Digital Commons Network^™

"We're Going To Tear Up The Caldera So We Can Have An Electric Car": Competing Perceptions And Spatial Dimensions Of Open-Pit Lithium Mining In The Mcdermitt Caldera, Oregon, Elizabeth Bartholomew

Dissertations and Theses

As the world attempts to pivot away from fossil fuels and other greenhouse gas-emitting activities that fuel climate change, the proposed technological solutions all require raw materials, resources, and land; each of which have their own logistical and political dimensions. Lithium, a federally recognized critical mineral that is considered a crucial element in modern battery production, plays a vital role in decarbonizing efforts. Under the banners of national security, resource independence, and carbon mitigation goals, the United States has incentivized domestic lithium extraction, expediting exploration throughout the American West. The McDermitt Caldera, spanning from southeastern Oregon into northern Nevada, is …

Synoptic Drivers Of Extreme Precipitation In The Upper Yuba Watershed Of California, Emma Nichole Russell

Dissertations and Theses

The United States state of California is vulnerable to both droughts and extreme precipitation events due to the timing and processes of precipitation in the region. California's annual precipitation is dependent on a few strong storms and in addition to its Mediterranean climate, leads to great variability in precipitation both within and across years. While efforts to reduce the impacts of extreme precipitation events have been implemented, forecasting for these events remains a challenge in regions with complex terrain and dynamic meteorological drivers. In order to improve forecasting and preparedness for such events, it is important to understand the range …

Marketing In Higher Education: The Effects On The College Choice Experience Of First-Generation Latinx Students, David Cortez

Dissertations and Theses

The Latinx population in the United States has drastically increased over the last twenty years. During the same period, the number of first-generation Latinx students enrolling in higher education post-recession has also increased by as much as 1.5 million students. The expansion of the Latinx student population in Oregon has mirrored the national trend by exponentially increasing over the last 10 years. As the population of first-generation Latinx students grows, it becomes essential to explore the issues and barriers Latinx students face in making their college choices. Previous researchers have found that selecting the right institution is important to increase …

Uncovering The Dynamic Nature Of Fire Refugia Across Landscapes In Oregon's Western Cascades, Alec Scott Dyer

Dissertations and Theses

With increased fire activity, the presence of fire refugia is critical to support forest resiliency and mitigate large-scale vegetation conversion, however, the persistence of fire refugia within burn perimeters over time is uncertain. This study examines the dynamic nature of fire refugia by mapping the decline in forest cover over time, identifying spatiotemporal patch- and landscape-scale patterns and the biophysical drivers of delayed mortality following the 2020 Labor Day Fires occurring in Oregon’s western Cascades. After three years post-fire, delayed mortality accounted for an additional 8.5% of forest loss (total of 24,147 hectares in all five burns) compared to pre-fire …

Assessing The Climate Resilience Of Quercus Garryana In The Portland Metro Region, Jess Rose Nettle Shamek

Dissertations and Theses

In the context of rapid global climate change, understanding the resilience of local tree species is essential for fostering effective environmental stewardship and community hopefulness. Oregon white oak (Quercus garryana), an emblematic species in the Pacific Northwest, has faced significant habitat loss and degradation since settler colonization. However, it also exhibits a predicted resilience to climate change, potentially leading to a range shift and expansion. Species resilience refers to the capacity of a species to persist and adapt in the face of rapid global climate change. Beyond vulnerability assessments and niche models, we know little about this species' …

Embodied Urban Political Ecology Of Oil: Social Reproduction In Oil ‎Geographies Case Study: Ahwaz, Khuzestan, Iran, Maryam Amiri

Dissertations and Theses

This dissertation examines the transformative impact of the oil industry on social ‎reproduction ‎‎within the urban and ecological landscapes of Khuzestan Province, Iran, and ‎its center, the city ‎of Ahwaz. Specifically, the study sought to understand the effects of ‎the oil industry on social ‎reproduction in three key areas: gender relations, race/ethnic ‎relations, and daily life ‎amidst ‎environmental pollution caused by the oil industry.

