Digital Commons Network^™

Elsewhere: Impressions Of Sense & Nonsense, Madeline Woods

Masters Theses

I’m not going to give it all away up front, but here are a few things you’ll find inside: a flower that tastes like peppermint, a book that smells like sunscreen, a silver orb that purrs, a woman becoming a tree, a shy rainbow, and a hat that is also a disguise. There are lists, letters, dreams, and notes. I hope there aren’t typos, but I’m only human, after all. There is sense, and there is also nonsense.

If you decide to join me here, we will wander elsewhere — across different kinds of terrain, into sensory experiences, between mediums, …

Fossil Morphology, Leah Zhang

Masters Theses

Fossil Morphology is a multi-media art project based on my research on the coal mining area in East Pennsylvania. It consists of a film, a series of photographs, and a sound installation. Together, the three works form a dialog among each other about the ecology and aesthetics of the region’s coal mining landscape and its underground.

For a long time, coal, as an raw material for mass production, has been understood and examined from its economic values and social meanings. The gradual abandoning of this material by our industry therefore leads to the seemingly inevitable decline of the coal mining …

Rebuilt The Fading Vicinity, Yifan Du

Masters Theses

Something is missing on the scale between me and the whole world. That’s also the dilemma of the Millennials. The giant gap between the ego and the world builds an invisible wall. This invisible barrier makes us nonchalant toward the trivial things happening just right in front of us. Ironically, the nonchalance makes our society more emotional and drastic. We get outraged more easily compare to the past.

How should I invite people to appreciate and care more about our surroundings? How do I rebuild the fading vicinity? Those questions are the starting point of my thesis journey.

Indefinite Origin: Decentralizing Knowledge, Tong-June Moon

Masters Theses

The RISD Digital Commons notes that “graduate education is focused on producing original contributions to a field, based on research and advance practice."

What is collaborative thesis, and what value does it bring to the process?

Indefinite Origin, is a thesis advocating for knowledge to be decentralized and treated as a shared resource. Deviating from a focus on originality, it engages in the creation of knowledge as a collaborative effort. Design flexibility is practiced through intellectual humility, negotiating methodologies and welcoming chance. This thesis explores ideas from Furtherfield’s Do-It-With-Other (DIWO) or Do-It-Together (DIT)4 philosophies that promote synergy around commons5, cultural …

Inside The Bubble 2.0, Sunny Yuqing Ma

Masters Theses

As a designer, I use speculation to observe. I use design to express. I want to hit people's souls directly. I want to create unexpected sparks through relaxed storytelling.

Zoomorphic Extended Body, Nicholas Tamas

Masters Theses

My thesis work is built around emerging technologies within the fields of prosthetic and robotics. The end result is a speculative proposal with how to expand the potential modes of use with these emerging technologies to extend and build upon their potential uses.

The Sixth Migration - Rural/Urban "Heterotopia", Pan Chen

Masters Theses

Written during the pandemic of 2020/2021 ,as people moved out of cities with new options to work remotely, we have witnessed a new trend of urban-rural migration. This study looks in detail at rural /suburban communities in southern New Jersey and asks how a planning framework and community engagement strategy can come together to coordinate urban-rural development at different scales. This thesis project applies two types of design strategies - “top down” as planning guidelines communication and “bottom up” as community-oriented design to bring residents in the conversation of town development, and in the long term stimulate regional development to …

Holding: Speculative Infrastructure For Fire Mitigation, Ian George

Masters Theses

This thesis proposes permanent and deployable infrastructure and devices for wildfire mitigation at different scales. Designed with consideration to the conditions in the western United States, but primarily Oregon.The primary approach to infrastructure is designing water retention systems for fire suppression and prevention. Some strategies are familiar and proven, while other proposals are new, but build off of existing practices. Interventions need to be site specific, so the types of proposals will vary in scale, location and timeline.The infrastructure should be adjustable, because the needs of a region may change periodically. Landscape systems take time to establish. Speculated infrastructure is …

Transforming Islands: A Living Memorial For The Marshall Islands, Chengwen Jiang

Masters Theses

Does Utopia exist? If so, I believe it is a state of mind, a way of thinking. This thesis speculates on future uncertainties. As such, my work punctures an illusion, examining history to reveal underlying tensions and, finally, conceive a brighter future for the Marshallese. Using the Marshall Islands as a case study, this thesis examines how a population might face traumas, both historical and climactic, and demonstrate how new infrastructures can build resiliency to support minorities and create new memories. My proposal introduces two potential “visitors:” Marshallese people ( future generations as well as indigenous) and the rest of …

Rewilding Seattle: A Green Network For Both Humans And Non-Humans, Zhouqian Guo

Masters Theses

More than three hundred years ago, Seattle City was a place of wilderness, occupied by non-humans and the Duwamish Tibe and Suquamish. After the continuous human habitation of the village site, the dominance of Seattle has eventually shifted from non-humans to humans. While non-humans have been lived in the city all the time and seek a better living space.

