Digital Commons Network^™

The Impacts Of Wing-Flashing By Northern Mockingbirds On Foraging, Parental Care, And Reproductive Success, Anna R. Starman

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Foraging efficiency may be enhanced by flashing patches of white wing and tail feathers and has been documented in several avian species. Northern Mockingbirds (Mimus polyglottos, NOMO) exhibit this “wing-flashing” (WF) behavior while foraging, during displays, and in response to predators. In NOMOs, WF has been hypothesized to increase foraging success, but previous findings are inconclusive. To further investigate the biological role(s) of WF behavior in NOMOs, the ventral surface of white primary feathers of male NOMOs were artificially darkened, and the foraging and provisioning rates of undarkened (control) males and their mates were compared. While foraging, undarkened …

Dietary Ecology Of Waterfowl Nest Predators In The Prairie Pothole Region: Evaluating Resource Use From Species To Individual Using Stable Isotope Analysis, Grace Barthelmess

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

Nest predation is a primary factor influencing waterfowl productivity in the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) of North America. Although this system is intensely managed and studied, research has largely focused on how predators affect waterfowl populations, with comparatively little attention to how predators actually rely on waterfowl as a resource. Understanding predator feeding ecology is therefore critical for informing effective management strategies and interpreting the complexity of predator-prey interactions on this landscape. My objective overall was to elucidate the feeding ecology of nine focal predator species commonly associated with waterfowl nest predation in the Aspen Parkland Ecoregion of the PPR: …

Climate Change In Gilgit-Baltistan: Satellite-Based Land Use/Land Cover Change Detection, Socio-Economic Dimensions, And Adaptation Strategies, Ali Muhammad

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Climate change is increasingly transforming the cryosphere, hydrology, and human landscape of Gilgit-Baltistan, a highly climate-sensitive mountain region in northern Pakistan. This thesis investigates these transformations through satellite-based land use/land cover (LULC) change detection in four representative tehsils of Gilgit-Baltistan—Ali Abad, Gilgit, Nagar, and Sikander Abad—selected to span a gradient of human pressure and cryospheric exposure within the region. Using summer, cloud-free (< 10%) imagery from USGS Landsat 7 (2000) and Landsat 8 (2025), it conducts a multi-temporal comparison of environmental and socio-spatial change. After atmospheric correction and band compositing, the imagery is classified in ArcGIS Pro into six classes—Water, Barren land, Vegetation, Snow, Glacier, and Built-up—using a Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier, with Maximum Likelihood Classification and Random Forest also tested but found less suitable for the final workflow. The analysis detects a pronounced reduction in mapped glacier-class area alongside a comparatively stable snow class, together with built-up expansion, while examining how temperature, precipitation, tourism, and population dynamics relate to observed LULC transitions. The results reveal a pattern of cryospheric decline and urban growth, with implications for water availability, ecological stability, hazard exposure, and settlement pressure. By integrating geospatial change detection with climatic and socio-economic interpretation, the thesis moves beyond mapping to explain interacting environmental and human drivers of landscape transformation and provides a reproducible remote-sensing baseline for monitoring land-surface change in heterogeneous mountainous terrain. It recommends integrated water-resource management, climate-resilient land-use planning, watershed and glacier monitoring, and sustainable tourism governance, supporting evidence-based decision-making by the Government of Gilgit-Baltistan and organizations working on climate adaptation, disaster risk reduction, and sustainable regional development.

Investigating The Impact Of Winter Exposure To Natural Environments On Perceived Health And Well-Being Using Geographic Ecological Momentary Assessment: A Case Study At Arrowhead Provincial Park, Faith M. Laing

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This study examined how winter exposure to specific natural environments influenced perceived health and well-being outcomes using Geographic Ecological Momentary Assessment (GEMA) in Arrowhead Provincial Park. Studies performed in the wintertime are limited, as is our understanding of how specific park features and/or activities impact health and well-being. To address this, GEMA was used with a video component to capture participants’ real-time experience and emotional responses in specific park locations defined by polygon boundaries. Two surveys were administered through participants mobile devices, one being an in-situ engagement survey triggered by entering a bounded location, which included a video and …