‎This is explored through three sub-questions: 1) How are hierarchical socio-‎spatial ‎relationships perpetuated through practices of ‎everyday life? 2) How are gender ‎relationships redefined and ‎reproduced in the oil city? 3) How ‎are ethnic relationships ‎redefined …

Three Essays On Communicative Planning: From The Perspective Of East Asians, Minji Cho

Dissertations and Theses

Communicative planning aims to strengthen the inclusiveness of planning by shifting the paradigm from the perception that the public is considered an object affected by the planning process to an active participant. In modern society, where people's values are more diverse, communicative planning can be an alternative way to reflect the opinions of people with diverse identities for decision-making. At the same time, however, it is criticized for its difficulty in universal application, particularly in non-Western countries. Scholars argue that since communicative planning theory is biased toward Anglo-Americans' context, it requires a specific contextual condition.

In this background, this dissertation …

Atmospheric Circulation, Climate Change, And Related Impacts Over The Western United States, Graham Patrick Taylor

Dissertations and Theses

This dissertation characterizes the range of atmospheric circulation patterns and select associated meteorology impacting the northwest United States, the onset timing of rain and wind relevant to wildfire across the western United States, and how these may respond to global warming. The ability of a suite of models contributing to the sixth phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6) to simulate observed large-scale atmospheric circulation patterns over the Pacific Northwest of North America is evaluated. Climate model projections of atmospheric circulation patterns, their frequency, and associated temperature and precipitation anomalies under a high-end global warming scenario are assessed over …

Immigration Policy Evaluation For Technology Professionals Immigrants In The United States, Angel Contreras Cruz

Dissertations and Theses

The U.S. Immigration System is complex for technology professionals seeking to relocate to the United States for employment or education. The United States relies on its employment-based immigration to attract and select the best talent to fill the shortage of skilled jobs. Technology professionals, a stream of highly skilled immigrants, tend to contribute and be more beneficial to the U.S. economy, which is one of the principles of U.S. immigration policies. Although U.S. immigration policies are constantly updating, policymakers, experts, and scholars suggest that the United States needs significant immigration reform to solve current issues, such as improving technological capabilities …

The Arab Spring Uprisings In Geopolitical Context, Jake Alan Rutledge

Dissertations and Theses

The question of why revolts, civil wars, and social unrest occur is central in the field of political science. This paper asks that question in the specific context of the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings as a revolutionary wave. Many theories of revolution and social unrest locate their causes in the internal characteristics of the country where they take place, such as the country's demographics or level of economic development. This paper examines the external situation of a country: its relationships with other states and the international community. This paper examines eighteen Arab countries in the Middle East and North Africa …

2020 Racial Justice Protests In Portland, Or: An Analysis Of Radical Place-Making And Police Tactics In A Neighborhood Context, Claire Brumbaugh-Smith

Dissertations and Theses

During the George Floyd protests, police used tactics infrequently seen until now, including the use of tear gas and sonic weapons in contested spaces. Police tactics are presumably sanctioned by policing directives, but little is known about how these tactics may vary across space at a granular spatial level, or how they might be normalized over time. To address this knowledge gap, I used the concept of repertoires of protest control to characterize and quantify the tactics of the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) deployed on racial justice protesters during the 2020 racial justice protests and describe the role of these …

Co-Opting Alliance With Efficient Grease Theory: An Observational Descriptive Study Of Corruption And Trust Nexus In Political Institutions In West Africa, Yarh Komolo

Dissertations and Theses

This dissertation presents an analysis of the impact of corruption as related to trust in political institutions in select West African nations. Corruption and some of its implicative hues are highlighted, considering such practice is generally an entrenched part of Africa in its economic, political, social, and cultural fabric and lifeline. In respect to the specific region of interest, robust Afrobarometer observational surveys convey data covering 14 of the 16 countries that comprise West Africa, with the exclusion of Guinea-Bissau and Mauritania which lack survey data. The study covers a seven-year period that runs from 2014 to 2021, excluding 2016 …

Critical Thinking Skills In Pre-Service Teachers And Their Coursework: Investigating The Preparation Of Teachers In The Rural Midwest With Humans, Ai, And Cyborg Researchers, Tiffany Ellen Rose Shonerd

