Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Fentanyl Use Among People Who Inject Drugs In Two Large Pacific Northwest Metropolitan Areas., Lauren Lipira, Sara N. Glick, Courtney Moreno, Lalaine Sevillano, Matthew A. Town, Timothy W. Menza

Regional Research Institute for Human Services

Background

We examined fentanyl use and outcomes among people who inject drugs (PWID) in the urban Pacific Northwest (PNW).

Methods We conducted secondary analysis of data from the 2022 National HIV Behavioral Surveillance PWID cycle from Portland, OR and Seattle, WA. We calculated proportions of any fentanyl, injection fentanyl, non-injection fentanyl, and street pill use. Next, we compared characteristics, behaviors, and outcomes by any fentanyl use. Finally, we estimated adjusted relative risk (aRR) of overdose outcomes associated with fentanyl use and injecting less associated with type of street pill use.

Results

Among 835 PWID, 76% reported fentanyl use, 47% injection …

Mapping Fire Management: A Spatial Social Network Approach, Christoph Neger, Cody Evers, Kapil Yadav, Octavio Romero Cuapio

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Maps are an essential tool to inform fire governance and management. For instance, they can highlight which areas are most vulnerable to adverse fire impacts or be used to plan interventions for risk reduction and prevention. In recent years, several studies have mapped the fire management activities and the networks between the multitude of involved actors. They build upon previous advances to combine quantitative and qualitative social network analysis with geographical analysis and cartography, aiming to highlight areas of opportunity to enhance fire governance. This paper continues this line of research, examining cooperation in fire management within the south-eastern part …

Navigating Homelessness And Housing Accessibility: An Ethnography Of Guests At Operation Nightwatch, Chase Kawika Patton

Dissertations and Theses

In 2025, over 7,000 individuals in Portland, Oregon experiencing unsheltered homelessness are without access to shelter or transitional housing. In this resource gap Operation Nightwatch (ON) provides material support for people experiencing homelessness (PEH) in the University District neighborhood of downtown Portland. This study focused on the experiences of chronically homeless guests of Nightwatch as they navigated homelessness and housing access. The study relied on semi-structured interviews with staff and guests and on-site participant observation to determine the availability of support to access housing in a system governed by Coordinated Access and the Housing First model. Primary research took place …

Building Connections With Graduate Students Through Credit-Bearing Instruction, Michelle Desilets, Kimberly Pendell

Library Faculty and Staff Publications and Presentations

Graduate students often need support with research skills and other professional development that is under-recognized by their programs. Librarians play a key role in helping students fill in these gaps. This case study reviews student feedback on a librarian-developed and -delivered credit-bearing course. The course, Library Research and Scholarly Communication Fundamentals, is offered to graduate students across all disciplines. The curriculum is flexible and applicable to each student’s research, covering topics such as researching literature, citation and data management, and publishing in scholarly journals. The course has generated positive and constructive feedback from students, encompassing themes of self-efficacy, improved research …

Understanding The Experiences And Visibility Of Asexual People And Guiding Policy To Effectively Protect Asexuality, Lizzie Stravens

University Honors Theses

Asexuality is sexual orientation defined by those who experience little to no sexual attraction. Despite asexuality being as common as red headedness or left handedness, it has been severely overlooked in research and conversations. Because many people are not aware of the existence of asexuality, it has not been directly attacked by anti-queer campaigns. Still, there have been some recent shifts in this dynamic as asexuality becomes more visible. I conducted a linear regression on the 2022 Ace Community Survey results. I analyzed the effect of theoretically important variables on the outness of asexual respondents. Results indicated an importance on …

Rewiring The Senses: Neural And Perceptual Adaptation Through Cultural Immersion In Chile, Alexa Castillo

University Honors Theses

This thesis explores how cultural immersion reshapes perception over time. Rather than focusing only on language acquisition, the project examines how sustained exposure to a new cultural and linguistic environment alters sensory processing, cognitive effort, and emotional experience. The study draws on cultural neuroscience and neuroplasticity research to frame immersion as a process of adaptive recalibration.