The project proposes a multi-functional green network operating at different scales to cohabitate and reconnect between humans and non-humans. It restores natural habitat patches in existing locations of urban green spaces in Seattle City and connects them with co-habitation corridors in …

Post-Industry Brownfield Renewal System: Precision Strategy And Design Via The New Methodology, Sirui Li

Masters Theses

Industrialization has brought economic development, but industrial zones can also bring depression if the opportunity for transformation is not seized. Industrial areas in the post-industrial era are often referred to as rust zones, which not only hinder urban development but also bring a series of problems. This thesis book wants to explore the problems brought by post-industrial land, to find possible directions for post-industrial industrial land through new methodologies, and also to guide landscape architects to have clearer design goals and methods.

This project focuses on the Allegheny area of the American Rust Belt, where the city of Pittsburgh was …

Wandering Land: Landscape On Space Station, Xin Wen

Masters Theses

When the exploration of the universe and the colonization of the universe are getting more and more attention, this thesis book focuses on the question of “What role will landscape play in space resettlement?”, and conducts research and design based on this, trying to explore the possible landscape attempts and experiences on space stations in the future.

This thesis starts with the background research of space habitats and clarifies the definition and advantages of the space station landscape. And through the study of the physical models of the future space station, Stanford Torus was selected as the subsequent design site. …

Community Steward Of The Deep Bay: Staging Lau Fau Shan For Resiliency Through Collective Participation, Lauren Tam

Masters Theses

This thesis explores tensions of utopian ideals through the lens of stakeholders living and working in the Deep Bay coastal region of Hong Kong, Using Lau Fau Shan as my case study, I have worked on ways to build socio-ecological resilience through bottom-up strategies of community engagement through first hand experience of interacting with a local oyster farmer. In understanding how the different forces of climate change and development pressures are currently impacting the community and the daily workings of the fishing community, my goal is to demonstrate how design can advocate for the importance of community driven strategies to …

Fluid Ground: Imagining A Floating Future For Tuvalu, Yuxi Liu

Masters Theses

Climate change is posing great challenges to Tuvalu, a small archipelago in the center of the Pacific Ocean. With low elevations above sea level, poor soil, and limited land resources, Tuvalu is considered to be one of the smallest countries in the world, as well as the most vulnerable nation under climate change. About 2000 years ago the seafaring Pacific Islanders inhabited the archipelago and developed its unique culture following the fluid geographies of atoll islands––a culture that was once associated with the notion of paradise, and which gradually faded away with the arrival of western colonizers in the 19th …

Mother River: Restoring Transiting Producing, Rui Yang

Masters Theses

The Fen River, located at the Loess Plateau in Shanxi Province, is one of the most important life sources for local people. Most residents in the past relied on farming to make life. As the only riverway that could serve for irrigation in the region, Fen River provided a huge amount of water and fed plenty of people. In addition, nearby lands were vastly used for agricultural purposes. The river acts as a spine to support people’s life for a long time. It is also called as the Mother River in the region.

However, as cities in the region quickly …

Land, Labor, Water: An Agricultural Commons In The Central Valley Of California, Jacob Lightman

Masters Theses

An Agricultural Commons in California's Central Valley examines the spatial and structural relationships between food systems, the ecologies that support them, and the unincorporated farming communities in The Central Valley. Current industrial practices in The Central Valley deplete water resources, deplete topsoil, create toxic living conditons for local communities, and undervalues farmlabor. Further pressures from climate change will inevitably cause greater instability in this food system and greater injustices towards the local communities and ecologies. The Central Valley is already a commons for Americans, as it supplies the majority of our year-round produce. Through a reevaluation of the idea of …

Driftscape: Maximize Urban Space Uses In The Context Of Densification, Sida Zhang

Masters Theses

This study aims to explore a systematic method to stimulate and maximize the use of the urban space in the context of urban densification, expanding urban space usage in the dimension of time and space. In this context, urban space is reclaimed as the notion of overlap between public and private space in urban figure-ground.

