Undergraduate Works

Permanent URI for this community

https://hdl.handle.net/1794/7559

Browse

Now showing 1 - 20 of 2402

Open Access
School District and Community Factors and the Impact of COVID-19 School Closures on Chronic Absenteeism
(University of Oregon, 2024-11) Espinoza, Juan; Harbaugh, William; McWhorter, Brian
This study uses school district level variation in COVID closures and census data to quantify the effects that virtual and hybrid instruction had on the increases in post-pandemic chronic absenteeism. We find statistically significant evidence of a positive relationship with our best model estimating that each 1% increase in the proportion of the 2020/2021 school year spent away from fully in-person instruction increased chronic absenteeism by 0.20%, after controlling for race, income, education, school expenditures, and family structure. This thesis includes collaboratively produced work.
Open Access
Robux IRL: How Games Can Create a Positive Impact on Children's Development of Financial Literacy
(University of Oregon, 2024-11) Rodriguez Baquero, Sofia; Foxman, Maxwell; Hinkle, Lindsay
This paper explores the relationship between using Roblox and learned financial habits in children. Even as required personal finance courses become common in high schools across the U.S., we need to do more to support the development of financial literacy in the next generation. Video games provide the opportunity to make this education engaging and immersive, which gives kids the chance to learn by doing. Roblox is a free online gaming and game creation platform that currently has around 80 million daily users. This research studies broadly how games and personal finance are being factored into education before looking specifically at the role parents can play in these relationships. It also analyzes Roblox as a platform to understand how different features and aspects of the platform influence consumer behavior in children. Through active parent involvement and honest conversations about the value of money, Roblox can go from being purely for entertainment and socialization to being a tool for building healthy financial habits in young people. The final chapter of this research is a new guide for parents on how to treat Roblox with their child and understand the economic and social implications of using it.
Open Access
Menstrual Tracking Applications and PMDD
(University of Oregon, 2024-11) Grunwald, Hannah; Raisanen, Elizabeth; Spitzley, Kate
Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) is a psychiatric and gynecological condition marked by affective, cognitive, and physical symptoms that predominantly manifest during the luteal phase, occurring in the week before menstruation and resolving after the onset of menstruation, affecting 1.2-6.4% of individuals who menstruate (Naik et al. 2023). Symptoms of PMDD heavily overlap with those of other psychiatric disorders but the condition is distinguished by the cyclical timing of symptoms occurring in the week before menstruation and resolving after the onset of menstruation. The Carolina Premenstrual Assessment Scoring System (C-PASS) is a standardized computer algorithm that uses the basis of the Daily Record of Severity of Problems (DRSP) to help distinguish clinical presentations of PMDD and other menstrual disorders with data being derived from a self-reported record of symptoms over a two-cycle span (Eisenlohr-Moul et al. 2017). During a clinical study, the C-PASS showed that its conclusion agreed with physicians’ diagnoses with face-to-face clinical evaluation 94.5% of the time (Epperson and Hantsoo 2017). With over 200 million downloads of menstrual tracking apps, the potential for a diagnostic tool like C-PASS to be incorporated into an app should be considered to facilitate accurate clinical diagnoses of PMDD (Levy & Romo-Avilés, 2019; Naik et al., 2023).
Open Access
Best Practices in Education: A Look Into the Educational Delivery Models That Produce the Best Outcomes for Children with Disabilities
(University of Oregon, 2024-12) Bullard, Hailey; Durany, Karen; Rovak, Angela; Zinser, Jarrod
Education is a fundamental right for all individuals. Yet, students with disabilities often face significant barriers to achieving their full potential. Various methodologies and modalities of educating this diverse population exist; thus, it is difficult to select one that produces successful outcomes consistently. This research aims to understand which model of education elicits the best outcomes for students with disabilities. By reviewing existing literature, this study seeks to highlight evidence-based practices that not only enhance academic achievement but also promote social and emotional development in the child. As such, the findings of this research will strengthen efforts to create a more inclusive and welcoming environment for those with disabilities. This research seeks to answer the question: What educational delivery model produces the best outcomes for students with disabilities and how can we implement these methods into the classroom?