Over four weeks in Valparaíso, Chile, I documented daily changes in auditory processing, visual attention, emotional response, and social interpretation. Journal entries were analyzed using qualitative thematic coding and organized into five categories: language overload, cognitive effort, automaticity, anxiety/frustration, and belonging/comfort. Weekly intensity ratings …

In The Wake Of Usaid Cuts, We Can Create A Demographic And Health Survey Program Founded On More Equitable Data Infrastructure And Stronger Research Integrity., Jasmin Abdel Ghany, Aasli A. Nur, Kerry L D Macquarrie, Joshua Wilde, Elizabeth A. Sully, Mahesh Karra, Ursula Gazeley, Ben M. John, Livia Montana

Publications, Reports and Presentations

t ’ s I n o w b een more than a year since President Trump’s dismantling of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), which led to the closure of its Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) Program. In place for decades, the DHS Program produced and shared, free of charge, some of the highest-quality data on population health in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Our own analysis found at least 9,000 published studies, reports, and book chapters based on more than 400 DHS surveys in almost 100 countries (Fig. 1).* And the DHS has been instrumental in improving the …

Temperature And Sex Ratios At Birth, Jasmin Abdel Ghany, Joshua Wilde, Anna Dimitrova, Ridhi Kashyap, Raya Muttarak

Publications, Reports and Presentations

Human sex ratios at birth (SRBs) shape population composition and are closely linked to maternal health and gender discrimination. In the context of environmental change, SRBs may theoretically be skewed by physiological or behavioral responses to exposure to extreme heat. However, evidence for this is limited. In this study, we estimate the effect of prenatal exposure to temperature on birth sex by linking survey data on 5 million live births in 33 sub-Saharan African countries and India with high-resolution temperature data. To distinguish between spontaneous and induced abortions, we exploit sociodemographic differentials, exposure timing, and regional differences in son preference. …

Evaluating The Implementation Of Oregon's Dsm-5-Informed Autism Eligibility Revisions: Interest-Holder Perspectives And Policy Implications, Bradley Josef Hendershott

Dissertations and Theses

Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), states establish their own autism spectrum disorder (ASD) eligibility criteria, resulting in substantial interstate variation and frequent misalignment with medical diagnostic standards. In 2019, Oregon revised its ASD eligibility criteria by directly incorporating DSM-5 diagnostic criteria, reflecting proponents' theory of action that this alignment would improve conceptual clarity, identification accuracy, and coherence across educational and medical systems. While an early implementation study documented generally positive early effects reported by evaluators, no research has systematically examined whether the DSM-5 alignment achieved its anticipated effects, how the revised criteria function after multiple years of …

Adolescent Math Anxiety: Teachers' Grouping Approach At The Intersection Of Multiple Student Identities, Dara Shifrer, Hannah Sean Ellefritz, David Hernandez-Saca, Allison Roda, Karla Santana Martinez

Sociology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Math anxiety represents a substantial barrier to many students’ math learning. In this paper, we apply interdisciplinary perspectives to data on over 13,200 ninth graders and their math teachers from the High School Longitudinal Study. Results suggest that being perceived as dis/abled relates to heightened math anxiety regardless of adolescents’ gender, or race and ethnicity. Our intersectional approach reveals that adolescents’ expressions of math anxiety do not always correspond with gender, racial, and ethnic stereotypes, with Black girls, Black boys, and Latine boys expressing relatively low levels of math anxiety. Finally, consistent with the principles of inclusion and universal design, …

Beyond Rationality: The Role Of Emotions In Communicative Planning, Minji Cho

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

The impact of emotional dynamics has been overlooked within the field of planning. Traditional communicative planning theory, rooted in Habermas’ model of communication, typically propose that emotions should be managed to facilitate rational discussions that lead to logical agreements. Conversely, some research contends that emotions are not illogical or hazardous elements to be restrained during deliberation; instead, they are a topic requiring thorough investigation to create improved public forums. We investigate this tension by analysing facework during a land-use dispute at at the Gongjin Elementary School site in Seoul, South Korea. Our analysis reveals that facework not only impedes the …

Platforms For The Development And Sustainability Of Practice Research In Social Work: An International Cross-Case Analysis, Bowen Mcbeath, Michael J. Austin, Ilse Julkunen, Maija Jappinen, Lynette Joubert, Ralph Hampson, Rosaleen Ow, Lars Uggerhoj

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Purpose:

This paper presents an institutional and organizational comparative case analysis of practice research platforms in social work, which are institutionally embedded partnerships of university-based research centers, organizations delivering social services and healthcare, and other knowledge intermediaries that connect social work practice and research.

