Digital Commons Network^™

Rarely Asked: The Systemic Failure To Support The Mental Health Of Caregivers Of Medically Complex Children, Morgan Motsinger

University Honors Theses

Approximately one in four households in the United States cares for a child with special healthcare needs, yet the mental health of the caregivers providing that care is rarely addressed by the medical, faith, community, and social systems around them. This thesis examines the systemic gaps in mental health support for caregivers of children with life-limiting or medically complex diagnoses through a review of existing literature and an original mixed-method survey of 58 caregivers. Findings indicate that 50% of caregivers received no mental health support from their child's medical team at any point. Every respondent reported at least one clinically …

Exploring The Durability Of Marine Picocyanobacterial Microcolonies, Erik Swanson

University Honors Theses

Picocyanobacteria of the genus Synechococcus are widespread aquatic photoautotrophs that play essential roles in primary production and carbon cycling. Some Synechococcus strains form multicellular microcolonies, but the mechanisms of cell-to-cell attachments and structural durability of these microcolonies remain poorly understood. This research investigated the physical durability of microcolonies in two marine Synechococcus strains (CC9605 and CC9311) using physical disruption treatments. Cultures were subjected to vortexing and sonication treatments, and populations of single cells and microcolonies were quantified using flow cytometry based on differences in measures of size. Results indicated that strain CC9605 showed no significant treatment effect, whereas CC9311 displayed …

Social Determinants As A Predictor For Heart Disease Mortality: Oregon Regional Study, Jewel Jones

University Honors Theses

The study examined the association between selected social determinants of health and heart disease mortality across geographic regions in Oregon. Using a regional analysis design, county-level population and mortality data were grouped into nine geographic regions to evaluate patterns of cardiovascular disease burden across the state. Social determinant variables were obtained from publicly available U.S. Census Bureau datasets and included poverty, crowding among households, single-parent households, lack of broadband internet subscription, housing cost burden, high school diploma attainment, and unemployment.

Heart disease mortality counts per 100,000 population were derived from official birth and death certificate records. Statistical analyses were conducted …

Looking Upwards And Out: Comparing Buddhist And Humanist Frameworks For Enlightenment, Mason Mckinney-Best

University Honors Theses

During the Zen Boom of the 1950's, Psychologists, Philosophers, and other western thinkers were exposed to Zen Buddhism and began to harness some of the principles for use in Psychology. In the last 3 decades, Psychologists have renewed their interest in Buddhism, especially as "fourth wave" cultural competence has become an important part of Psychological practice. While work has been done in developing clinical applications of Buddhist practices, more could be found in Buddhism for the person who wishes to become more healthy.

Within Psychology, one figure had exactly that objective: Abraham Maslow. His work on Self-Actualization has been …

The Social Construction Of Risk: How Media Socially Constructs Risk Perceptions Surrounding School Shootings Among College Students, Natalie Jobe

University Honors Theses

Although school shootings are statistically rare events, public fear surrounding them has continuously increased across the United States. This thesis explored how college students perceive the risk of school shootings despite the relatively low probability of experiencing these violent events, with particular attention to the role of media framing, sensationalized reporting, and repeated exposure to violent social and digital media. In order to examine how media framing, social and digital media exposure, as well as ongoing encounters with violent content affect risk perception, this research conducted six interviews with traditionally aged college students from Portland State University regarding their experiences …

Grief, Silence, And Surveillance In Academic Settings, Rakhi Grey

University Honors Theses

This study examines how grief is silenced, monitored, and regulated within higher education settings. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with undergraduate students who experienced the death of someone significant, this study explores how institutional expectations surrounding productivity, professionalism, emotional control, and academic functioning shape grief disclosure, emotional expression, and help-seeking behaviors. Using a critical theoretical framework informed by concepts of disenfranchised grief, legitimacy hierarchies, and surveillance, findings suggest that grief within higher education is not simply individually experienced, but socially and institutionally regulated. Participants described academic environments that often left little space for ongoing grief, requiring students to compartmentalize emotional distress, …

Psychological Architecture: Evaluating The "Greenhouse Model" As A Structural Standard For Lgbtq+ Well-Being, Ava Lee

University Honors Theses

Traditional LGBTQ+ mental health frameworks often conceptualize psychological safety as a matter of individual endurance. This paper critiques this focus on adaptive resilience, which systematically shifts responsibility from institutions to individuals. To counter this, the study introduces "Psychological Architecture," a framework viewing social environments as constructed infrastructures that can either support or undermine queer well-being. The model contrasts performative "Glasshouses," which prioritize visibility over safety, with engineered "Greenhouses" that nurture sustainable safety through three sequential pillars: Authentic Representation (walls), Emotional Validation (insulation), and Vocal Activism (ventilation).