Dissertations and Theses

Despite the plethora of research and literature regarding the relationship of critical thinking and its key role in promoting learning, little research investigated the teaching of critical thinking to pre-service teachers in their coursework along with how they facilitate it in their students. As future teachers worked towards completing their teaching degrees, student teaching permitted them to work in live classroom settings with veteran teachers as mentors. Markedly, scholars argued that future teacher programs needed to understand the importance of critical thinking and utilize facilitation strategies in classroom settings. In this way, the live classroom setting could then create students …

Critical Thinking Skills In Pre-Service Teachers And Their Coursework: Investigating The Preparation Of Teachers In The Rural Midwest With Humans, Ai, And Cyborg Researchers, Tiffany Shonerd

Dissertations and Theses

Despite the plethora of research and literature regarding the relationship of critical thinking and its key role in promoting learning, little research investigated the teaching of critical thinking to pre-service teachers in their coursework along with how they facilitate it in their students. As future teachers worked towards completing their teaching degrees, student teaching permitted them to work in live classroom settings with veteran teachers as mentors. Markedly, scholars argued that future teacher programs needed to understand the importance of critical thinking and utilize facilitation strategies in classroom settings. In this way, the live classroom setting could then create students …

The Evolution Of The Iowa Living History Farms (Lhf) From The 1960s Through The 1980s, Ryan Moore

Dissertations and Theses

This master’s thesis examines the emergence and evolution of the Living History Farms (LHF) and the living history farm museum movement in the Midwest region during the decades of the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Originally envisioned as institutions that preserved the knowledge of a form of farming that had largely disappeared due to the rise of post-WWII mechanized commercial agriculture, most Midwestern living history farm museum organizations in the 1970s and 1980s reacted to both societal and museum industry developments and made their exhibit site programming more inclusive of various demographic groups. The LHF responded to this trend by including …

Regional And Landscape Scale Examination And Attribution Of Vegetation Changes To Social-Environmental System Drivers In Kazakhstan, Venkatesh Kolluru

Dissertations and Theses

Kazakhstan (KZ) experienced widespread changes in ecosystem structure and function. The country is a climate and land cover/use change “hotspot” owing to political reforms, intensified grazing, and extreme climatic events. Despite their importance, there is a lack of consensus about vegetation changes, trends, and drivers in KZ. Addressing this knowledge gap is crucial for effectively managing and restoring grassland ecosystems. However, a pressing challenge is discerning anthropogenic-driven vegetation changes from climate variability and decomposing the responses to the complex human-environmental forcings. Motivated by these challenges, I employed statistical and machine learning algorithms to detect and attribute vegetation changes to social-environmental …

Should I Stay Or Should I Go? A City Manager In Times Of Transition, Patrick William Antonen

Dissertations and Theses

The public administration literature provides many assertions as to what causes a city manager to consider when to remain in their position or relocate to a new position. This study identified variables that impact the decisions to change cities. This research surveyed current city managers in northern Midwest states to explore which variables make a difference. The variables were categorized to include considerations about personal concerns, career motivations, and organizational contexts. Simple analysis suggests that a decision to change cities is very much influenced by the perceived dysfunction of the city council and political or interest groups that influence the …

Evaluating The Length Of Clinical Rotations In Medical Laboratory Science Education, Kendal Beazer

Dissertations and Theses

Medical laboratory scientists and technicians play a crucial role in healthcare by utilizing advanced methods to aid in the diagnosis, monitoring, and prevention of a wide range of diseases. Certifying as an MLS or MLT professional is detailed and specific, requiring years of laboratory training that is crucial to accurately perform testing that impacts patient care. Shortages of qualified medical laboratorians have persisted for decades, causing laboratory administrators to hire individuals who lack basic laboratory training. Laboratory education programs are not keeping up with the staffing demands, in part due to the lack of clinical rotation placements needed for MLS …

On The Understanding Of The Coastal-Urban Nexus Of Weather, Air Quality And Energy, Harold Gamarro