Open Access
Molding Understanding: A Discourse on Forensic Anthropology Techniques and Artistic Process
(University of Oregon, 2024-11) Winsett, Emily; Ulibarri, Lawrence; Michlig, Christopher; Gillis, Brian
Life and death are among the most confounding topics of discourse today. While many perceive life as a beginning and death as an end, I believe they are inherently linked. Death is a byproduct of life, but it does not signify its conclusion. After death, we carry on our narrative through our bones; the human skeleton embodies the history of our existence. This thesis explores the story of life as it is read through the bones. Through a research-based analysis of forensic anthropology strategies and a discussion of the technical methodologies involved in crafting ceramics, this project explores how the process of creating a ceramic skeleton offers a unique means of visualizing the scientific study of human remains. By merging the conceptual framework of forensic anthropology with the hands-on process of ceramic making, the work deepens our understanding of life and death. The act of sculpting each bone not only reflects the technical aspects of forensic analysis—such as the estimation of age, sex, and stature—but also serves as a meditation on the human condition. Through this approach, the ceramic skeleton becomes a powerful tool for exploring the intersections of life, death, and memory, allowing for an intimate and tangible engagement with the processes that define and preserve human existence.
Open Access
A Landslide Inventory for Prince of Wales Island, Alaska from 2009 to 2023 Using Planet Imagery
(University of Oregon, 2024-11) Lawrence, Eliza; Roering, Josh; Shoop, Casey; Patton, Annette
The combination of extreme rainfall brought on by atmospheric rivers and steep topography has made landslides a frequent and hazardous occurrence on Prince of Wales Island (PoW) in Southeast Alaska. Detecting and monitoring landslides on the ground can be costly and time-consuming, especially in remote and inaccessible locations. By using high-resolution (3-5 m) Earth observation imagery from Planet Labs, we can pinpoint the location and constrain the timing of past landslides through visual change detection of multiple images acquired every 2-3 days. We have mapped over 750 landslides across PoW (6670 km²) and the surrounding islands from 2009 to 2023. By comparing pre- and post-landslide failure images, we determined landslide timing with temporal constraints ranging from one year to less than one week. This study expands upon the USFS Tongass National Forest Landslide Inventory, which utilizes a combination of decadal aerial photos and high-resolution satellite imagery, providing multi-year constraints on landslide timing. The inventory presented in this study includes landslide polygons, corresponding initiation points, and an attribute table containing the last pre-failure date, first post-failure date, slope, elevation, forest stand age, geology, distance to the nearest road, and area. The distribution of landslides across PoW over the past decade demonstrates a strong seasonality, with most landslides occurring between August and December. We find a strong relationship between landslide location and aspect, with landslides predominantly occurring on southern slopes. Our methods also capture small landslides, revealing that most are located within 10 km of the nearest road. We find that cumulative precipitation, both monthly and annually, does not fully explain the relationship with landslide frequency and requires further exploration. Future research will use gridded precipitation data, coupled with well-characterized timing of landslides, to determine precipitation intensity thresholds for landslide triggering. By quantifying the temporal and spatial distribution of landslide occurrences, we can provide valuable information to support the development of landslide early-warning systems.
