Digital Commons Network^™

Did Dobbs Reduce The Supreme Court's Legitimacy?, Ava Steinmetz

University Honors Theses

This thesis examines the impact of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision on public perceptions of the Supreme Court's legitimacy. Over the two decades preceding Dobbs, the Roberts Court had already become the center of intense debate over judicial impartiality, driven by an increasingly politicized series of high-profile rulings. Dobbs generated an unprecedented level of media attention and partisan commentary. Employing a mixed-methods approach, this study combines longitudinal analysis of national survey data on trust and confidence in the Court with content analysis of editorial and scholarly reactions before and after June 2022. Findings reveal a statistically …

Stigma, Shame, And Narcissism: A Literature Review, Alex Gaither

University Honors Theses

This thesis is a literature review of 12 peer reviewed journal articles accessible through the Portland State University library database on the relationship between stigma, shame, and Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD). This thesis discusses ideas brought up in these articles regarding the classification and conceptualization of NPD as a disorder, the role that shame plays in the pathology of NPD, the ways that shame is addressed through treatment, and public and practitioner held bias resulting from the stigmatization of the disorder. New and upcoming ways of conceptualizing the disorder are also briefly discussed as there has been a push to …

Garden Of Rust: Conversations With The "In-Between Space", Kristen M. Poore

University Honors Theses

Garden of Rust is a series of five oil paintings that explore the mental and emotional changes she calls the "In-Between Space," that occur in the artist’s mind as she undergoes a major life change. The artist uses traditional oil painting techniques on a variety of canvas sizes in order to record her emotions, which include anxiety, and grief. Her intent with this series is to highlight the "In-Between Space," and to start a conversation with others experiencing it. The artist finds that creating Garden of Rust has been beneficial for her own mental wellbeing to work on, because she …

Diy Music Career, Griffin Schmeltzer

University Honors Theses

As we know, the music industry is changing. Where artists once needed access to extremely expensive gear, we now have access to tech that can create professional quality music at a fraction of the price. And where artists once needed labels to back and distribute their music, we're entering into an age where anyone can upload a song directly to the primary platforms consumers use to listen to music. This has led to an era where songs written and recorded in bedrooms are winning grammys (Billie Eilish). But for all the upsides of anyone being able to make and release …

Examining The Impact Of Legalized Sports Gambling On Ncaa Athletes' Welfare And Game Integrity, Reem Al Jaradi

University Honors Theses

This thesis examines the effects of legalized sports gambling on NCAA player welfare and the integrity of competition through a mixed-method analysis of NCAA reports, academic literature, and media sources. Data disclose that although the overall prevalence of gambling among student-athletes has decreased, these individuals are demonstrating more detrimental behaviors, including solitary gaming and incurring substantial losses in a single day. The emphasis on internet abuse associated with betting results has escalated, especially during prominent tournaments. The NCAA's instructional programs and data-monitoring agreements are compromised by ethical issues surrounding data monetization and varying state gambling rules. The research contends that …

The Intersection Of Education And Empowerment: How Comprehensive Sex Education Equips Adolescents To Navigate Complex Relational Dynamics, Joleigh Wood

University Honors Theses

This thesis examines the impact of comprehensive sex education (CSE) on adolescents' understanding of consent, personal boundaries, and relational competence. Drawing upon social learning theory, intersectionality, and relational-cultural theory, the study employs a multidisciplinary framework to analyze how CSE functions as both an instructional practice and a sociocultural intervention. Utilizing an integrative thematic review of empirical studies, policy analyses, and national curriculum standards, the research evaluates the extent to which CSE promotes emotional literacy, fosters ethical relationship skills, and addresses structural inequities in educational access. Findings indicate that well-implemented, inclusive CSE contributes to healthier developmental outcomes by enhancing students' emotional …

Changing Minds, Changing Modes: Optimizing Public Perception Strategies For Urban Cycling Through Behavior Change Theory, Brandon Barnhart