Methods:

An institutional and organizational comparative case analysis is presented concerning four practice research platforms from the USA, Finland, Australia, and Singapore.

Results:

We identify similarities and differences in the platforms’ purpose and basic goals, administration and financing, and substantive and methodological foci in the development of social work practice research studies.

Discussion:

We conclude by …

Post-Wildfire Water Quality And Aquatic Ecosystem Response In The U.S. Pacific Northwest: Science And Monitoring Gaps, Sara Wall, Jana E Compton, Ashley A. Coble, Beth M. Haley, Jiajia Lin, Allison Myers-Pigg, Justin Reale, Katie Wampler, Kevin D. Bladon, Kurt Carpenter, Heejun Chang, Multiple Additional Authors

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

An increase in the occurrence of large, high severity wildfires in the western Pacific Northwest (PNW), USA, has created an urgent need for science to better inform forest management and policy decisions to maintain source water quality in the region. The western PNW faces similar challenges to other regions with shifting wildfire regimes and large population centers reliant on surface water from forested catchments. However, the uniquely wet and highly seasonal climate of the western PNW suggests that findings from other, more frequently burned regions may not be directly applicable. To identify science, monitoring, and management gaps and opportunities in …

The Hottest Areas In U.S. Cities Are Losing The Most Greenery, Yunjae Ock, Vivek Shandas

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

Due to the significantly increasing impacts of urban heat, cities are seeking to expand tree canopy, parks and other forms of greenery to reduce temperatures. Despite these efforts, few studies have examined the relationship between neighborhood-scale thermal conditions and changes in green spaces. The present study drew on high-resolution, near-surface air temperature measurements in 33 U.S. cities to answer two research questions: (1) to what extent did these cities’ greenery change from 2013 to 2022? and (2) did these study areas have an increase in greenery within neighborhoods exhibiting the hottest air temperatures? Results suggest that 72.7% of cities are …

Who Pays For Preparedness? Valuing Disaster App Features Through A Factorial Survey Experiment In Flood-Prone Communities, Katsuya Tanaka, Tadashi Kito, Kohji Tanaka

Center for Public Service Publications and Reports

This study evaluates public preferences for next-generation disaster preparedness apps using a factorial survey experiment in flood-prone Japanese communities. The analysis first reveals a fundamental heterogeneity in public receptiveness, identifying two distinct segments: a small "receptive" minority (approx. 20 %) willing to consider adoption, and a large "unreceptive" majority (approx. 80 %) that rejects the app regardless of its features or price. Consequently, focusing on the receptive segment, the study estimates the economic value of specific app features. Results show that functions for immediate personal safety and family security—such as Rescue Request and Family Status Confirmation—are most highly prized. These …

"We're Going To Tear Up The Caldera So We Can Have An Electric Car": Wrestling With Prospective Lithium Mining In The Oregon Desert, Elizabeth Bartholomew, Alida Cantor, Kate Berry, Noel Vineyard

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

Extraction of lithium, a key ingredient for renewable energy transitions, is a land- and water-intensive process. In this study, we use qualitative, place-based research to explore socio-environmental imaginaries surrounding a landscape on the verge of change due to lithium mining. We examine the ways that different actors are wrestling with the costs, benefits, and uncertainties of potential open-pit lithium mining in Oregon’s section of the McDermitt Caldera. In contrast to previous research which has described support for mining amongst those closest to the mine site, we find that in this case, perceptions of mining are characterized by ambivalence, uncertainty, and …

Global Shocks, Institutional Development, And Trade Restrictions: What Can We Learn From Crises And Recoveries Between 1990 And 2022?, Joshua Aizenman, Hiro Ito, Donghyun Park, Jamel Saadaoui, Gazi Salah Uddin

Economics Faculty Publications and Presentations

The Global Financial Crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic were two major shocks to the world economy in the 21st century. In this study, we analyze the patterns of recessions and recoveries of 101 advanced and developing economies. We identify the turning points of recessions and expansions between 1990 and 2022, and perform cross-country analysis of domestic and external drivers of economic recovery. In addition to the standard independent variables, we include institutional development, political stability, the extent of democracy, and trade restrictions indexes, and explore their roles in explaining recessions and recovery patterns. For the whole sample, we find that …