Open Access
A Scoping Review of Greenwashing
(University of Oregon, 2024-11) Csaszar, Avery; Segre-Cohen, Alex; Dahmen, Nicole; Smith, Hollie
There has been evidence of climate change for over a century, and the impacts are becoming more intense as time goes on. There is no doubt that our Earth is suffering due to human-induced impacts, and the consequences will only become more severe if we do not begin to make drastic changes soon. Many products are made to appear environmentally friendly through aesthetic green packaging and environmental labels that indeed are only a front to the damaging effects of the lifecycle of the product. This may lead consumers who are environmentally conscious to feel urged to purchase these products because of these visible “environmental” traits, while the consumers are left unknowingly supporting a cycle of unsustainable products and behaviors. We must shift from this cycle of false claims to those of truth so that consumers may make decisions based on facts and not fear that what they see or read is simply a facade. With this, the image of being “green” is increasingly more important to society. Companies and organizations are attempting to uphold this green image to appeal to consumers with growing environmental awareness. This, however, leads to greenwashing, or when individuals or companies mislead the public into believing that a company or product is more environmentally friendly than it truly is. Greenwashing ultimately leads to a setback in the fight against the climate crisis and reinforces harmful behavior and practices toward the environment, for the sake of companies’ and individual’s green image. Through a scoping review, this research sought to define greenwashing and explore the tactics most used as well as the solutions the literature provides to combat greenwashing. It sought to be a comprehensive scoping review of greenwashing that yields a tool for researchers, policymakers, and the public to use to better understand and be educated on the topic of greenwashing as well as how to move forward in curbing the practice of greenwashing. This research answered the following research questions: 1. What criteria is used to identify greenwashing in literature found in select databases? What themes are most prevalent in the definitions of greenwashing? 2. What tactics of greenwashing have been most explored in academic literature? 3. What solutions does the literature provide to combat the practice of greenwashing?
Open Access
Masking to Succeed: Exploring Identity Barriers to Competitive Drive in Online Gaming
(University of Oregon, 2024-10) Crew, Toby; Foxman, Maxwell; Dudukovic, Nicole
The toxic social environment of online competitive video games is well known, but despite negative experiences, gamers from all walks of life are continually motivated to improve and engage with others in the name of competition, including those often targeted by bigotry, such as women and transgender players. While research on how identity affects competitive drive exists within the esports space, there is no standard inclusion of other marginalized genders, few papers standardize identity and competitive drive variables, such as personality and competitive indexes, and papers covering individual motivations and experiences within online social environments have only been published within the last 4 years. I surveyed and interviewed 10 undergraduate gamers who played at least 5 hours of competitive ranked modes in video games a week. I used the HEXACO personality index specifically because of its reliability in describing personality, and the Competitive Index because of its multifaceted approach to defining competitive drive. After statistical analysis, and after coding each 25-45 minute long interview manually using the Competitive Index as a coding scheme, I found associations between gender identity and Enjoyment of Competition, both quantitatively and qualitatively. I also found a negative association between Desire to Win and Honesty-Humility, and a weaker positive association between Personal Development Competitiveness, and Emotionality. Additionally, I found that while perceptions of online social environment interactions were generally negative, many found solace and enjoyment in competing with strangers, and others found ways around negative interactions to not sacrifice their competitive drive, such as playing in closed communities. While the methodology was flawed, and no significant conclusions could be derived from the quantitative analysis, these findings imply a complex relationship between individual differences in competitive drive and self-identity, and future research into personality as a factor of competitiveness, controlled for social environment, should be looked into.
Embargo
Engineering Circular Guide RNAs for Enhanced CRISPR-Cas9 Efficiency
(University of Oregon, 2024-11) Keller, Abigail; Plesa, Calin; Raisanen, Elizabeth
The CRISPR-Cas9 system has revolutionized genome editing, offering remarkable precision and versatility in targeted genetic modifications. This study presents an approach to improve CRISPR-Cas9 efficiency through the design and validation of circular guide RNA (cgRNA) constructs. Circular RNAs are more stable than their linear counterparts which are susceptible to degradation by extracellular RNases that are abundant in the environment and act on their ends. Prior studies suggest that effective cgRNAs can be produced from self-splicing Group I introns, but the optimal linker lengths for efficient circularization remain unknown. The linker, essential for connecting the ends of the cgRNA, is an added sequence that prevents tight folding, allowing stable circularization without interfering with the RNA's editing efficiency. Our goal enables the production of stable cgRNAs using a Golden Gate Assembly (GGA) plasmid incorporating a gRNA template and self-splicing group I introns. Following successful validation of our GGA constructs in Escherichia coli cells, numerous cgRNA linkers can be tested to find the optimal linker for cgRNA stability and improved CRISPR efficiency. Circular guide RNAs exhibit enhanced efficiency and stability compared to linear counterparts, thereby providing valuable insights for advancing CRISPR-Cas9 technology and its applications in genome editing.