Implementation Of A 3-Dimensional Hydrodynamic Numerical Model On A Large Northern Lake, Kirin Lorente

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Climate change is impacting high latitude regions disproportionately more than those at a lower latitude. With polar lakes being highly sensitive to changes in the climate, shifts in lake ice dynamics and hydrodynamics are indicators of such changes in regional and global climates. These changes impact future seasons in a positive feedback loop, where changes in winter ice cover impact open water nutrients levels and lake thermal structure. This highlights the importance for long-term monitoring. Despite the abundance of lakes distributed across Northern Canada, there has been limited research conducted on these sentinels of climate change.

Specifically, Great Bear Lake …

Youth Perspectives On Developing A Sustainable Food Future In Sambaa K’E Nwt., Danielle Elizabeth Bayne Ms

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Food systems in Northern Indigenous communities are shaped by complex and interconnected social, environmental, economic, and political forces that determine how food is accessed, practiced, and governed. Indigenous food systems are deeply rooted in Land-based practices and relationships that support cultural continuity and intergenerational knowledge transfer. However, these systems have been profoundly disrupted by ongoing colonial structures that restrict access to and devalue Indigenous Knowledge and alter harvesting practices. Climate change further intensifies challenges related to traditional food access by altering wildlife behaviour, shifting seasonal patterns and reducing the safety and reliability of traditional harvesting territories. In response, many Northern …

Identifying Socio-Economic Areas Of Concern Towards Inclusion In Gis Hazard Management In Detroit, Michigan., Ernestina Osei

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

This study examined the spatial distribution of socio-economic vulnerability and accessibility to essential services in Detroit, Michigan, using a Geographic Information Systems (GIS)-based approach. The research aimed to identify areas of greatest concern by integrating socio-economic indicators, including poverty, housing vacancy, income, unemployment, and crime, with spatial measures of access to critical infrastructure such as hospitals, fire stations, police stations, and grocery stores. Both feature-based and raster-based analyses were employed, including buffer and overlay analysis, service area evaluation, Euclidean distance modeling, and multi-criteria suitability analysis.

A mixed-methods framework was adopted to combine quantitative spatial analysis with contextual understanding of urban …

From Couriers To City Dwellers: The Changing Human-Pigeon Relationship, Mallory C. Peterson

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Their coos echo off the walls of skyscrapers and their wings beat faster than the cadence of footsteps. Whether dodging cars or pecking at food scraps, pigeons are a constant character of urban environments. Their unique history has allowed them to raise their young under bridges and on windowsills. Pigeons and humans are inextricably intertwined, to the joy and dismay of many. Once celebrated as couriers, pigeons carried messages of war, love, and survival across vast distances, shaping human connection and history. Today, they are more often dismissed as pests, their presence flattened into the city noise.

This narrative piece …

Learning For A Sustainable Future: Embedding Sustainability Literacy In Honors Curricula Within Higher Education, Zoe E. Belinda

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

This research investigates the sustainability literacy levels of first-year Davidson Honors College (DHC) students at the University of Montana (UM) to develop a baseline for average sustainability knowledge at the beginning of students’ post-secondary education. The goals of this research are to (1) determine if there are differences in sustainability literacy scores between students in sustainability-related fields of study and their counterparts, (2) identify weaknesses in students’ current sustainability literacy, and (3) develop curriculum suggestions to improve sustainability knowledge. To address these research questions, all first-year DHC students in 2024 and 2025 were surveyed using a modified version of the …

Religiosity And Political Affiliation As Moderators For Climate Change Belief, Jenna L. Hiljus

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Climate change remains a polarized issue in the United States despite broad scientific consensus. The present study examined how specific variables within political ideology (social and economic conservatism) and religiosity (belief, praxis, and morality) relate to climate change belief among undergraduate students at a private Christian university. Participants (N = 130) completed measures of climate change perceptions, multidimensional religiosity, and social and economic conservatism. Correlational analyses showed medium-sized, negative relationships between climate change belief and both social and economic conservatism, with no significant difference between the two domains. This finding suggests that political conservatism may operate as a unified construct …

