one or two years after the original program found that the share of daily trips made driving alone, walking, and bicycling were comparable to that found in the …

Focal Point, Volume 24, Portland State University. Regional Research Institute

Research and Training Center - Focal Point

The articles included in this inaugural issue of the "new" Focal Point address "Transitions to Adulthood" from the perspectives of researchers, youth, family, and professionals. [This is the first issue of Focal Point as published by the Research and Training Center for Pathways to Positive Futures; previous issues had been published under the preceding RTC for Family Support and Children's Mental Health.]

Symmetries Of The Central Vestibular System: Forming Movements For Gravity And A Three-Dimensional World, Gin Mccollum, Douglas Hanes

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Publications and Presentations

Intrinsic dynamics of the central vestibular system (CVS) appear to be at least partly determined by the symmetries of its connections. The CVS contributes to whole-body functions such as upright balance and maintenance of gaze direction. These functions coordinate disparate senses (visual, inertial, somatosensory, auditory) and body movements (leg, trunk, head/neck, eye). They are also unified by geometric conditions. Symmetry groups have been found to structure experimentally-recorded pathways of the central vestibular system. When related to geometric conditions in three-dimensional physical space, these symmetry groups make sense as a logical foundation for sensorimotor coordination.

Supporting Transition-Aged Youth: One State's Efforts, L. Kris Gowen

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Young adults need specialized services as they age out of children’s mental health care and into adult services. Starting in 1997, Connecticut began to address this need by creating a Young Adult Services (YAS) program, designed to assist those over 18 who had moderate to severe symptoms of mental illness. YAS provides comprehensive service delivery that includes clinical, residential, case management, vocational, and social rehabilitation supports. Major principles that guide the YAS program include: (1) services must be comprehensive and integrated—focusing on one issue without supporting a young adult in other aspects of his or her life is ineffective; (2) …

2010 Commencement Program, Marian Wright Edelman

Commencement Archives 2010-19

The program for the 2010 PSU Commencement ceremony on June 13, 2010.

Marian Wright Edelman, founder and president of the Children's Defense Fund, delivered the commencement address and was awarded an honorary doctorate by PSU President Wim Wiewel.

The Portland State University Task Force On Latina/O Student Success, Carlos J. Crespo

Global Diversity and Inclusion Publications and Presentations

In the fall of 2009, Portland State University President Wim Wiewel commissioned a Task Force, and an associated Advisory Board composed of community stakeholders, to make strategic recommendations concerning how Portland State can best serve the higher education needs and aspirations of Oregon’s Latino community. President Wiewel further charged the Task Force to base its recommendations on the best research and evidence available and to consider the most effective investment of PSU resources.

The Task Force met monthly from September 2009 to May 2010. It reviewed the literature, studied relevant data, learned from the success of comparable institutions, and performed …

Disproportionality And Learning Disabilities: Parsing Apart Race, Socioeconomic Status, And Language, Dara Shifrer, Chandra Muller, Rebecca Callahan

Sociology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The disproportionate identification of learning disabilities among certain sociodemographic subgroups, typically groups that are already disadvantaged, is perceived as a persistent problem within the education system. The academic and social experiences of students who are misidentified with a learning disability may be severely restricted, whereas students with a learning disability who are never identified are less likely to receive the accommodations and modifications necessary to learn at their maximum potential. The authors use the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 to describe national patterns in learning disability identification. Results indicate that sociodemographic characteristics are predictive of identification with a learning disability. …

Examining The Effects Of Climate Change And Urban Development On Water Demand: A Multi-Scale Analysis Of Future Water Demand In Hillsboro, Oregon, Lily Arielle House-Peters

Dissertations and Theses

In the Portland, Oregon, metropolitan area, suburban cities such as Hillsboro are projected to grow as people seek affordable housing near a rapidly growing metropolis. This thesis examines the combined impact of climate change and urban development on both neighborhood and municipal scale residential water demand in Hillsboro, Oregon. I use two models, a surface energy balance model, Local-scale Urban Meteorological Parameterization Scheme (LUMPS), and a system dynamics model, CCDomestic, to investigate changes in residential water demand in the 2040s at two distinct spatial scales, the neighborhood and the municipality. I calibrate and validate each model to the reference period …

Open Engagement 2010 Catalog, Jen Delos Reyes

Open Engagement

2010 — Portland, Oregon — Making Things, Making Things Better, Making Things Worse

"Open Engagement is an artist-led initiative directed and founded by Jen Delos Reyes committed to expanding the dialogue around and serving as a site of care for the field of socially engaged art. We highlight the work of transdisciplinary artists, activists, students, scholars, community members, and organizations working within the complex social issues and struggles of our time. Since 2007, OE has presented ten conferences in two countries and six cities, hosting over 1,800 presenters and over 7,000 attendees. In addition, OE managed a publishing arm, and …

Faculty Senate Monthly Packet May 2010, Portland State University Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Monthly Packets

The May 2010 Monthly packet includes the May agenda and appendices and the Faculty Senate minutes and attachments from the meeting held April 2010.