Grounded in the findings of a 2024 qualitative pilot study of a queer roller …

The Cleansing Effect Of Technological Investment: An Empirical Analysis Of Episodic Labor Market Polarization (2000–2010), Adam Murphy

University Honors Theses

This paper investigates the episodic nature of labor market polarization in the United States between 2000 and 2010. While the Skill-Biased Technological Change (SBTC) framework may have successfully explained the rise of inequality in the 1980s, it struggled to account for the wage stagnation and hollowing out of the middle class that followed in the 1990s and 2000s. Utilizing Task-Biased Technological Change (TBTC) as a primary lens, this study examines how the codification of routine tasks allowed for the widespread substitution of middle-skill labor by technological capital. By synthesizing IPUMS-CPS occupational data with Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) investment statistics, …

Fundamentalist Disorientations For Queer Subjects: Narrative And Theory, Betty Canoso

University Honors Theses

This thesis examines disorientation experienced by queer people who were raised in high-cost fundamentalist Christianity–people like me. Disorientation is a philosophical concept useful for examining specific intersections of human experience, like queerness and fundamentalism. Philosophers such as Sara Ahmed (2006) and Ami Harbin (2016) have been exploring the intersection of queerness and disorientation. Psychologists, sociologists and researchers from other disciplines are analyzing the interrelatedness of queerness and religion, and disaffiliation and deconversion from high-cost or high-control religions is another ongoing area of interest. Yet, despite widespread interest in these concepts, few have looked at instances of disorientation as they pertain …

Who Keeps Us Safe? Youth Resistance And Security Regimes At The Neoliberal University, Arwen Hansell

University Honors Theses

In a political climate shaped by surveillance, labor precarity, policing, and immigration enforcement, questions of (in)security increasingly organize everyday life. Governments justify security measures through the language of public safety, even as many people experience insecurity surrounding housing, healthcare, employment, and the future itself. Although critical security studies have examined policing, militarism, and surveillance extensively, youth are often overlooked as political actors despite their central role in social movements. This study addresses that gap by focusing on student labor organizers and activists navigating (in)security. Using collaborative ethnography, I conducted fieldwork at protests, labor organizing meetings, workshops, and demonstrations connected to …

Reconfiguring Dependency: China's Belt And Road Initiative And Development In Ethiopia And Nigeria, Alexander Freund

University Honors Theses

This thesis examines China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in Africa through the frameworks of dependency theory, postcolonial theory, and neo-colonialism. As China's global economic influence has expanded throughout the twenty-first century, the BRI has emerged as a major source of infrastructure financing and development across the Global South, particularly in Africa. While critics frequently portray the initiative as a form of "debt-trap diplomacy," supporters argue that Chinese investment offers an alternative to the neoliberal conditionality historically associated with Western-led International Financial Institutions (IFIs) such as the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. This study addresses two central research questions: …

Ecological And Political Grief In College Students: Making Meaning In Uncertain Times, Kate Hlad

University Honors Theses

The study aims to explore grief experiences of college students in relation to world issues, namely ecological and political concerns and ways of making/finding meaning, hope, and purpose. To address a gap in research on manifestations of combined and multifaceted world grief experiences, qualitative research was conducted in the form of semi-structured interviews with 6 different college students. Common themes arose from the interviewees' grief experiences including hopelessness, overwhelm, anger, and changed future planning. Additionally, participants shared their experience finding community, engaging in creative pursuits, and taking action against oppressive systems in order to experience hope and purpose individually and …

The U.S. Shopping Mall: Opportunities For Preservation And Transformation Through Adaptive Reuse, Sophia Janzen

University Honors Theses

The U.S. shopping mall, once an integral part of suburban living and community, has slowly disappeared from cities nationwide. What used to be thousands of malls sprinkled throughout America in the 20th century is estimated to be 900 by 2028. A mall's programming of the past is lacking a place in the future, but their architecture leaves a desolate structure in the midst of our cities. Through adaptive reuse, the intentional redevelopment of a preexisting structure, how can malls be thoughtfully revitalized and given a greater purpose within their surroundings?

