Digital Commons Network^™

Adolescent Preventive Care Outcomes Before And After Covid-19 Onset: What Is The Role Of Telehealth?, Sarah Hayden Knipper

Dissertations and Theses

Adolescents are a developmentally distinctive population with unique primary health care needs; they comprise about 10% of Oregon's population and more than half are covered by the Oregon Health Plan (OHP). This dissertation investigated significant declines in preventive care utilization (well visits and HPV immunizations) among adolescents enrolled in OHP during the COVID-19 pandemic and the relationship between the decline in utilization and the rise in telehealth availability. The study focused specifically on the role of race/ethnicity, geography, and access to health systems in mitigating or exacerbating decreases in preventive care. A mixed methods approach was employed to understand not …

A Fifty-Year Assessment Of Historical Planning Processes And Green Space Distribution (1975-2025): A Case Study Of Portland, Or, Usa, Quadri Olatunbosun Taiwo

Dissertations and Theses

The Portland study examined past planning regulations and greenspace distribution over the period of fifty years, with particular attention given to neighborhood differences between invested and non-invested neighborhoods. This research utilized a mixed-methods approach through the synthesis of qualitative themes from oral narratives and archival records. Furthermore, I examined spatial greenspace using Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) imagery. I tested the study hypothesis using the GIS Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression test to predict how key sociodemographic characteristics affect the provision of greenspace in non-white disinvested neighborhoods. The key findings indicated a consistent trend of inequity in greenspace, heavily shaped …

Identifying The Drivers Behind The Decline Of Douglas-Fir And True Fir Species In Sw Oregon, Alexander Bryant Bentley

Dissertations and Theses

Increased levels of Pseudotsuga menziesii (DF) and Abies species (TF) decline throughout dry forests in the Klamath Mountains and Western Cascades ecoregions have been recorded in recent years, with preliminary evidence suggesting that factors influenced by changing climatic conditions and encroachment from fire suppression policies are primarily to blame. Yet, the physiological and environmental mechanisms of drought-driven tree decline are poorly understood across biophysical and spatial gradients. Given the complex relations that drive decline, determining the degree of influence of specific drivers is difficult, creating unique challenges for modern forest management. To elucidate the most important factors driving DF and …

Race, Reflection And Resistance: An Autoethnographic Journey In Social Studies Curriculum Development, Jesse Nicholas Hendryx-Dobson

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this qualitative, self- study, autoethnography is to explore my instructional practices, strategies and decision making as I navigate my attempts to build a more anti-racist, racial justice social studies curriculum in a predominantly white school environment. Critical Race Theory as well as racial literacy provided me with a conceptual framework, but also with the language I need to articulate the research problem and my findings. Three research questions guided how I collected and analyzed my data: 1) How do I plan social studies lessons that address the topic of race/racism? 2) How can I use social studies …

Is Ride-Hailing A Potential Solution For Older Adults After Driving Cessation? The Role Of Objective And Perceived Accessibility, Minju Kim Song

Dissertations and Theses

Due to age-related physical and cognitive changes, older drivers have a greater risk of crashes and are restricted by age-dependent regulation. Nonetheless, many older adults in the United States maintain a car-dependent lifestyle and still prefer driving. When driving cessation or reduction becomes necessary, a primary concern is finding suitable alternative transportation modes. However, the availability of alternative transportation modes does not guarantee their actual use of these options.

As a relatively new transportation mode, ride-hailing services, such as Uber and Lyft, offer on-demand, door-to-door transportation and may be a feasible transportation solution for older adults who stop driving. While …

Their Will Is Wealth: American Billionaires, Illiberal Capital, And Their Immunity To Federal Law, Conor Kawika Carroll

Dissertations and Theses

Billionaires are inherently unique political actors. They, and their wealth, are a species apart. This rarity is measurable by quantifying relative consequences for actions made on behalf of that wealth. This thesis explores whether or not a billionaire's political power provides them with immunity to federal laws and regulations that govern wealth and its political use. The objective of this research is two-fold: to illustrate the scholarship gap regarding American billionaires and their relative immunity from federal law, and to instigate academia to study billionaires politically at increasing rates, providing more data for lawmakers regarding the most economically powerful political …