Population Characteristics Within The Portland-Vancouver Msa, Webb Sprague, Emily Picha, Sheila A. Martin

Institute of Metropolitan Studies Publications

In this article, we will explore population characteristics in different parts of the Portland MSA using Census Public Use Microsample (PUMS) data from 2005-2007. For the spatial component, we will use a Census-defined small area geography called Public Use Microsample Area (PUMA), designed to follow existing county boundaries and contain around 100,000 people. (The Census reports the one-year and three-year ACS data only to the detail of this geography in order to maintain the privacy of survey respondents and to improve the precision of the estimates.)

We will sometimes focus on a couple of example PUMAs to show the interesting …

Portland State Magazine, Portland State University. Office Of University Communications

Portland State Magazine

PSU’s alumni magazine, published 2-3 times a year. In this issue: 1970, memories of confrontation; student activism lives on; get a glimpse of the new Academic and Student Recreation Center; First Stop Portland connects global leaders to our city’s innovators in sustainability; and more.

What Makes A Meaningful Universe?, Todd Duncan, James Butler

Systems Science Friday Noon Seminar Series

A common line of thinking says that although we feel subjectively that our thoughts and actions matter in some way, this perception is an illusion. According to this view, an honest look around at the universe shatters this myth and reveals that our lives are ultimately meaningless. If we are to be hard-nosed realists, limiting ourselves to scientific, evidence-based reasoning, then we must accept that human existence is an inconsequential accident of no ultimate significance in the grand scheme of things. Is this attitude really justified by the evidence? We'll explore this question by taking a step back and asking …

Holism And Human History, Martin Zwick

Systems Science Friday Noon Seminar Series

This paper uses a systems-theoretic model to structure an account of human history. According to the model, a process, after its beginning and early development, often reaches a critical stage where it encounters some limitation. If the limitation is overcome, development does not face a comparable challenge until a second critical juncture is reached, where obstacles to further advance are more severe. At the first juncture, continued development requires some complexity-managing innovation; at the second, it needs some event of systemic integration in which the old organizing principle of the process is replaced by a new principle. Overcoming the first …

Bits And Pieces, Christina West

Harlot: A Revealing Look at the Arts of Persuasion

"Yeah, but what does it mean?" A sculptor's candid and charming exploration of how she's frequently asked to communicate the complex.

Book Review Of, Nietzsche And The Transcendental Tradition, R. Kevin Hill

Philosophy Faculty Publications and Presentations

Reviews the book "Nietzsche and the Transcendental Tradition" by Michael Steven Green

Toward A Theory Of Feminist Hospitality, Maurice Hamington

Philosophy Faculty Publications and Presentations

Immigration, international conflicts, and world debt have contributed to rising unease over the power relations created by burgeoning globalization. Absent from much of the political rhetoric surrounding global issues is a role for the social value of hospitality. Political theorists and philosophers such as the late Jacques Derrida and Emmanuel Levinas have reinvigorated interest in hospitality. This article suggests that the work of feminist theorists such as Seyla Benhabib, Margaret Urban Walker, and Iris Marion Young on issues of identity, inclusiveness, reciprocity, forgiveness, and embodiment can contribute to an alternative theory of hospitality. Consistent with feminist care ethics, the theory …

Valuing Information Literacy: Affective Learning And The Acrl Standards, Robert Schroeder, Ellysa Stern Cahoy

Library Faculty and Staff Publications and Presentations

Higher education information literacy standards have readily addressed cognitive skills, although affective competencies--the emotional abilities that students must acquire in order to successfully navigate the research process--have not yet been incorporated into standards. This paper presents examples of current information literacy standards, integrating affective competencies or dispositions, including the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) "21st Century Learning Standards," and proposes a model for affective-focused higher education information literacy standards. The role of affect in library learning, the importance of affective competencies, and the centrality of affective learning to student mastery of research skills are discussed. Viewing information literacy as …

Portland State Library Newsletter; Spring 2010, Portland State University Library

Library Newsletters

In this issue: Notes from the University Librarian; National Student Employment Week; Due Dates & Check out; Exhibits & Events; New Resources and Donor Honor Roll