This research analyzes successful adaptive reuse strategies implemented in few …

"I Still Care About Her": Ambiguous Loss And Social Death In Substance-Affected Relationships, Margaret M. King

University Honors Theses

Substance use creates a ripple effect, affecting the individual as well as their family members. The struggles associated with problematic substance use result in feelings of ambiguous loss towards the substance using individual, a type of loss in which a person is still living but either psychologically or physically unavailable. This research explores the experiences of ambiguous loss in college students with loved ones struggling with substance use, examining how they are thrust into caregiving roles, experience support, and find meaning within their loss. Seven semi-structured interviews were held with adult college students who identified as having a loved-one struggling …

Meeting The Needs: Examining The Response To Houselessness In Portland, Or, Miguel Angel Lopez Paz

University Honors Theses

All across the nation, there is an affordable housing crisis that has led to many people losing their homes. In this paper, This paper examines the current response to ending unsheltered homelessness in Portland, Oregon, and the ways that this response impacts the people it is intended to serve. The current mayor, Keith Wilson, ran his campaign with a plan to expand the number of shelter beds available. This plan has had mixed results as some people have been able to benefit, while others choose not to access shelters for various reasons. Besides opening more shelters, the city has another …

Facilitators And Barriers That Exist For Patients Receiving Dental Care In Rural Communities, Monse Sandoval Brumbaugh

University Honors Theses

Rising healthcare costs and limited access to care have exacerbated the shortage of healthcare providers. Although multiple factors contribute to a clinician’s preference for practicing in rural areas, the imbalance created leads to rural communities with significantly reduced access to essential services, particularly dental care. The disparity between urban and rural healthcare is a well-documented global problem, but it remains a pressing issue in the United States, particularly in Oregon. The Full Time Equivalents (FTE) count of full-time practicing dentists in rural regions is significantly lower than in urban areas. Statewide, there are about 0.48 dentists per 1,000 residents. However, …

The Power Of Perception: Latine Threat Narratives And Immigration Control In The United States, Nina Gallo

University Honors Theses

Despite America's rich history as a self-proclaimed "nation of immigrants," immigration policy in the United States has functioned as a tool of social control designed to systematically exclude and restrict groups of people that pose a perceived threat to national identity and safety. This perceived threat has effectively been communicated through harmful narratives that stratify immigrant communities from the rest of society. Through this framing, support for punitive immigration policies thrives. Currently, Latine immigrants and their families have been the target of discriminatory immigration policies and enforcement tactics. No work to date has synthesized the current state of the immigration …

School Counseling With Indigenous Students In Rural America: The Role Of A Counselor In Supporting An Indigenous Pedagogy Based Curriculum, Donovan Greene

University Honors Theses

Indigenous students are a huge population that are not fully supported by the school psychology field. This is primarily due to cognitive imperialism and the focus on a Western monoculture in education. This has led school psychologists and counselors feeling underprepared and lacking the tools to work with Indigenous students and as a result these  students are harmed academically and in terms of their mental wellness. This essay opens with a literature review of scholarship on school counselors working with Indigenous students. To improve relations, I suggest implementing more culturally focused interventions. Unfortunately there is a lack of research on …

Geographic And Systemic Disparities In Maternal Health: A Systems Analysis Of Prenatal Care Access Across Rural Oregon, Cecelia Petrik

University Honors Theses

Objectives: In Oregon, 51% of hospitals providing labor and delivery services are located in rural areas. Consolidation of these hospitals and provider shortages has created severe geographic and systemic disparities in maternal healthcare. This thesis explores how geographic isolation and inadequate prenatal care access contribute to widening disparities in severe maternal morbidity (SMM) and mortality across Oregon's rural and frontier counties.