University Honors Theses

This thesis addresses the recent decline in bicycle mode share in cities like Portland, Oregon, despite decades of investment in cycling infrastructure. While the "build it, and they will come" approach succeeded through the early 2000s, it no longer meets targets for bicycle use or broader goals related to sustainability, congestion, health, and safety. A new approach is needed that effectively rebuilds the cultural and behavioral components of cycling. This research asks: What role can behavior change theory play in increasing the effectiveness of public perception campaigns to promote urban cycling? Using a qualitative methodology, this study draws on behavior …

Rationality And Discomfort: Stance In "The End Of The Altaic Controversy" And "In Defense Of The Comparative Method, Or The End Of The Vovin Controversy", Logan Mcdowall

University Honors Theses

This study will use corpus linguistics techniques and Hyland's framework for stance in academic discourse to analyze authors' discoursal roles in different framings of a famous controversy in historical linguistics: the classification of the Altaic language family. Two significant pieces of discourse in this debate include "The End of the Altaic Controversy" by A. Vovin and "In Defense of the Comparative Method, or the End of the Vovin Controversy" by A. Dybo and G. Starostin. Despite the importance of these works, no one has analyzed how these authors use stance to position themselves within it. After performing a corpus word …

Investigating Hedgehog Signaling And Th17-Mediated Inflammation In Blau Syndrome: Insights Into Chronic Inflammation, Benjamin Volinski

University Honors Theses

Blau syndrome is a rare, monogenic inflammatory disorder caused by autosomal dominant mutations in NOD2, a cytosolic pattern recognition receptor that regulates immune signaling. Although traditionally considered an autoinflammatory disease driven by innate immune dysfunction, emerging evidence implicates T cells in Blau pathogenesis. Recent studies show that Nod2-deficient mice exhibit elevated IL-17A production despite normal TH17 differentiation, suggesting Nod2 regulates cytokine output independently of canonical lineage commitment. This study investigates how Nod2 mutations influence TH17-mediated inflammation and explores the role of Hedgehog (Hh) signaling, particularly the transcription factor Gli2, in this process.

Using the Nod2^R314Q/R314Q mouse model, …

Shadowed Identities: The (Mis)Representation Of Communities Of Color In Classic Film Noir, Yolanda Porter

University Honors Theses

This thesis is an inquiry into the (mis)representation of women, Latinx, and BIPOC individuals in classic film noir, examining how race, gender, class, and sexuality intersect to perpetuate stereotypes in Hollywood. Through a deep analysis of films like Gilda (1946) and Touch of Evil (1958), this project explores how the conventions of film noir, such as chiaroscuro lighting, moral ambiguity, and non-linear storyline, work to expose and also reinforce social hierarchies that preserve whiteness and oppression of minorities. The research positions these films within the postwar socio-political context of the United States, addressing the influence of the Hays Code, Cold …

Sae Baja Drivetrain Capstone 2024-2025, Leslie Alvarez Cisneros

University Honors Theses

This thesis reviews the 2024-2025 Baja SAE Drivetrain capstone project. The Baja SAE competition mimics real world engineering problems where teams of students design and build off-road vehicles that can handle tough, rough terrain. The objective of this capstone was to design a functional and reliable drivetrain system for the vehicle, within the constraints of a limited budget and the SAE competition guidelines. As part of a 12-member capstone team divided into three subgroups: frame, suspension, and drivetrain. As part of a four person drivetrain team, we picked up where the 2023-2024 team left off by relying on their past …

Felicia Davis

African American Funeral Programs

No abstract provided.

How Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (Mbsr) Techniques Affect Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Literature Review, Piper Ritke

Honors Theses

This literature review examines the potential effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) as a non-invasive therapeutic intervention for individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Traditional treatments for OCD, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and exposure and response prevention (ERP), are evidence-based but can be distressing for some patients. MBSR, originally developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn, emphasizes nonjudgmental awareness of thoughts and may offer a less intrusive alternative. Three peer-reviewed studies were analyzed: a randomized controlled trial comparing MBSR with cognitive therapies, a technology-supported mindfulness intervention utilizing EEG feedback, and a case study documenting individualized MBSR treatment. All studies demonstrated reductions in …

Sensing Protein Structural Transitions With Microfluidic Modulation Infrared Spectroscopy, Lathan Lucas, Phoebe S Tsoi, Ananya Nair, Allan Chris M Ferreon, Josephine C Ferreon