Dissertations and Theses

Urban environments exhibit complex interactions between atmospheric processes, building energy consumption, and air quality, particularly during periods of seasonal extremes such as summer ozone peaks and winter heating. Accurate representation of these interactions in urban modeling is crucial for understanding and addressing air pollution and energy management challenges in cities. This research presents a comprehensive study that advances urban atmosphere simulations by integrating building energy dynamics, air quality, and robust multi-source observational evaluation. Leveraging the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, coupled with a multilayer building environment parameterization (BEP) and a building energy model (BEM), with an improved boundary layer …

Policing With A Double-Edged Sword: The Associations Between Neighborhood Deprivation, Coping & Substance Use Among Black & Latiné Families, Neil M. Allicock

Dissertations and Theses

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated systemic racial inequities among Black and Latiné communities, increasing daily stressors such as exposure to violence, racial discrimination, and negative perceptions of the police. Social constraints from quarantining and social distancing have weakened community relationships that previously provided relief from these stressors. Persistent poverty and racial discrimination further strain community ties and challenge the well-being of marginalized communities. Negative experiences with the police are unique stressors for Black and Latiné youth, potentially increasing their risk for substance use. The erosion of community ties may heighten psychological stress and lead to less adaptive coping methods, such …

Author And Authorship In Arthur Miller’S Death Of A Salesman: Willy Loman's Attempts To Author A Nostalgic, Fictitious Past Lead To His Downfall, While Linda Loman’S Miller-Authored Warnings Fall On Willy’S Ever-Deaf Ears, Allison Stein-Jackter

Dissertations and Theses

Throughout the 20th century, the American male protagonist’s obsession with and longing for a past that never existed brings about his own downfall. In Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller, Willy Loman nostalgically fantasizes about a bygone era, the pre-war days of glory and greatness, but as he attempts to recreate his presumed former prestige in a post-war world, the fantasy unravels, with not only death and destruction in his dream’s widening, illusory wake, but the unraveling also presents itself in the recognition that Willy’s carefully crafted memories are works of fiction. Decades of literary research focus on Willy’s …

Religious Upheaval In A South Dakota Mennonite Community, 1874-1940, Ryan Mews

Dissertations and Theses

In 1874, multiple colonies of German-Russian Mennonites and Hutterites entered the Dakota Territory to settle into tightknit religious communities. These Anabaptists sought to escape religious persecution and assimilation in Russia but found themselves influenced by American religious groups. Their history of isolationism caused these groups to draw lines between their congregations that kept them small but allowed them to interact with new ideas in different ways, but caused them to redefine their German Mennonite identity. One such influence erupted from the Presbyterian Church called fundamentalism that encouraged evangelical works in America and sought to combat modernism in religious institutions. In …

In The Hot Seat: Acquiring Kernel Density Heat Map Design Guidance Through Delphi And Survey Methods, Lauren Eileen Mckinney-Wise

Dissertations and Theses

Kernel density heat maps have emerged as a new, popular thematic map type. Yet, unlike other thematic map types, little if any published guidance exists for effective heat map design. This is significant because maps are highly persuasive objects that are often utilized to communicate important information, but maps can also be misleading and misunderstood. Therefore, proper guidance for heat map creation is critical for cartographers to create maps that convey geographic information successfully.

To address this literature gap, I used a modified Delphi method and an online survey to investigate several questions, including understanding what cartographic experts think are …

Uncovering The Nuance And Complexity Of Gentrification In Asian Immigrant Communities: A Case Study Of Koreatown, Los Angeles, Seyoung Sung

Dissertations and Theses

This dissertation examines the nuances and complexities of gentrification in Asian immigrant communities in transit-oriented neighborhoods of Los Angeles, with a particular focus on commercial changes. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, the study aims to clarify how gentrification uniquely affects these communities, both in terms of residential and commercial aspects. The primary question of this research is: How do gentrification dynamics and consequences manifest uniquely in Asian immigrant communities?