Methods: This study utilizes data from the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) Center for Health Statistics (2024) and analyzes spatial correlations across all 36 Oregon counties. A bivariate choropleth map was constructed to examine the structural intersection between health infrastructure …

A Northwest Perspective: A Comprehensive Survey Of Sally Haley's Life And Career, Mary Timbrook

University Honors Theses

Sally Haley is a successful artist who built a long career in the second half of the 20th century as a painter in Portland, Oregon. Her work has been part of several solo and group exhibitions within museums and galleries across the country and she was awarded the Oregon Governor's Award for the Arts in 1989. She is best remembered for her unique still life paintings, frequently painted in egg tempera, which sold immensely well during her lifetime and after. Haley trained at the Yale School of Art in the late 1920s and early 30s, where she learned to paint …

"Address It Or Suppress It": What We Can Learn About Rpf From Celebrity Responses, Z Maloney-Dunn

University Honors Theses

In a growing culture of parasociality, ways of engaging with celebrities are constantly changing. RPF (Real Person Fiction) is an often controversial subgenre of fanfiction written about real people. This thesis examines how celebrities respond to RPF written about them, using two case studies: the pairs of Dan Howell and Phil Lester as well as Greg Davies and Alex Horne. Both case studies have reacted positively to RPF, but have very different relationships with their audience and ways of responding to them. Through an analysis of various statements made by the subjects over the years, this thesis seeks to gain …

Moving Beyond Traditional Cost Containment For Glp-1 Coverage Within Oregon's Proposed Universal Health Plan, Manoj Rajesh

University Honors Theses

In 2022, Oregon voters passed Measure 111, constitutionally mandating access to affordable health care. As the Universal Health Plan Governance Board (UHPGB) designs the state's proposed single-payer system, it faces an unprecedented financial vulnerability: the clinical demand for GLP-1 receptor agonists. These high-cost, indefinite-use medications for obesity and metabolic syndrome threaten to overwhelm fixed public budgets. Historically, both the Oregon Health Plan's Medicaid framework and commercial private insurers have relied on static cost-containment models—categorical exclusions, step therapy, and aggressive utilization management—that achieve short-term fiscal solvency at the expense of comprehensive preventative care. This thesis argues that to fulfill the mandate …

Routine Transfusion Of Rh(D)-Positive Rbcs To Rh(D)-Negative Patients Designated As Do Not Resuscitate Conserves Rh(D)-Negative Red Blood Cell Inventory, Julie Katz Karp, Jovanna Everetts, Juliana Guarente, Angelica Vivero, Tiffany Bohr, Mary Harach

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

Background: A minority of blood donors are Rh(D)-negative, and Rh(D)-negative red blood cell (RBC) products are often overutilized. As such, Rh(D)-negative RBCs may be difficult to maintain in blood bank inventory.

Study design and methods: We changed our blood bank laboratory policy to approve non-alloimmunized Rh(D)-negative patients to receive Rh(D)-positive RBCs for routine transfusion under defined criteria. Those criteria included Rh(D)-negative males (all ages) and females (aged >50 years) who were designated as do not resuscitate (DNR), either with or without intubation, in the electronic medical record.

Results: From August 15, 2024 through August 15, 2025, a total of 204 …

Variation In Chronic Automated Red Cell Exchange Practices For Sickle Cell Disease: Insights Into Isovolemic Hemodilution Use, Jennifer M. Jones, Fatima Aldarweesh, Nicole Aqui, Aleh Bobr, Patricia Brunker, Mischa L. Covington, Juliana Guarente, Robert Hagar, Matthew Karafin, Divjot Singh Lamba, Grace Lee, Wen Lu, Ethan A. Mack, Gagan Muthur, Saadiya Nazli, Halima Olaniyan, Chinelo P. Onyenekwu, Jay S. Raval, Divya Setya, Yvette C. Tanhehco, Mamie Thant, Angelica Vivero, Yanyun Wu, Edward C. C. Wong, Nalan Yurtsever, Yan Zheng, Patricia A. Shi, Jennifer Webb