The Multidimensional Online Civic Engagement For Youth (Moce-Y) Scale: Development And Validation, Yue Ni, G. John Geldhof, Kelly D. Chandler, Richard A. Settersten Jr

Psychology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Online civic engagement among young people may represent a form of positive youthdevelopment in digital spaces. However, its impacts on youth’s well-being remain unclear,partly due to a lack of validated measures that capture the unique features of the internetand incorporate youth voices. To address this gap, we developed and validated a scale ofmultidimensional online civic engagement for youth aged 15 to 25 years (MOCE-Y) using anexploratory sequential mixed-methods approach. Qualitative interviews with 12 youth sup-ported the multidimensional structure derived from literature, from which we developed aninitial 40-item scale. Exploratory (N ¼ 159) and confirmatory (N ¼ 244) factor analyses withtwo …

The Explored Experiences Of Latino Families In The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Devlynne S. Ondusko, Veronica I. Underwood Carrasco, Astrid Platteau, Susanne Klawetter, Roberta Suzette Hunte, Emily Hawkins Carter, Morinne Osborne, Jaime W. Peterson

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

While many families experience multiple etiologies of stress during a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission, unique stressors arise for certain groups that are at higher risk for disparities in infant outcomes, including Latino families. The objective of this study was to explore the experiences of Latino families regarding support received in the NICU while their infant was hospitalized to identify ways to enhance the quality of care.

Cognitive And Economic Development, John Luke Gallup

Economics Faculty Publications and Presentations

A burgeoning literature has found that early childhood health conditions of individuals have large causal effects on their cognitive development, education and earnings. How much does early cognitive development contribute to the national economy? Although researchers have long studied the role of worker health for economic growth, they have not assessed the role of early cognitive development.

Cognitive ability is the foundation of human capital, affecting both educational attainment and economic growth. The risk factors for poor cognitive development are very high in many countries. Each risk factor also causes child mortality, making child survival a viable proxy for good …

Citizen Engagement In Budget Simulation: Examining The Effectiveness Of Balancing Act Modules In Aligning Public Priorities And Allocation Choices, Frankline Muthomi

Public Administration Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study investigates the extent to which individuals exhibit consistency in their preferences during sequential budget simulation exercises, as well as the factors that shape these preferences. Grounded in behavioral and citizen participation frameworks, the analysis demonstrates that the simultaneous use of priority-setting and budget-balancing modules encourages participants to allocate resources in ways that reflect their previously articulated priorities. While instances of inconsistency remain common, preference consistency is associated with participants’ sustained support for their favored programs, their commitment to ensuring adequate resource allocation, and, to some extent, their willingness to finance these programs. The findings suggest that the integrated …

Organizational Causes Of Chronic Absenteeism: Unpacking The Conditions For Learning To Increase Regular Attendance, Melissa Glover

Educational Leadership Professional Doctorate Dissertations

This study employed an improvement science methodology, using plan-do-study-act (PDSA) cycles of improvement, to address the persistent problem of chronic absenteeism within the Gateway School District, where annual absentee rates hovered around 45% and were historically 10% higher for students with disabilities compared to their nondisabled peers. The leadership team engaged in a thorough review of parent and student perceptions of school and aligned findings with Chang’s (2019) conditions for learning framework to pinpoint actionable areas for growth. These findings were then organized into a theory of action using a driver diagram approach. This foundational work led to the identification …

Density Dependence During Evolutionary Rescue Increases Extinction Risk But Does Not Prevent Adaptation, Laure Olazcuaga, Brett A. Melbourne, Scott W. Nordstrom, Ruth A. Hufbauer

Publications, Reports and Presentations

Evolutionary rescue allows populations to adapt and persist despite severe environmental change. While well studied under density-independent conditions, the role of density dependence, including competition, remains unclear. Theoretical models offer conflicting predictions, with density dependence either increasing extinction risk or enhancing adaptation. We empirically tested how density dependence influences evolutionary rescue by exposing experimental populations to a stressful environment for six generations under density-dependent or independent conditions, with populations where either evolution was possible or was prevented by replacing individuals each generation. Density dependence suppressed population size and increased extinction risk, whereas density independence enabled rapid growth, especially in genetically …