Navigating Sovereignty And Human Rights: A Legal Analysis Of Palestinian Detention Under Israeli Jurisdiction In Comparison To International Law, Amani Nidal Odeh

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis examines whether Israeli detention practices of Palestinians conform to or contravene Israeli domestic legislation and international legal standards using a doctrinal legal analysis. This thesis evaluates six key areas through four hypotheses: the detention of minors, geographic disparities (particularly Gaza), administrative detention procedures, the use of military courts, due process violations, and detention conditions. While Israeli domestic law formally authorizes these practices, the analysis finds they routinely violate crucial international legal norms, including the ICCPR, CRC, CAT, and the Fourth Geneva Convention. The use of secret evidence, prolonged administrative detention without trial, and discriminatory legal frameworks undermines the …

Beyond Skins: The Far-Flung Impacts Of Sea Otter Fur Capitalism, Callie Pappas

Dissertations and Theses

Sea otter fur was one of the first commodities to shape the broader Pacific Ocean trade. As the trade expanded, it became entwined in a global network of commerce that stretched from St. Petersburg to Alaska, from Boston to Astoria, from London to Nootka Sound, and from Hawaii to Canton (China, modern-day Guangzhou). This paper aims not just to view the trade qua trade, but to go Beyond Skins to tell four stories of impacts of sea otter fur capitalism, in the areas of geopolitics, Indigenous cultures, trade in China, and local ecology. Originating in the Pacific Northwest, the sea …

The Role Of Cultural Mathematical Caring Relations In Supporting Two Latina Undergraduates’ Rate Of Change Development Within A Constructivist Teaching Experiment: An Anti-Deficit Investigation Bridging Sensemaking And Cultural Experiences, Christopher Orlando Roman

Dissertations and Theses

This study introduces cultural mathematical caring relations (CMCRs) as a framework that extends Hackenberg's mathematical caring relations by integrating two tenets of culturally relevant pedagogy: academic achievement and cultural competence. Framed within radical constructivism, CMCRs prioritize students' cognitive growth and development while affirming their cultural and experiential identities by embedding their funds of knowledge into the learning process. Through a constructivist teaching experiment with two Latina students, Yari and Jocelyn, this research investigates how working to establish and maintain CMCRs can influence Latin* students' rate of change development.

Findings illustrate that CMCRs supported the development of Yari and Jocelyn's rate …

The Effects Of Family Cohesion On The Relationship Between Trauma And State-Level Social Policy Provision In The United States, Brandon Kendall Ross Fielding

Dissertations and Theses

This dissertation examines how childhood trauma and family cohesion interact to shape state-level social policy generosity in the United States. The study begins with a multilevel quantitative analysis using data from the National Survey of Children’s Health and the State Safety-Net Generosity Index to assess how individual-level experiences of trauma and family support relate to state-level welfare generosity. Two trauma indices--one focused on adverse childhood experiences and bullying, and the other on food-related hardship--are used to explore how trauma influences attitudes toward public assistance, and whether family cohesion moderates this relationship. Results from marginal effects analyses indicate that family cohesion, …

Institutions, Indigenous Peoples, And The Structure Of Power In Columbia River Basin Salmon Governance, Christopher Michael Page

Dissertations and Theses

As broad patterns of behavior influenced by norms and rules, institutions structure many aspects of modern society through coordination and the distribution of power. Due to the importance of common-pool natural resources to many aspects of society, they usually involve competition and lie at the intersection of multiple institutions. This combination of institutions, power disparities, and a competitive interest is what scholars have referred to as a "field." Fields can be complex, and the coordination among interests is generally done through a form of governance involving a wide array of laws, regulations, and actors. When at least one of these …

Geography Of Non-Daytime Work And Employer-Centered Transit Accessibility, Julia Mai Plotts

Dissertations and Theses

Non-daytime shift workers--including those on evening, night, rotating, and split shifts--face unique transportation challenges. Those who rely on public transit often contend with complicated commutes and longer wait times on public transit systems that have traditionally catered to the 9-to-5 workforce. Meanwhile, the non-daytime workforce is disproportionately composed of marginalized groups, including low-income workers, racial and ethnic minorities, and individuals with fewer education credentials. For many lower-income workers, car ownership does not present a viable alternative, as cost-of-ownership consumes a significant portion of their income. This makes access to nighttime public transit a critical equity concern. However, most transit accessibility …

Financial Metrics As Predictors Of Financial Vulnerability And Nonprofit Failure, Yossi Haimberg

Dissertations and Theses

Studying nonprofit's risk factors for financial vulnerability and possible demise is important because of the negative social consequences for both the failed organization and its stockholders. Financial vulnerability is a concern shared by all nonprofit's stakeholders as poor financial health affects nonprofit's ability to fulfill its mission, sustain its operations, and in many cases may result in a nonprofit demise. Advance knowledge on financial vulnerability has significant implications for nonprofit's leaders to develop corrective strategies to prevent failure.