The research unfolds in two stages. First, the study begins with a comprehensive analysis of neighborhood changes in Asian immigrant communities focusing on demographic dynamics, housing shifts, and commercial trends. The analysis …

Postfire Effects And Regeneration Patterns In Araucaria-Nothofagus Forests In South-Central Chile, Paola A. Arroyo-Vargas

Dissertations and Theses

Fire regime shifts due to climate and land use changes are threatening ecosystems worldwide, affecting their capacity to recover after severe wildfires. Increase of fire frequency, severity and intensity may severely affect forest ecosystems whose fire regimes have been characterized by infrequent stand-replacing fires. The temperate forests of southern South America, specifically the Andean temperate forests dominated by the conifer Araucaria araucana and the angiosperm species from Nothofagus genus, have evolved with less fire pressure, where severe wildfires may happen after decades or centuries. Recent severe and short-interval fires exacerbated by warmer and drier climate conditions have affected these forests, …

The Establishment And Shaping Of The Education System And National Identity In Manchukuo, Tianyang Lei

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis studies the education system and national identity of Manchukuo the nationstate (1932-1945). In September of 1932, the Japanese army staged the "Mukden Incident," a bombing of a railway line near Shenyang that was used as a pretext for the invasion of Manchuria. Following the incident, the Japanese established the state of Manchukuo with the last emperor of China, Puyi, as its nominal head of state. The establishment of Manchukuo marked the beginning of Japan's aggressive expansion in Asia and its militarization of the region. It also marked the start of Japan's effective control over large portions of Northeast …

Disappeared Streams And Flood Risk In Atlanta, Georgia, Baltimore, Maryland, Phoenix, Arizona, And Portland, Oregon, Gregory Chrisopher Post

Dissertations and Theses

Many urban streams have been moved, culverted, buried, or "disappeared" as urban infrastructure was constructed. This loss of natural streams provided land for urban development, but as climate change increases the frequency and severity of extreme weather events, these disappeared stream areas could threaten homes and other infrastructure with increased flood risk. This study developed spatial data layers to identify many of these lost streams for Atlanta, Georgia, Baltimore, Maryland, and Phoenix Arizona, using historical maps to find streams previously visible that disappeared by the present day. This process used the oldest available georeferenced maps from the United States Geological …

Left Out To Dry: Understanding The Social Experiences Of Ground Depletion In Washington State's Columbia River Basin, Alexis Lisandro Guizar-Diaz

Dissertations and Theses

Millions of water wells worldwide risk running dry due to overpumping, drought, and climate change. This study adopts a political ecology framework to investigate how economic structures and power dynamics shape the effects of groundwater depletion in a highly impacted region. It is based on qualitative fieldwork conducted in the Odessa Aquifer region of Washington State. This agriculturally productive region has experienced severe groundwater depletion, endangering communities and threatening water supplies for many, as agribusiness has intensively used deep water wells to irrigate high-value crops. This research addresses three key questions: 1) How do residents and households excluded from irrigation …

Community Adaptations To Wildfire Risk In Central Oregon, Usa: An Empirical Study Of Inclusionary Practices In Collaborative Wildfire Risk Mitigation, Liam Resener

Dissertations and Theses

Adverse impacts of wildfire in Western North America have become increasingly present through the 21^st century, driven by landscape changes imposed by colonists in the 19^th and 20^th centuries. Community adaptations to wildfire will be necessary through the 21^st century to restore landscapes and protect the safety and livelihoods of people who live in at-risk areas. Wildfire risk extends across countless environmental and social systems, and individuals have competing ideas about what constitutes that risk and how to best adapt to it. As resources are being allocated to community adaptations, important questions emerge about the values …

Exploring Nonprofit Views On Water Management And Conservation Strategies, Jillian Marie Farley

Dissertations and Theses

Valuing water resources presents a multitude of methodological and theoretical challenges, including economics, biodiversity, and cultural significance. Information is not readily available on the individuals working every day on water resource management and how they navigate such a complex topic. This project is designed to help all parties better understand the opinions of individuals working for nonprofit organizations and Watershed Councils in the State of Oregon about current methods of water resource conservation. The results reflect respondents’ personal views on the process and practices of valuing water and are designed to prompt deeper discussions between the organizations, communities, and policymakers. …