Open Access
Mysteries of Space!
(2021) Chrissakis, Meghan; Farr, Ben
A comic exploring the science of black holes and the researchers who study them. Created in collaboration between undergraduate cartoonist Meghan Chrissakis and UO researcher Dr. Ben Farr as part of the Science and Comics Initiative. Read the comic online here: https://opentext.uoregon.edu/science-comics/chapter/mysteries-of-space/.
Open Access
Let the Genes Fall Where They May
(2020) DaMommio, Dimitri; Paulose, Jayson
A hand drawn comic exploring long range dispersal in two contexts: seeds and viruses. Created in collaboration between undergraduate cartoonist Dimitri DaMommio and UO researcher Jayson Paulose as part of the Science and Comics Initiative. See the full comic online: https://opentext.uoregon.edu/science-comics/chapter/let-the-genes-fall-where-they-may/.
Open Access
How to Build a Universe
(2020) Gibian, Rose; Cohen, Tim
A hand drawn comic following two physics students as they attempt to use a "universe machine." The students learn about the Higgs boson and visit CERN to use the particle accelerator. Created in collaboration between undergraduate cartoonist Rose Gibian and UO researcher Tim Cohen as part of the Science and Comics Initiative. Read the full comic online here: https://opentext.uoregon.edu/science-comics/chapter/how-to-build-a-universe/
Open Access
Metamaterials Bending Reality
(2021) Bolden, Jessica; Karki, Pragalv
A digitally drawn comic exploring the science of metamaterials through a superhero metaphor. Created in collaboration between undergraduate cartoonist Jessica Bolden and UO researcher Pragalv Karki as part of the Science and Comics Initiative. Read the comic online here: https://opentext.uoregon.edu/science-comics/chapter/metamaterials-bending-reality/
Open Access
Welcome to the Science and Comics Initiative
(2024) Khouri, Omar
A short hand drawn comic explaining the expectations and timeline for the 2024 Undergraduate Science and Comics Initiative.
Open Access
The Bionic Eye
(2023) Garcia, Natalie; Taylor, Richard; Moslehi, Saba
A hand drawn comic imagining a future where bionic eye transplants are possible. This comic explores eye biology, neurons, and fractals. Created in collaboration between undergraduate cartoonist Natalie Garcia and UO researchers Richard Taylor and Saba Moslehi. Read the comic online here: https://opentext.uoregon.edu/science-comics/chapter/bionic-eye/
Open Access
AN ETHICAL EVALUATION OF AN INTERNATIONAL NONPROFIT AND THE IMPLICATIONS OF FOREIGN AID
(University of Oregon, 2024-05) Dhamdhere, Aarushi; Weaver, Lesley Jo; Fitzpatrick, Ellen;
This thesis will aim to address ethical challenges that foreign aid poses to aid-receiving countries and investigate the frameworks of international non-governmental organizations (INGO). To do so, I worked closely with an INGO, that I will refer to as GlobalMed, and assessed their duties and obligations as international actors. I accompanied GlobalMed on a week-long service-learning trip (SLT) in Cusco, Peru where I conducted an ethnographic study through participant-observation. My research took place in mobile clinics, patient follow-up care programs, and development projects. The goal, by the end of this project, was to develop insights to the framework of GlobalMed, determine whether my experience aligned with the tenets of medical ethics, and gain a comprehensive understanding of the potential implications of foreign aid.