Political Elections In The New Wave Of Media: The Celebrification Of The Presidency, Camille B. Moore

Anthós

This article examines the impact of social media on journalism leading up to the 2024 United States presidential election and how expectations of candidates have changed. By exploring the degradation of discourse in news and how polarization and cognitive biases have intensified with the widespread adoption of social media, previous candidate conventions have begun to crumble. This has, and will continue to have, a large impact on voting and democracy in America, as scholars have noted since the beginning of the 2000’s, in examining a shift in news preferences as pop culture gains influence. This work further examines recent scholarship …

Machine Learning For Economists, John Luke Gallup

Economics Faculty Publications and Presentations

Explication of machine learning algorithms and their usefulness for economic research. The prediction algorithms of Random Forest, Gradient Boost Machines, Neural Networks and Support Vector Machines are built from simple steps applied at large scale to generate surprisingly precise nonlinear estimates. Although useful for processing and interpreting new forms of data, their application to economics research is limited because they do not provide readily interpretable evidence of the causes of outcomes.

The Hope Industrial Complex: Resisting Manufactured And False Hope With Critical Hope In Peace Education, Thailand's Refugee Context, Staci B. Martin, Hayso Thako, Rey Ty, Sudarat Tuntivivat, Rattanak Ly

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Our Point of Departure (POD) argues that the type of hope fostered within the Karen refugee community in Thailand – manufactured, false, or critical – shapes the impact of peace-building and higher education efforts. Through a dialogue among a Karen scholar, his supervisor, and a migration researcher, we demonstrate that manufactured hope, often driven by external aid, sustains dependency and overlooks core conflicts. In contrast, false hope arises from the gap between student desires and institutional barriers, leading to unmet expectations. We aim to show that by applying critical hope, the pedagogical approach enables the Karen community to enhance its …

Erasing The Artist, Policing The City: Michael Stewart And New York’S War On Graffiti, Vladislav Kirilov

Anthós

The 1983 death of Michael Stewart, a young Black graffiti artist, exposes the violent logic at the center of New York City’s War on Graffiti. Under Mayor Ed Koch and the rise of broken windows policing, graffiti was framed as a racialized symbol of disorder used to justify intensified control of public space. Rather than becoming political in this moment, graffiti is understood here as an already politicized form of expression shaped by racial and spatial inequality. The article examines how Stewart’s killing made police violence visible, provoking responses from artists, activists, and graffiti writers while revealing the human costs …

The Public Relations Of Microtonal Music Through The Eyes And Ears Of Microtonalists, Tristan B. Young

Anthós

In this article, I attempted to answer the question of how microtonal musicians and music theorists view the general public's perception of microtonal music. To do this, I had three one-on-one interviews and one focus group with microtonal musicians, which were all audio recorded with consent from the participants. Patterns that emerged from their responses included blaming corporate and academic establishments for their conservatism in music theory, mentioning the different possible definitions one may make for microtonality based on geographic culture and so on, and bringing up the idea that people think that microtonality is less diverse than it actually …

Drag’S Impact On Drag Lives, José L. Oropeza Iii

Anthós

Drag’s Impact On Drag Lives

In light of recent political developments where Drag and Trans identities are being punished, why do people still participate in Drag? If there are repercussion to face for being a Drag Queen, then surely it must affect their lives for the better for them to continue the practice.

Through an autoethnographic approach to researching the Portland, OR Drag community, I collected transcripts of conversations with local Queens, took notes of community interactions, and put myself in Drag for the first time as a Queer man to better understand the Drag community and why they Drag. …

Heat Misers, Snow Misers, And Cognitive Misers: The 'Nukewarm' Perceptions Of Nuclear Power, Tyler Williams

Dissertations and Theses

Rising energy demand in the United States necessitates alternatives to fossil fuels, yet renewable energy sources alone are insufficient to meet this demand. Nuclear power presents a promising option but faces persistent public hesitancy. This study examines how heuristic-based biases relate to American's risk-benefit perceptions towards nuclear power. Guided by the heuristic-systematic model. Results indicate that competence and affect are related to risk-benefit perceptions, and naturalness shows no relationship with risk perceptions but does correlate with benefit perceptions. Implications highlight the importance of affect-driven communication strategies for nuclear communicators, while also underscoring the need for participatory approaches that foster trust …