The research focuses on Providence as a study area that encompasses different transects of the urbanized American city and faces typical densification issues. It has strategically turned the issue of densification into opportunities for improving social interactions and space utilization. The “Driftscape” principle with its …

Optics / Perception / Experience: Regenerating Agricultural Landscape Through Railways, Tianyi Xie

Masters Theses

This thesis examines the relationship between two large infrastructure systems: the railway and agriculture. It’s becoming increasingly important as unhealthy nation-wide industrial agriculture is destroying people’s health and decreasing the long-term capacity of sustainable production of food. In the discipline of landscape architecture, there is a necessity to reform our thinking to match the modern-day development in population growth, transportation and mass production. There exists vast farmlands outside our city, which support our city life with energy and food sources. How could we get people to understand its significance? In chapter I and II, the history of agriculture and railway …

Defining The Diva: Celebrity, Feminism & Performance In Popular Culture, Rachel Glago

Masters Theses

The word ‘diva’ tends to conjure a specific kind of woman. As popular culture has come to recognize ‘diva’ as a more politicized term, it’s essential to acknowledge that the intrinsic meaning of such a term in this context comes from a patriarchal culture that strives to control women’s bodies, identities, and individual narratives as they’re represented in the media.

Through analysis of Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, and Jennifer Lopez’s careers in the music and entertainment industry, this paper explores this notion further while considering the implications of gender, race, ethnicity, and age. These case studies analyze the shifting relationship and …

The Toughest Apologetic: A Study On Christians Who Deconvert, Jeffery L. Childress

Masters Theses

Christianity is distinct from any other world religion, philosophy, or ideology in how it explains universal origin, meaning, destiny, and morality. The Christian message is also unique in promise of a personal and life-changing relationship with the Creator God. One can hardly deny the influence of the Christian faith has had on humanity over the past two thousand years. However, a growing number of those believers who once claimed commitment to the transcendent message and transformative power of Jesus Christ eventually rescind belief in their faith and renounce their deeply held spiritual convictions. This paper explores why people with roots …

Retinal Regeneration In A Genetic Mouse Model Of Glaucoma, Joshua Paris

Masters Theses

Glaucoma is a degenerative retinal disease characterized by progressive loss of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). Previous studies have shown that application of a specific α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonist, PNU-282987 (PNU), onto the murine retina induces neurogenesis of numerous retinal cell types, including RGCs. The aim of this study is to characterize the short-term and long-term effects of PNU in a glaucoma model. The effects of PNU were analyzed in a DBA/2J mouse model that auto-induces a glaucoma-like condition in adulthood. These mice manifest an elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) starting at 6 months, followed by loss of RGCs. To assess …

Capturing The Digital Dollar: How Religious Nonprofits Are Adopting Social Media For Adoption, Engagement, And Community, Hannah Xiang Mei Rotter

Masters Theses

The objective of this thesis was to quantify the impact of religious, media-related nonprofit adoption rate, online presence, and online giving technology. Specifically, this thesis focuses on the nonprofits’ adoption, use, and interactivity on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. This thesis study was rooted in Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovations Theory, and its constructs were used to best understand the adoption and impact of use within the religious nonprofit sector (Rogers, 2003). First, the researcher defined and evaluated the nonprofit’s active online presence, sophistication of technology integration, and impact of these findings. Second, the researcher quantitatively examined audience interactivity. Targeting a …

Hello, Neighbor! A Curriculum For The Instruction Of Social And Emotional Learning In The Early Childhood Music Classroom Using The Pedagogical Strategies Of Fred Rogers, Julia Conceison

Masters Theses

Modern music educators are faced with many unique challenges while teaching in the early childhood and elementary classroom. With these challenges come the added stressors of students’ individual and collective experiences as they learn to process and regulate their behaviors and emotions through a variety of often unfamiliar social, political, and familial challenges. Currently, while many university teacher preparation programs focus on teaching content differentiation, curriculum creation, and content knowledge, they do not often focus on cultural relevance and responsiveness. One champion of cultural relevance and responsiveness in music education is composer, educator, minister, and children’s television host, Fred Rogers, …

The Vote: Gender Identification In The Women's Suffrage Movement Through The Rhetoric Of Carrie Chapman Catt, Sarah Perkins

Masters Theses

Throughout the women’s suffrage movement, rhetoric was used as a powerful tool of persuasion to convince men that women should have the right to vote. It was also used as a tool of persuasion to convince women to join the fight for suffrage. One of the most influential rhetoricians in the movement was suffragist, Carrie Chapman Catt, who was able to use both.