Nonprofit scholars such as Tuckman and Chang, Greenlee, Hager, and Searing have contributed notable benchmarks in the field of nonprofit vulnerability, by …

Urban Beavers At The Crossroads: How Ecological Knowledge, Sociodemographic, And Spatial Context Shape Public Perception And Coexistence Preferences, Matthew Guziejka

Dissertations and Theses

Urban beavers demonstrate synurbization by adapting to urban environments, offering ecological benefits such as biodiversity enhancement and flood mitigation, while also occasionally conflicting with infrastructure. This study examines how ecological knowledge, sociodemographics, and spatial context influence public perceptions and management preferences for urban beavers in the Tualatin River watershed, Oregon.

A voluntary survey of 176 participants from peri-urban areas assessed demographic characteristics, ecological knowledge, and attitudes toward management approaches. Spatial factors, such as proximity to watercourses and green spaces, were also analyzed. Logistic regression analyses were used to explore relationships between these factors and management preferences. Political orientation was significantly …

Special Delivery: Special District Use Of Collaboration To Solve Challenges, Kelly Irene Fahl Sherbo

Dissertations and Theses

As the special district sector continues to increase in number across the U.S., understanding their role in public governance increases in value both to practitioners and academia alike. The state of the academic literature on special districts does not yet reflect the large size and importance of the sector and has been severely limited by available data, mainly coming from the U.S. Census Bureau. Existing research has focused on broad descriptions of the field of special districts, some studies focus on policy and political effects; but scant research analyzes behavior within and among special districts, particularly with their public entity …

Characterizing Rainfall Variability Within A Series Of Storms Over Northern California In February 2017, Parker Jan Malek

Dissertations and Theses

In February 2017, a series of storms with associated atmospheric rivers (ARs) made landfall in the US state of California, dropping large amounts of precipitation over the Sierra Nevada Mountains and their western foothills. The rainfall from these ARs, long, narrow bands of water vapor that transport large amounts of water vapor from the tropics to the mid-latitudes, instigated the near-failure of the Oroville Dam located at the southeastern edge of the Feather watershed outside the city of Oroville in the state's Central Valley. This case study provides a synoptic and mesoscale diagnosis of the drivers of rainfall pulses that …

Monitoring And Modeling Legacy Tree Response To Restoration Treatments In The Klamath Mountains, Oregon, Usa, Isaac Joseph Ball

Dissertations and Theses

Climate change and its disruption of historical drought and wildfire patterns pose a substantial threat to forest health in the western United States. This threat is compounded by past management practices like fire suppression. The largest, oldest, and most ecologically valuable trees are particularly vulnerable, making their conservation a key objective of climate-adaptive forest management. Restoration treatments such as mechanical thinning have been shown to enhance tree growth and drought resilience in dry conifer forests, but long-term monitoring is necessary to understand their sustained effects. This study used dendroecological tree-ring analysis to investigate the effects of thinning on the growth, …

Commensality In The Eateries Of Roman Pompeii, Amaya Yolanda Eckersley

Dissertations and Theses

Despite a nearly 300-year excavation history at Pompeii and many identified eating and drinking establishments, social behavior in these public or semi-public spaces has eluded significant research. Elite Roman literature is the traditional guideline for understanding Roman mealtimes and what they meant for social behavior. This literature, however, fails to accurately represent its sub-elite inhabitants. These sub-elites of Rome largely had their meals prepared outside of their homes. Pompeii is no exception and provides a massive boon for researchers willing to consider archaeological evidence. The buildings and evidence buried at Pompeii have ultimately shown a wide array of tabernae related …