Iere Annual Report 2026, Erin Largo-Wight, Heather Barnes Truelove, Kelly Rhoden, Jessica Barnes, Lauren Canady, Nicole Lowe, Ruby Cox, Sydney Barrett, Kathleen Hutton

Annual Reports

2026 Annual Report of the Institute for Environmental Research and Education

The Zoom Town Effect Of Remote Work On Rural Housing Markets, Luc R. Fabing

CMC Senior Theses

I study the impact of remote work on rural housing markets, highlighting the moderating role of outdoor recreation amenities. Using panel data from the American Community Survey and Zillow (2010–2024), I employ a Two-Way Fixed Effects model and a shift-share instrumental variable strategy to estimate the effect of work-from-home (WFH) rates on home prices. I find that higher WFH rates are strongly associated with higher home prices in high-recreation counties, but that the association is weak or negative in counties lacking significant recreation amenities. These findings point to amenity migration as a key mechanism through which remote work impacts rural …

Loan-Heavy Aid: Consequences On Academic And Early-Career Outcomes, April Zhang

CMC Senior Theses

This study examines how the composition of financial aid, specifically the balance between loans and grants, shapes students’ academic performance, major selection, and early career outcomes. Using administrative data from the University of California system (2007-2019) and post-graduation records from UC Irvine, I analyze how loan reliance influences both educational trajectories and labor-market results. The key measure, loanshare, captures the fraction of total aid financed through loans rather than grants. This allows for comparisons among students with similar financial need, expected family contribution, and total aid levels. Results show that students with more loan-heavy aid packages earn significantly lower …

Color-Blind Resilience: How Uniform Climate Standards Reproduce Environmental Inequality In The Rockaways, Aaryan M. Nair

Publications and Research

This paper examines how ostensibly uniform climate resilience standards can reproduce environmental inequality in socially uneven landscapes, using the Rockaway Peninsula in New York City as a critical case study. While flood-resistant building codes, zoning regulations, and insurance frameworks are designed to provide equal protection across flood-prone areas, this analysis argues that their “color-blind” application obscures and intensifies underlying disparities in financial capacity, housing conditions, and tenure. Drawing on environmental justice (EJ) theory, the paper identifies two key mechanisms through which inequality is reproduced. First, “code without capacity” demonstrates how uniform technical standards—such as elevation requirements under NYC Building Code …

Curriculum Approaches To Strengthening Student Employability And Improving Graduate Outcomes In The Stm Disciplines, Denise Jackson, Michael D. O’Connor

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

In Australia and elsewhere, curriculum improvements are needed to improve the development of Science, Technology and Mathematics (STM) graduates for future work and careers. Several studies document significant STM student attrition, poor graduate preparedness for work, relatively weak employment rates post-graduation, and mismatched expectations of graduate capabilities by employers. The inclusion of work-integrated learning (WIL) activities within curricula can better prepare students for relevant employment by bridging discipline-specific teaching with work practices. Traditionally, access to WIL has been limited for STM Bachelor students and a better understanding of WIL’s benefits and impact is needed to refine and extend STM WIL …

Climate Change In An Educational Context: A Model Addressing Psychological Distance, Hope, And Concern, Brooke E. Kasl-Godley

Scripps Senior Theses

As the threat of climate change becomes more urgent, educators should focus on fostering climate concern and action instead of simply providing climate information. These studies present a novel model of climate education where locally-framed and action-oriented curriculum increases students’ environmental concern through the mechanisms of psychological distance and hope. This curriculum was taught over two years to sixth-grade students at a school in the Los Angeles Metropolitan Area. Study 1 examines students’ environmental concern and sense of responsibility before and after delivery of the curriculum. Study 2 is a proposed follow-up study, that will address limitations of Study 1 …

Doikayt And The Ethics Of Belonging: Lessons In Place-Making From The Jewish Labor Bund, Zoë L. Jacobs

Scripps Senior Theses

This thesis traces the evolution of doikayt—the Bundist principle of hereness—from its origins in the Jewish Labor Bund to contemporary applications in North America. Rooted in a refusal of both assimilation and nationalist escape, doikayt emphasizes cultivating safety, solidarity, and belonging through collective responsibility rather than territorial claims.