This study aims to determine how women’s suffrage leader, Carrie Chapman Catt, used persuasion through her speeches to win the 19th amendment. This study specifically investigates one speech to the all-male United States Congress and the other …

Teaching Expression And Communication Through Music And Collaborative Arts, Goeun Kim

Masters Theses

Music and art are vehicles for creative expression that people have practiced throughout history to express and communicate their thoughts, emotions, feelings, and experiences. Art is the purest and most unique form of self-expression, but today’s perception of art is usually accessible for people who are naturally gifted or specialize in a particular art form. Children have the potential to understand, learn, and enjoy music if given a chance to explore creative expression. Especially during pre-adolescence or adolescence, many young children find it difficult to express themselves outwardly because they are concerned about peer relations and people’s expectations. While an …

The Creative Laboratory: Embracing Childlike Imagination To Develop Lifelong Creativity And Cognitive Ability Through Worldplay, Nicholle Kimberly Abbott

Masters Theses

There is a decline in creativity that occurs in children around the sixth grade. Although it is commonly agreed that creativity is a valuable skill, the playful activities of childhood that naturally develop creativity are often discouraged once the child reaches middle school age. This thesis investigates methods of generating creativity that can be introduced to children as a way to combat the slump. Specifically, it analyzes worldplay, the act of creating an imaginary world, as a potential tool for building creativity. To test the viability of worldplay as a creative tool, the thesis used a literature review to establish …

Diverse Characterization: The Importance Of Inclusive Protagonists And Authors For Adolescents In Diverse Communities, Trista Straube

Masters Theses

Despite continuous efforts to increase comprehension and success for students of diverse backgrounds there is a major underrepresentation of these communities in literary applications. Literary devices within public institutions should celebrate diversity in race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, culture, and physical and mental ability. It is important, in young adult development, that students have literature that reflects similarities in their personal lives. This thesis will serve to prove that literature pursued in public education should be selected based on the relatability of the students enrolled in the institution and inclusivity to the student population. When selecting relatable texts, …

A Return To Integrity In Animation: A Liberal Arts Approach To Improving The Academic & Spiritual Influence Of Animated Television Shows For Children, Arnulfo M.G. Jacinto Jr

Masters Theses

This study examines the degradation of ethical, academic, and moral subject matter that has been increasing in animation and children’s programing since the 1980s. Prior to that time, cartoons were infused with silly humor, clean jokes, age-appropriate subject matter, and traditional values and morals. However, over the last forty years, cartoons are now including graphic violence and sexual innuendos while promoting the acceptance and tolerance of rebellious behavior, inappropriate language, and crude jokes. Within the last 10 years children’s programing has begun mainstreaming the LGBTQ+ lifestyle while steering away from or even attacking traditional Christian beliefs, principles, and values. Christian …

Tight Trip Vs. Loose Grip On Russian Kettlebell Swing Work Capacity, Austin Deshner, Abigail Mccarty, Jerrell C. Campbell, Andrew Fields, Will W. Peveler

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a tight grip(TG) and a loose grip(LG) on work capacity while performing Russian kettlebell swings(KBS). It was hypothesized that LG would result in an ability to perform more work. Thirty fit adults (16 male; 14 female) were tested. Two (TG and LG) separate counterbalanced trials for each subject were collected, counting the number of repetitions completed until volitional exhaustion. RPE for forearms and overall exhaustion were collected post-trial. SPSS was used to run a paired samples t-test. There was a significant difference between the two grips (p = 0.013)(TG …

Using Low-Flow Sampling Data To Estimate Hydraulic Conductivity In Aquifers, Joy Kiefer

Masters Theses

Hydrogeologists sample wells to test aquifer water quality and use slug tests to estimate aquifer permeability. Robbins et al. (2009) proposed a more efficient way to obtain the goals of the two tests—the use of low-flow sampling and the use of the resulting flow rate and drawdown data to estimate aquifer hydraulic conductivity (K). The Robbins et al. method calculates K by using the slope of the best fit line from the graph of flow rate vs. drawdown for all low-flow pumping data collected at a well. When the method was applied to low-flow data from four Kalamazoo, MI, it …