Master of Fine Arts

thesisToday, empathy is repeatedly considered a highly important influence in human interaction, yet our active and embodied practice of empathy seems scarce. Empathy is commonly recognized by many academic fields including philosophy, psychology and biology. In my experience as a dancer, my movement education has had a profound influence on my understanding of others. Teaching and learning movement is an interchange that is inescapably an act of empathy. But what is empathy? What does it require of the body? What is our empathic capacity? The main purpose of this thesis is to illuminate the relationship between movement and empathy. I will review many scientific models and draw parallels to my creative endeavors by analyzing and reflecting on two choreographic works Sync and Revealing Wavelengths. I use empathy in the creative process and as the subject and product of my art. How can choreography as a research tool add to the current empathic paradigms? Conclusively, I determine that human movement and physical experience are fundamental to the empathic process. My choreographic explorations were effective in underlying complexity and intricate details of this concept of humanity, which will continue to educate me in life and in the field of dance

A Workers Perspective On Hierarchical Organization Structure And The Potential For Non-Hierarchical Management Systems

My participation in the Organization Dynamics program has been quite the odyssey, as has my work career at the University of Pennsylvania. Since I was working full time at the School of Dental Medicine, it took me many years to complete the program. My Capstone theme is an explanation of the hierarchical management structures that I have worked within and an exploration of the potential of non-hierarchical systems. Most of the world, and the people working in it, are very familiar with hierarchical management systems. I will explore a few instances of the emergence of non-hierarchical management organizations in this paper, comparing my career experience to the organization models that I investigated As my participation in non-hierarchical management systems is limited and, I want to discern the differences between what I have experienced and what I could have realized if non-hierarchical structures were used as the structure for business organizations. Is it possible for non-hierarchical management systems to become the more dominant form of organizational structure in the modern workforce? My methodologies for the exploration are a literature review of management systems contrasting the differences between hierarchical and non-hierarchical organization structures. Another important component is an analysis and reflection of my own career experience, comparing what I learned in the literature review to what I have experienced in real life. I will additionally report findings in a non-hierarchical organization in which I participated recently. My final method is the analysis of a survey I conducted to determine if non-hierarchical organizing is being utilized. In summary, my findings show that hierarchical management structures are the de-facto standard in business and organizations today, and we are a long way from changing to non-hierarchical modes. However, some methodologies and processes that I have explored will become more prevalent going forward

Review of Ray Fair, \u3cem\u3ePredicting Presidential Elections and Other Things\u3c/em\u3e

Ray Fair is one of my favorite econometricians. He has an excellent website, fairmodel.econ.yale.edu,where he freely shares his models. He writes clearly and his methods are reported in detail. He is concerned with the proper use of econometric methods. For example, he has long been opposed to the common practice of making ex post subjective adjustments to forecasts from econometric models. A review of empirical evidence supports his position (Armstrong and Collopy 1998). The book is aimed at novices, which is potentially a large audience. Fair captivates the reader by showing how econometrics can be used for everyday life. This includes predicting votes in U.S. presidential elections, the quality of wine in France, whether people are likely to have extramarital affairs, how fast you can run a marathon, how attendance at college relates to grades, interest rates, and inflation

Protein translocation:what’s the problem?

We came together in Leeds to commemorate and celebrate the life and achievements of Prof. Stephen Baldwin. For many years we, together with Sheena Radford and Roman Tuma (colleagues also of the University of Leeds), have worked together on the problem of protein translocation through the essential and ubiquitous Sec system. Inspired and helped by Steve we may finally be making progress. My seminar described our latest hypothesis for the molecular mechanism of protein translocation, supported by results collected in Bristol and Leeds on the tractable bacterial secretion process–commonly known as the Sec system; work that will be published elsewhere. Below is a description of the alternative and contested models for protein translocation that we all have been contemplating for many years. This review will consider their pros and cons

Dead Without Water: Personal Storytelling Of Place As An Education Tool For Interdependent Survival Of Our Earth Home

ABSTRACT Do you have stories of meaningful places in your life? Are there examples of stories of place(s) you have heard have been powerful influences for you? Why? How have these places been impacted by climate change, and how will they be impacted by climate change? Our shared environment is at a critical juncture. The physical survival of this planet and our collective wellbeing is increasingly dependent on challenging our ways and bettering educating ourselves and others to respect and acknowledge the interconnection we have with the planet home that gives us life. In this research, I examine the power of personal stories which focus on relationship to place in order to connect us to each other and to the places we inhabit as a powerful tool to forge practices that are benevolent towards the Earth. Sharing personal stories of our meaningful place-based settings has the power to expand universal understanding of the link between our behavior towards the Earth and the wellbeing of these places, which is crucial for the health of all species, including human survival. Stories are perhaps one of the most efficient methods in highlighting interdependency between humans and the environment to foster an ethic of a care for the planet and future generations. This thesis draws from storytelling as action in indigenous cultures and their effectiveness in Earth justice movement building today specifically in the United States. I examine the Gwich’in Steering Committee as one vital model that uses storytelling as their primary tool for not only Earth and human rights justice, but importantly, their survival. Additionally I will reference storytelling used as a method of education and action used by the Water Protectors of Standing Rock and L’eau Est La Vie camp. These indigenous organizations are by no means the only indigenous models that use personal, place-based storytelling for movement building, but serve as the research focus for this thesis. The literature review will reflect upon the Gwich’in Steering Committee’s use of story throughout their movement; their own sustainable, cultural and spiritual way of life, to protect The Sacred Place Where Life Begins, their water and food sovereignty in the face of oil drilling proposals and climate change. Through Scholarly Personal Narrative methodology, this deep dive account unearths my own depictions of my place-based stories which have taught me that the Earth deserves our compassion, our empathy, and our urgent attention and to craft a sustainable planet. This thesis will draw from on my personal lived experiences in my local and global settings, my own stories of connecting to the places sources of cultivating care and wellbeing for the planet. This project explores my narrative journey through my childhood in Vermont, my family homes across Maine, my four undergraduate years in Connecticut, my studies in Chile, and return to Vermont. My hope is that the indigenous model of the Gwich’in Steering Committee, paired with my personal and reflective account of place-based stories can prompt educational leaders to reflect and utilize personal storytelling as one educational tool that assists with building empathetic and active healing for the wellbeing of our shared planet