Building on this foundation, the exploration situates hereness within a settler-colonial context, where ethical dwelling is complicated by Indigenous dispossession. Drawing on Alexis Shotwell alongside Indigenous thinkers Vanessa Watts and Kyle Whyte, I examine how inhabiting place requires confronting historical injustices and ongoing relational responsibilities. Chapter 3 analyzes Linke Fligl (2016–2022) as …

Madison, Wisconsin As A Climate Haven: Infrastructure, Environmental Justice, And Community Voice, Sophia N. Heffner

Scripps Senior Theses

As climate change accelerates internal migration within the United States, the concept of “climate havens” has emerged as a way to identify communities that may become receiving zones for displaced populations. Madison, Wisconsin has increasingly been positioned within academic, policy, and media discourse as a potential climate haven due to its geographic advantages, strong public infrastructure, and proactive climate policy environment. This paper evaluates Madison’s readiness for this role through an equity-centered, participatory planning lens. Drawing on planning documents, climate data, municipal policies, and interdisciplinary scholarship, it argues that Madison’s long-term success as a sustainable and inclusive climate haven depends …

Cycling For All: Designing With The "Invisible Cyclist" As A Pathway Towards Urban Sustainability And Citizenship, Eloise Heimert

Scripps Senior Theses

This thesis explores the role of “invisible cyclists” in cycling networks and practices. Through an application of the “right to the city,” spatial production, and mobility justice frameworks, this paper investigates the experiences of women and disabled cyclists in London, England. By examining a city with an emerging cycling network, this thesis offers insight into measures for increasing the inclusivity and resilience of them. The argument establishes that these lines of analysis reveal important lessons in urban design and planning for a more sustainable future. Firstly, this thesis examines social barriers to cycling participation, and thus urban citizenship. In the …

Town Of Merrimack, Nh Annual Report 2025, Merrimack Town Representatives

Merrimack, NH Annual Reports

This is an annual report containing vital statistics for a town/city in the state of New Hampshire.

Evaluating The Factors That Contribute To Lack Of Engagement Of The People Within Community Forest Management Programs, Doraneli Ampudia Parras

Theses & ETDs

Ecosystem loss and degradation around the world are occurring at an alarming rate. This can negatively impact the people that rely on these ecosystems. Community Forest Management is a practice that has been recognized globally to help mitigate these impacts. Community Forest Management (CFM) provides a solution to restoring ecosystems and improving the quality of life of the local people. The different structures and strategies of CFM’s around the world can influence its effectiveness. Researchers have identified several factors that can hinder CFM effectiveness. A crucial factor is participation from the local people. Active participation and support from local people …

The Lost Mines Of Appalachia: How Revitalizing Abandoned Coal Mines Can Revitalize A Region, Jonathan Gharib

William & Mary Environmental Law and Policy Review

Since the decline of coal, which began in the late 1980s, Appalachia has been left with thousands of abandoned coal mines that act as a stand-in for the state of the region as a whole. This stands in not only for the economic decline of the region, but also as a stand-in for the people of the region who also perceive themselves to have been abandoned. The future status, both legal and economic, of these abandoned mines that once helped to fuel Appalachia’s growth is unclear. Despite the muddied history of both Appalachia and these mines, with the proper legal …

Electric Vehicle Industry: Japan And China, Minoo Tehrani, Yu Cui

Business Faculty Publications

This research concentrates on the electric vehicle (EV) industry in China and Japan. China is the largest and Japan the third-largest auto production country after the U.S. This study explores the current and future transition to battery electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles in Japan and China. Three Japanese auto companies, Toyota, Honda, and Nissan, and BYD from China are studied in this research. Toyota, Honda, and Nissan are actively pursuing the development of hybrid electric vehicles in Japan. Meanwhile, the research examines the Chinese EV company BYD, which is a major global competitor in the EV industry. This study …

Public Perception Of Environmental Contamination And Its Implications For Fish And Community Health In West Bengal, India, Libia Hazra

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

In West Bengal, India, the highest fish-consuming state in the country, fish are woven into everyday life, including ceremonies of birth and marriage, prayers offered during harvesting and the cultural memory of communities whose identities are inseparable from aquatic life. However, the rivers, wetlands, and ponds that sustain these fish-human relationships are increasingly threatened by environmental contamination resulting from industrial discharge, agricultural runoff, and inadequate environmental management. Understanding how communities perceive these environmental changes is essential for developing effective conservation and public health strategies.