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Microfluidic modulation spectroscopy-infrared (MMS) offers a label-free, high-sensitivity approach for quantifying changes in protein secondary structures under native solution conditions. MMS subtracts the solvent backgrounds from sample signals by alternately flowing proteins and matched buffers through a microfluidic chamber, yielding clear amide I spectra from microliter volumes. In this study, we validated MMS on canonical globular proteins, bovine serum albumin, mCherry, and lysozyme, demonstrating accurate detection and resolution of α-helix, β-sheet, and mixed-fold structures. Applying MMS to the intrinsically disordered protein Tau, we detected environment-driven shifts in transient conformers: both the acidic (pH 2.5) and alkaline (pH 10) conditions increased …

Comparative Effects Of Combustible Cigarette Versus Electronic Cigarette Exposures On Kras Mutant Lung Cancer Promotion, Walter V Velasco, Maria T Grimaldo, Nastaran Karimi, Michael J Clowers, Avantika Krishna, Ranran Wu, Rahmah Ejaz, Bo Yuan, Segundo Del Aguila, Iman Bouchelkia, Javier Eduardo Moreno Barragan, Katherine E Larsen, Yasmina Rezai, Farbod Khalaj, Kyler Mitra, Carlos Reyna Rodriguez, Ricardo Millares, Angelica Baca De Anda, Susana Castro-Pando, Umesh C Karandikar, Joseph F Petrosino, Florencia Mcallister, Humam Kadara, Edwin J Ostrin, Johannes F Fahrmann, Kristi Louise Hoffman, Seyed Javad Moghaddam

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Despite the emerging public health concern related to the use of electronic cigarette vapors (ECV), its impact on lung cancer is poorly understood. We assessed the effect of ECV on lung tumorigenesis in a mouse model of lung adenocarcinoma. Mice were exposed to either room air, combustible cigarette smoke (CCS), or ECV 2 hours daily for 8 weeks at which lung samples were harvested and studied for different outcomes. We found that CCS, but not ECV, led to a significant increase in tumor burden. Immunophenotyping of both CCS- and ECV-exposed lungs displayed pronounced pro-tumor immunosuppressive phenotypes, characterized by significantly decreased …

A Toolkit For Improving School Climate: Lessons Learned From Action Research In A Network Of 16 Charter Schools, Grant E. Erwin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Educators today face daunting challenges, especially in addressing persistent gaps in outcomes for historically underserved students from low-income and minority backgrounds. Practitioners often cite school climate as a key barrier to student success—an assertion supported by research linking school climate to students’ academic and personal outcomes. This study sought to improve school climate across 16 urban middle and high schools within one charter network. Using a mixed methods Collaborative Action Research (CAR) design over multiple years, the study triangulated academic research, external resources, and on-the-ground lessons to provide practical guidance for other educators. Data were collected from multiple stakeholders and …

Home Bound: Explaining The Neoliberalization Of Regional Public University Districts Through An Explanatory Sequential Mixed Methods Design, Becket C. Duncan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

I examined housing costs in neoliberalized consumer spaces (Cunningham, 2016; Saunders & Ramírez, 2017) in regional public university (Orphan, et al., 2022) districts. I use geographic methods (Jonas, et al., 2015; Daché-Gerbino, 2018) with an explanatory sequential mixed methods design and a complex case study approach (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2018). Results from my spatial analyses showed that residents who live within one-half mile of universities spend more on monthly housing costs ($1,331) than those who do not ($1,227) except in the case of regional public universities ($1,184). Results from a regression analysis demonstrated that eight institutional variables predicted 33.2% …

Elevating After-School: Addressing After-School Program Quality Through Improvement Design, Kate Marie Vincent

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines how Pathfinders After School, a national after-school provider can improve program quality amid rapid expansion. As enrollment has grown, program quality has declined, evidenced by decreasing net promoter scores (NPS), rising student behavior incidents, and terminated district partnerships. Grounded in Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory (1979), this mixed-methods study uses improvement science methodology to test systemic interventions that empower key user groups and enhance program effectiveness. An improvement team, composed of crossfunctional organizational members, conducted root-cause analysis to identify primary drivers of after-school program quality. Core focus areas included staff training, student engagement, feedback mechanisms, and implementation fidelity. …