A Critical Appraisal Of Poverty In The Context Of Nature-Based Communities: Selected Cases From The Philippines, Carla Edith Gonzales Jimena

Dissertations and Theses

The Philippines is considered one of the wealthiest countries in both Southeast Asia and the world when measured by biodiversity, mineral resources and natural resources. It is also one of the most highly mineralized countries on earth. However, despite these natural endowments, when measured by established economic and human development indices the Philippines remains poor. Using critical perspectives derived from Marxist tradition, William Chambliss' theory of law and its dialectical nature, Immanuel Wallerstein's World Systems Theory, and Fred Block's structural mechanism of the state, this study aimed to critically appraise the persistence of poverty in nature-based communities in the Philippines. …

Tree-Equity And Environmental Justice Discourses Among Urban Forestry Professionals In Portland: Current Impacts And Future Implications, Axcelle Deone Bell

Dissertations and Theses

Urban tree equity is critical for addressing environmental justice and mitigating the effects of climate change in cities. This study investigates how professionals in Portland's urban forestry sector conceptualize and implement tree equity, focusing on equity and justice discourses. Through 27 semi-structured interviews with 29 professionals from government agencies and NGOs, I examine how these discourses shape decisions regarding tree planting, distribution, and maintenance, particularly in underserved communities. The analysis draws on political ecology, systems dynamics, and structuration theory to explore the systemic barriers perpetuating inequities in tree canopy distribution. The findings reveal tensions between different approaches to equity, such …

Benefits Of A Hybrid Learning Environment On Work-Life Balance, Thomas Robert Anez

Dissertations and Theses

This study explores the impact of hybrid learning on the work-life balance of graduate-level students, highlighting both the opportunities and challenges associated with this evolving educational model. Hybrid learning offers flexibility, enabling students to balance academic responsibilities with professional and personal commitments. Many students benefit from reduced commuting time, asynchronous learning options, and the ability to tailor their schedules to fit their needs. However, the study also reveals challenges, including difficulties in maintaining clear boundaries between work, school, and personal life, and the potential for increased workload perception and burnout. Through a qualitative, phenomenological approach, this research captures the lived …

Saving Tomorrow: The Triumphs And Tribulations Of Innovational Behavioral, Social-Emotional, Or Mental Health Support In A Rural Public School, Andrea Powell

Dissertations and Theses

Although some research has established the use of diffusion of innovation in technical fields, few studies show its utilization in public schools. This qualitative case study aimed to understand the trials and tribulations associated with implementing behavioral, social-emotional, or mental health support in a rural K–12th public school. Further, this study sought to understand how innovation diffuses throughout public school districts. Specifically, this qualitative study analyzed the perception of innovation through survey data collected from teachers and administrators in a rural K–12th grade public school district. When implementing behavioral, social-emotional, or mental health supports in a rural school, five themes …

The Sand Creek Massacre And The History Of Greater Reconstruction In The American West, Anna E. Plotnick

Dissertations and Theses

In the traditional U.S. historical narrative, the Civil War & Reconstruction era is a North vs. South story. Nevertheless, the era of western expansion, a central theme throughout the nineteenth century, has no contingent place within this traditional narrative. Meanwhile, the history of the American West and its diverse peoples appears in many textbooks as an unrelated albeit contemporaneous narrative. Separated by geographical regions, historians often do not examine these concurrent histories. However, many of these historical events and actors were interconnected. As I am interested in understanding the Reconstruction era’s national impact, I intend to explore how Reconstruction policies …

Barbara Strozzi (1619-1677): Empowerment In The Life And Madrigals Of The Venetian Virtuosa, Abigail Rockhill Beckler

Dissertations and Theses

It is generally agreed upon that studying underrepresented women composers is vital to expanding the breadth of musical study prior to 1900. However, when teaching about lesser-known women musicians, it is often misconstrued that these women were simply “granted” a musical career by a man within their network, and that because society would not allow them a chance otherwise, the woman had little say in what happened next. This study will show that Venetian composer and virtuosa Barbara Strozzi (1619–1677) exemplifies the early woman composer who had personal agency in the flourishing of her career. While Strozzi was allowed certain …

Schools Apart: Curricular Stratification Across School Socioeconomic Compositions And Implications For Educational Inequality In The Us, Daniel Mackin Freeman