In collaboration between the Indian Institute of Technology (ITT) Kharagpur, India, and Michigan Technological University (USA), …

Hazel A. Oxenford, Ph.D., Nancy Brown-Peterson

Miscellaneous Documents

No abstract provided.

Good Food In The Neighborhood: Localizing Nutritious Food Access, Joseph Pool

Honors Program Theses

Given contemporary changes to federal budget priorities and recent challenges to federal food access funding, this research explores the potential benefits of entrusting state-level and municipal-level policymakers with food access policy. More specifically, this research suggests that “localizing” food access has the unique benefit of not just addressing the affordability of food, but the physical accessibility of it. As observed in the previous literature and expounded upon here, food provisioning requires consideration of nutrition, physical accessibility, and financial affordability. Programs that only address one of these priorities fail to adequately help people receive the food they need. Through policy analysis …

Improving Flood Risk Mapping By Incorporating Local-Scale Calibration Data Derived From Stakeholder Input, Jennifer M. Holifield, Wei Wu, Patrick D. Biber, Margo Posten, Dennis Mcgrury, Stephen C. Deal, Alexandria Hancock

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Globally, flooding is the most frequent and costly natural hazards, disproportionately affecting populations based on environmental, social, and economic factors. Understanding the spatial variability of flood risk as well as the respective flood drivers is essential for informing cost-effective mitigation strategies and enhancing community resilience. Here we mapped flood risk that combines flood hazards and vulnerability in an under-resourced coastal community prone to compound flooding. Our approach integrates stakeholder engagement with GIS-based analysis using open-access datasets.

We first developed an initial flood hazard map using an equal-weight combination of factors commonly associated with flood occurrence/prevention, including upslope area, impervious surface …

Forage Legume Community Dynamics In Response To Stand Management, Nicholas Warren

Doctoral Dissertations

A primary challenge for perennial forage production systems is maintaining crop productivity and forage quality over time. Including legume species in these systems is an opportunity to reduce external inputs, to extend the seasonal productivity of a pasture, and to balance the nutritional characteristics of grass species. However, legume persistence in mixed stands is frequently poor. Identifying harvest practices, legume species, or species mixtures that improve legume persistence would help to maximize the ecosystem services of forages. I conducted a four-year field experiment (2019 to 2022) in southeastern New Hampshire to evaluate the productivity and persistence of four perennial legumes …

Syrup Production And Tree Physiology, David Blakney Moore

Doctoral Dissertations

Maple (Acer spp.) syrup production is a culturally and economically important activity in North America, and other types of trees are economically important (or show potential to become more economically important) for their syrup as well. For both established and novel syrup-producing trees, questions remain about tapping sustainability and the physiological mechanisms that underpin winter-dormant-season stem-pressurization cycles, which create the pressures necessary for sap harvesting. I investigated aspects of tapping sustainability related to two important xylem functions, storage and transport. I measured nonstructural carbohydrate concentrations and radial growth of tapped and untapped sugar maples (Acer saccharum) and found a weak …

Machines In The Marsh: Struggles Of Peatland Rehabilitation Following The Shutdown Of The Irish Industrial Peat Industry, Maeve Mcgroary

Student Theses 2015-Present

As the EU and the Irish government focus on shifting to green energy and becoming carbon neutral, there has been a growing concern about the use of Irish peatland. For centuries, Irish people have cut and dried peat for the purpose of burning. This would traditionally be used for heating and cooking but as electricity became increasingly popular in the 1960s, companies like Bord na Móna helped industrialize the process of harvesting peat as part of their expansion of several peat-fired electricity stations. Chapter one discusses how decades of overharvesting has caused extreme damage to peatlands and their wildlife. Chapter …