Survival Guide For Queer Families In Heteronormative Healthcare: Liberatory Consciousness And The Paradox Of Dependent Healthcare, A Critical Policy Discourse Analysis, Dwenna A. Holden

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this study I explored and analyzed how the queer experiences of an anonymous higher education institution in the western United States’ self-identified queer faculty and staff intersected with the discursive framing of the college’s dependent healthcare structure and documents. Within a critical paradigm I designed research around a high-density theoretical approach to weaving various branches of queer theory together with critical theory around policy and law in relation to queer bodies and hostile heteronormative policy environments. I arrived at solutions based in complaint, survival, and transformation. I used critical policy discourse analyses to interrogate the college’s dependent healthcare documents …

Stewards Of Place, Stewards Of Democracy: The Role Of Regional Public Universities In Rural Political Well-Being, Katie Kleinhesselink

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative embedded single-case study explored how a rural-serving regional public university (RPU) contributed to the political well-being of its politically polarized service region ahead of the 2024 presidential election. Guided by the stewardship of political place theoretical framework, which integrates rural consciousness, the Community Capitals Framework, and the stewardship of place framework for RPUs’ public engagement, the study utilized policy discourse analysis to examine regional residents' and internal constituents' perceptions regarding WPU’s role in promoting regional political well-being. Data collection included semi-structured interviews, direct observations of campus civic engagement events, and institutional document reviews.

The study demonstrates that regional …

Faraday-Terzi Earth Spin Energy Harvesting System: A Comprehensive Design For Harnessing Earth’S Rotational Energy Through Electromagnetic Induction, Michael W. Terzi

Defensive Publications Series

This publication outlines a novel energy harvesting system designed to capture Earth's rotational energy using electromagnetic induction. The system employs a series of copper coils within a magnetically permeable shell to generate electromotive force (EMF) via interaction with Earth’s magnetic field and rotational movement. A DC-to-DC booster increases the voltage output, which is stored in a battery bank for further use. The system provides a clean, renewable, and sustainable energy solution that has the potential to replace traditional fossil fuel-based power sources.

Documents For Employees Of The Hughes Tool Company And The Labor Relations Manager From Martin Burns

Ivory Davis Civil Rights Case Papers

Correspondence addressed to all employees of the Hughes Tool Company from Martin Burns. In the back is a second document addressed to the labor relations manager from Martin Burns.

Employee Discrimination Complaint Form

Ivory Davis Civil Rights Case Papers

Employee discrimination complaint form. Stated are instructions for completing the form and requirements.

"Tool Heat Treat Record" Document

Ivory Davis Civil Rights Case Papers

"Tool Heat Treat Record" document. On the back of the document is a handwritten note directed to "All employees" from M. E. Montrose.

Constitution Of The Independent Metal Workers Union

Ivory Davis Civil Rights Case Papers

Constitution of the Independent Metal Workers Union.

Hughes Tool Company Apprenticeship Standards

Ivory Davis Civil Rights Case Papers

Document titled "Hughes Tool Company Apprenticeship Standards". The document lists conditions from the Hughes Tool Company for apprenticeships.

Apprentice Agreement Of Ivory M. Davis

Ivory Davis Civil Rights Case Papers

Apprenticeship agreement document. The employer is listed as Hughes Tool Company and the apprentice as Ivory M. Davis.

Document Of Rate Schedule For Apprentices At Hughes Tool Company

Ivory Davis Civil Rights Case Papers

Document titled "Hughes Tool Company Apprenticeship Standards". The document details rate schedule for apprentices.

Announcement Of Independent Metal Workers Union Meeting

Ivory Davis Civil Rights Case Papers

Document announcing that a joint meeting of the membership of the Independent Metal Workers Union will be held Saturday, January 12, 1963.

Independent Metal Workers Union Receives The Arbitrators Award

Ivory Davis Civil Rights Case Papers

Document stating that the Independent Metal Workers Union is in receipt of the arbitrators award date May 19, 1962.