Open Access
Assessing Infant Speech Discrimination Using Pupillary Dilation Response
(University of Oregon, 2024-08) Heilenbach, Sam; Baldwin, Dare; Bala, Avinash
Perceptual narrowing is central to the ability of infants in acquiring language competency. The broad sensitivity seen in younger infants to even the smallest units of speech – phonemes – becomes fine-tuned toward the end of their first year of life to the specific phonemes of their native language(s), enabling them to partition continuous speech into discrete words, essential for acquiring language proficiency. Perceptual narrowing refers to the gradual reduction in sensitivity to phonetic contrasts that are not relevant in the native language, along with an enhanced ability to recognize and distinguish phonetic contrasts that are meaningful in the native language. Understanding the timing and mechanisms of this process is key to understanding speech and language development more broadly. Current methods for studying perceptual narrowing rely on behavioral methods that require lengthy training periods, which result in high rates of attrition and may resultingly limit the generalizability of these findings. This study investigated the potential of sound-induced pupil response (SIPR) to measure infant speech-sound discrimination. We hypothesized that SIPR will accurately index auditory discrimination changes as perceptual narrowing unfolds. Using a mixed factorial-design, infants aged 10-12 months were exposed to native and non-native phonetic contrasts while their pupil responses were measured. Our sample of pilot data provides clear evidence validating SIPR as a sensitive measure of infant response to language. However, the sample is as yet too small to offer conclusive findings regarding perceptual narrowing. In any case, the SIPR holds great promise as a new, highly sensitive tool for investigating language development in early infancy. Thus, the significance of this research lies in its potential to enhance our understanding of developmental change in early auditory discrimination abilities.
Embargo
AN ARCHAEOBOTANICAL GUIDE TO THE NORTHERN GREAT BASIN
(University of Oregon, 2024-09) Di Fiore, Sofia; Kennedy, Jaime; Gallagher, Daphne
Archaeobotany—the study of plants recovered from archaeological sites—is a discipline that offers one the opportunity to peer into the past and look at what the lives of humans looked like in times we will never experience. Archaeobotanical investigations are particularly important to the understanding of how human populations adapt to changing environments, as changes in botanical resources due to climactic shifts necessitate changes in traditional lifeways, shaping human cultures. This thesis reviews the archaeobotanical research history of the Northern Great Basin, a unique and isolated part of the intermountain west with an extensive history of human occupation that makes it an important locus of archaeological study, providing the opportunity for researchers to gain a deep time view of how humans interact with their environment. This project details ten of likely hundreds of plant species represented in the area’s archaeological record, drawing inspiration from traditional plant guides to create a proof-of concept look into the human-environmental connection in this region.
Open Access
REDESIGNING CAMPUS DINING TO IMPROVE SUSTAINABILITY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF OREGON
(University of Oregon, 2024-09) Merrill, Maya; Selek, Hale; McWhorter, Brian
Universities across the United States, including the University of Oregon, have shifted to promote sustainable thinking and living. However, these large institutions also produce an incredible amount of food and packaging waste every day—two of the largest categories contributing to municipal solid waste in the United States. As universities shape future generations of leaders, it is important that they implement systems and products which uphold sustainable living practices and reduce their environmental impact. My research and design aims to provide strategies, system and product redesigns that will reduce the significant amount of food and packaging waste produced by thousands of consumers at UO Dining halls every day. I provide a multi-pronged approach which includes reusable and biodegradable products, educational campaigns, peer support, food waste diversion strategies and additional key steps, informed by research, observations and case studies. In addition to a dining system redesign plan, I propose three food container design solutions: a reusable lid for existing dining hall receptacles, an organic and biodegradable single use container and a complete reusable container design.
Open Access
TO DESTROY A PEOPLE: CONCEPTUALIZING MASS SEXUAL VIOLENCE AS A PRINCIPAL MODALITY OF GENOCIDE IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
(University of Oregon, 2024-06) Howard, Emma Marie; Saavedra, Yvette; Raisanen, Elizabeth; Herrera, Andrea
Throughout the twentieth century, mass sexual violence has been integral to genocidal campaigns, indicating that mass sexual violence is both a hallmark and weapon/means of genocide. This paper engages with eleven case studies from the twentieth century using both primary documentation of the occurrence and impact of mass sexual violence and secondary sources that analyze and discuss how gender and sexuality operate within war and genocide more broadly. Whereas previous scholarship and international law have included modalities of genocide that could, by interpretation, include mass sexual violence, this paper argues that weaponized mass sexual violence is an effective means of destroying identity both individually (at the micro level) but also collectively (at the meso and macro levels) and therefore must be included as a principal modality of genocide by definition in order to more accurately and effectively articulate genocide.