A Portfolio of Academic, Therapeutic Practice and Research Work Including an Investigation Into Living Apart Together: An Alternative to Remarriage in Later Life.

The process of becoming a counselling psychologist brings with it a deep sense of self-awareness and reflection. This portfolio endeavours to capture and reflect on my personal and professional development over my three years on the PsychD psychotherapeutic and counselling training course at the University of Surrey. The portfolio focuses on the academic, therapeutic practice and research work compiled during the training and a compilation of selected works are shown in this portfolio. Academically, it covers three essays, which focus on relationships - the relationship between couples and the therapeutic relationship between client and counselling psychologist. The first two papers focus on older adults and how counselling psychologists can work with this client group. The topics covered include lifespan development, transference and countertransference within the psychodynamic model and homework tasks in the cognitive behavioural therapy framework. The theoretical perspectives covered include humanistic models, psychodynamic approaches and cognitive-behaviour therapy approaches. These are set within specific placements, which illustrate how my interactions with clients have been informed and structured in the various therapeutic settings. Three research pieces were engaged with, including a literature review that examines ‘Living Apart Together' (LAT) relationships as an alternative to remarriage or cohabitation after divorce or widowhood in later life. This was followed by an explorative study into five participants’ experience of their LAT relationship and uses interpretative phenomenoiogicai analysis. The third research paper explores the experiences of business travellers in relation to finding a work/life balance. Thematic analysis was used to explore how the participants’ experience the interface between work and family and how they experience their time apart and together with their family

Exploring the potential for improving results of international knowledge exchange in the field of road transport

This research addresses the topic of knowledge exchange across borders in the field of road transport. Road transport administrations around the world learn from each other by taking part in various forms of knowledge exchanges. From my engagement and experiential learning in this area, I perceive a potential for attaining higher returns of such knowledge investments. The overall purpose of the project is to improve the results of international knowledge exchanges, while the aim is to explore the potential for making improvements in the knowledge exchange process. I have carried out the research mainly within my own organisation and explored the views and experience of participants in exchanges. The project draws on a review of theoretical and operational sources of knowledge and information. In the review, I deal with the research topic in three different contexts: theories and empirical studies, development cooperation, and the professional field. The methodological approach is qualitative and inductive within the paradigm of constructivism. The primary method for data collection is individual semi‐structured interviews with selected exchange participants. The interview data are analysed using thematic analysis. As a means of ensuring quality, the interview findings have been triangulated by focus groups and individual discussions. The validity and the reliability of the research are restricted, since it is context‐bound and small‐scale. However, discussions with professionals abroad indicate that the results apply more generally. The findings show that there are constraining factors throughout the knowledge exchange process that prevent the participants and the organisation from taking full advantage of the exchanges. I have used the findings to construct a holistic, life cycle model that can make knowledge exchanges more effective. My model is unique of its kind and differs from existing models for acquiring, creating, and managing knowledge in organisations in that it is determined by the characteristics of my organisation and by a multinational knowledge exchange environment. In order to prepare the ground for its application, I have promoted the model both in my organisation and in the professional community abroad. The real value of the model can, however, only be demonstrated when it has been used for some time

Biomatters: a new age of biosynthetic-technology for the textile and apparel industry

Biomatters explores how the role of design could change in the textile and apparel industry if synthetic biology is established as a new technology and production method. The field of synthetic biology is an industry developing methods for ‘reprogramming’ cells to produce bespoke materials, medicines and biofuels. There is much rhetoric around designable biology as a world changing and world saving sustainable technology, but there are also a number of questions that surround its claims and ambition that need to be answered (Ginsberg, 2014). Biotech is a fast moving industry that needs to be questioned and scrutinized; design can play a key role here. I feel there is further need to review how design practice will change in my industry, if we start working with life as raw material, machine and operating system (Ginsberg, 2014). This research project explores this emerging industry from the perspective of fashion and textile application in order to seek sustainable solutions, new materials and circular models, to tackle key industry issues. It investigates whether reprogrammed microbes could become our ‘factories of the future’ (Lee, 2005) fostering a new design paradigm based on cultivation, growth and living cells. What it will mean if we begin to ‘biofacture’ (Collet, 2017) materials and apparel. And what the shift from hand-made and man-made to ‘grow-made’ (Collet, 2017) will mean for design practice within my industry