Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Hemp-Lime Insulation: A Climate Friendly Building Material, Ginger Rose Jensen

Student Research Symposium

It is critical to reduce greenhouse gas from the atmosphere to reduce the impacts of climate change. Oregon’s Climate Action Plan has established goals to reduce emissions by developing ‘Clean Buildings’ and increasing the CO₂ sequestered by the state's ‘Natural and Working Lands’. Carbon negative construction materials like hemp-lime insulation could contribute to both goals.

Hemp-lime is a non-structural insulation material made from crushed hemp hurd, a lime-based binder, and water. It is non-toxic and versatile alternative to traditional insulation materials. Hemp-lime was submitted to be added to the International Residential Codes (IRC) index in 2022. IRC approval would …

From Art To Science: How Chess Engines Have Influenced The Game, Matthew Richey

Student Research Symposium

The development of chess engines has affected nearly every facet of the game, including approach to study, gameplay, and spectating. This has caused considerable controversy in the chess community. This paper aims to show the changes effectuated by these engines have been largely beneficial to the game. Research was conducted by reviewing scholarly articles, interviews with top chess players, and analyzing chess games. While there have been some changes that can be considered harmful to the art form of chess, the popularization and accessibility provided by these engines led to greater changes within the chess community.

Research In Focus: How Does Urban Development Impact Carbon Emissions From Transportation?, Matthew Mccarthy

Student Research Symposium

This research delves into the issue that America is defined by three large issues. The United States is characterized by high automobile dependence, and community development is characterized by high sprawl and suburbs. These characteristics have allowed the transportation sector to account for the largest sector of greenhouse gas emissions in our nation. In searching for solutions to this problem, the research and work of professors Robert Cervero and Kara Kockelman is presented. Through many papers and research, their nicknamed 5D's and presented. These are 5 principles of design and transportation, that when utilized reduce the vehicle miles traveled (VMT) …

Comparing Tax Structures In Washington And Oregon: Tax Burden Impacts On Grocery Consumption, Devin Bales, Colin Gibson

Student Research Symposium

Washington and Oregon states rely on different tax systems. Washington collects sales tax but no personal income tax, while Oregon collects a personal income tax but no sales tax. These differences create an opportunity to measure the effects of tax policy on consumer spending. Previous literature has estimated the effect of border tax differences on aggregate spending patterns. This paper uses a hierarchical model to measure the effect of individual sales tax burden on individual-level spending. First, using data from the Consumer Expenditure survey, we estimate individual sales tax burden. Then, using these estimates in a second-stage regression simulation model, …

The Impact Of Demographic Transition (Elderly Dependency Ratio) On Fiscal Balance, Patrick Nartey

Student Research Symposium

The united states currently is the third populous nation in the world after china and India. This represents about 4.5% of the world's population. the U.S population was estimated at 308.7 million during the 2010 census. The share of the population that is 65 and over keeps rising over the years .Over the last ten years the 65 and over population has jumped from 12.55 to 15%.This paper seeks to find the relationship between the fiscal balance and the demographic variables. Proper understanding of this dynamics enables policy-makers to develop pragmatic projection with regards to government expenditure on some essential …

High Reliability In A Constrained Environment, Isaac Rhea

Student Research Symposium

This paper seeks to understand the effects of formal and informal constraints on the operations and success of Highly Reliable Teams. Constraints reduce the risks that are inherently present during missions, but formal constraints, such as policies and standard operating procedures, are limited by the ability of regulators and teams to anticipate problems. Culture, social norms, and other informal constraints are not subject to the same limitation, and develop over time to support the process of complex problem solving in emergency response situations.

Redd+ Policy Preferences In Ethiopia: Developing Controls For Attribute Non-Attendance In Choice Experiment Data, Adam Rovang, Sahan T.M. Dissanayake, Randall Bluffstone

Student Research Symposium

Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) is a payment for ecosystem services system created under the UN to reduce deforestation and degradation in developing countries. The REDD+ program creates markets for carbon sequestration services where REDD+ buyers are in UN-FCCC Annex 1 countries (developed countries) and sellers are in non-Annex 1 (typically developing countries). About 25% of the world’s forests are community managed (three times as much as private forests) but there is limited knowledge and information on preferences of households in communities with community managed forests toward programs like REDD+. Further, we do not have a good …