Dissertations and Theses

Motivated by longstanding sociological theories and utilizing the most current, large, and nationally representative data, this dissertation aims to describe and add nuance to our understanding of how the curriculum US youth are exposed to is stratified by the socioeconomic composition of the schools they attend. All three empirical chapters suggest that school SES contributes to substantial differences in school structure, as evidenced by differences in course-taking patterns and how course-taking relates to academic achievement in high school and beyond. The first study suggests that the relationship between curricular intensity in secondary school and postsecondary achievement is variable depending on …

The Foodpunk City: Advancing Portland's Food Security Through A Shared Ideology Of Adaptation & Resistance, Nickolas Hash

Dissertations and Theses

Food injustice is a form of violence perpetrated by state and corporate actors against a constituency under their governing power, particularly impacting marginalized and impoverished communities. It denies individuals access to nutritious food, perpetuating cycles of poverty, inequality, physical health risks, and social exclusion. Grassroots movements have emerged to challenge dominant paradigms and advocate for food sovereignty, agroecology, and food anarchy. In Portland, the movement represents a nontraditional approach to food security that closely resembles the reactionary ideology of urban "punk" culture. Both groups prioritize community autonomy over food systems, sustainable agricultural practices, and resistance to oppressive structures that perpetuate …

Post-Wildfire Water Quality Dynamics: A Multiscale Examination And Predictive Modeling Of Stream Temperature And Turbidity In Western U.S. Watersheds, Junjie Chen

Dissertations and Theses

Wildfires, exacerbated by climate change and human activities, pose significant threats to water-related ecosystem services in forested watersheds. This dissertation investigates the multifaceted impacts of wildfires on stream temperature and turbidity, two critical water quality parameters essential for maintaining aquatic ecosystem health and human water uses. By integrating a comprehensive literature review, empirical data analysis, and advanced machine learning techniques, this research provides a nuanced understanding of how wildfires affect hydrological processes across various temporal and spatial scales.

The findings reveal significant regional variability and the complex interplay between climatic, geographic, and anthropogenic factors. For instance, the literature review highlights …

Thermal Regimes Of Beaver Impacted Stream Reaches In The Tualatin River Basin, Miles Mayer

Dissertations and Theses

Climate change and urbanization are expected to cause major changes to hydrologic regimes over the Pacific Northwest Region. The Tualatin River Basin, an area of the Pacific Northwest just west of Portland, OR has been subjected to considerable water-quality issues, including stream temperature. As ecosystem engineers, beavers have the potential to mitigate stream degradation and, consequently, there is increasing interest in beaver-related restoration. However, different conclusions have been found on beaver dam impacts to stream thermal regimes. These differences have been attributed to geographical differences in study location and variability in methods and investigated spatiotemporal scales. We investigated summer thermal …

Altered Disturbance Regimes And Novel Ecosystems: Understanding And Managing Ecosystem State Change In The Forest-Peatland Ecotone Of Western Patagonia, Kyla Sara Zaret

Dissertations and Theses

Altered fire regimes, combined with a warmer and drier climate, have been eroding the resilience of temperate rainforests and peatlands worldwide and leading to alternative post-fire vegetation communities. I used a social-ecological systems framework informed by theories of non-linear ecosystem dynamics on the one hand and political ecology and 'politics of scale' scholarship on the other to investigate, 1) the underlying causes of a shift in vegetation dominance from forests dominated by the conifer, Pilgerodendron uviferum, to peat-generating ecosystems dominated by the peat moss, Sphagnum magellanicum; and 2) what this means for the futures of local people's livelihoods …

The Effects Of Physical Accessibility And Subjective Accessibility On Grocery Shopping Behaviors In Oakland, California, Huijun Tan

Dissertations and Theses

Existing studies underscore the complexity of urban accessibility, defined by a range of factors, including the city's physical layout and infrastructure as well as the subjective perceptions and experiences of its inhabitants. As urban areas continue to grow and diversify, gaining a comprehensive understanding of these varied interactions is imperative. This broader context highlights the necessity of investigating the interplay between physical and subjective accessibility, aiming to illuminate the specific challenges and opportunities faced by these communities in accessing necessary services. This study explored the relationship between physical and subjective accessibility and their consequential impact on grocery shopping behaviors among …