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

Prior surveys of chronic automated red blood cell exchange (RCE) for patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) have identified considerable procedural variability, especially with the use of isovolemic hemodilution red blood cell exchange (IHD-RCE). We conducted a survey of chronic RCE practices among American Society for Apheresis (ASFA) members to identify opportunities for practice harmonization and future studies. The ASFA SCD Research Subcommittee developed a 72-item survey of chronic RCE practices, with a focus on IHD-RCE. The survey was validated internally and distributed by email to all ASFA members from September 2024 to February 2025. One survey response from each …

A Decade Of Leadership And Impact: Celebrating 10 Years Of The Ors Spine Section, Makarand V. Risbud

College of Life Sciences Faculty Papers

No abstract provided.

Socio-Ecological Models As A Framework For 21st-Century Genetic Counseling, Shana L. Merrill, Rebecca Mueller

College of Life Sciences Faculty Papers

Socio-ecological models and the related concepts of micro-, meso-, and macro-level practice are commonly used in the fields of social work and public health yet have not been thoroughly conceptualized for application to genetic counseling practice, research, and training. The field of genetic counseling is currently undergoing significant expansion with more genetic counseling training programs, greater variation in genetic counselor job roles, and genetic counselors practicing in more globally dispersed regions. It is therefore a critical time to conceptualize and tailor relevant theoretical frameworks to unify and guide the evolving field of genetic counseling. In this paper, we posit that …

Campus Community Vibes: How Queer Asian American Students Navigate Their Higher Education Experiences, Nathan Nguyễn

Dissertations

Misconceptions and stereotypes about Asian American college students include the belief that they are innately academically successful and that if Asian American students struggle, their challenges do not compare to their Black/African American, Hispanic/Latine, or Native American/Indigenous counterparts (Museus & Buenavista, 2016). Contemporaneous to this, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) college students experience interrogation, exploration, and various levels of support regarding their sexuality and/or gender identity. At this intersection, queer Asian American students must navigate campus settings that can enhance or diminish their agency for different facets of their identities (Crenshaw, 1991; Iftikar & Museus, 2018; Ray, 2019). …

From Campus To Community: The Role Of Higher Education In Strengthening Regional Entrepreneurial Ecosystems In Appalachia, Anne M. Montgomery

Dissertations

This study addresses a gap in understanding how small, rural liberal arts higher education institutions (HEIs) in the Appalachian College Association Entrepreneurial Alliance (ACAEA) support regional entrepreneurial ecosystems (EEs), and how, if at all, those strategies vary across Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) county economic classifications. Using a qualitative multi-case design, the study examined 10 ACAEA institutions and drew on semi-structured interviews, site observations, institutional documents (including strategic plans), and ARC county-level economic data. The analysis produced five cross-case themes describing how these institutions support entrepreneurship: (a) strategic leadership and institutional culture, (b) experiential and embedded entrepreneurial education, (c) community-driven partnerships …

Long-Covid And Cognition, Mychael Bruce

Dissertations

COVID-19 is an evolving virus that can harm the body’s respiratory and cardiovascular systems. Directly related to COVID-19 are individuals who do not recover from their initial infection, making them long haulers. Long-COVID is transitioning from a range of isolated phenomena to higher prevalence rates in patients who contracted COVID-19. Many individuals report issues with cognitive function, referred to as ‘brain fog’, that affect memory, attention, and even language skills. This literature review addresses the available research on Long-COVID and how persistent infection correlates with cognitive difficulties. It aims to explain the neurobiology of Long-COVID and how Long-COVID interacts within …

Evaluation Of Neuroplastic Changes In Psychological Intervention And Contemporary Treatments Of Depression, Taylor Severance

Dissertations

Major depressive disorder is one of the most prevalent mental health disorders worldwide. There is a vast range of treatment options for depression, with varying levels of effectiveness. Recent treatments for depression have expanded, increasing alternative treatments, and it is unknown which treatments have the largest impact on depression. This research was designed to examine the treatments of depression, with a focus on psychotherapy and contemporary treatments such as ketamine, psilocybin, and transcranial magnetic stimulation. A literature review was conducted to assess treatment outcomes and neuroplastic changes in these interventions, as well as combinations of the interventions. Data were evaluated …