Reorienting the Orient: An Examination of Asian Influence on the Intercultural Theatre

This thesis explores the intercultural theatre by examining how Asian theatre traditions influenced European theatre directors in the twentieth century. It also applies discussions of the intercultural theatre to a contemporary, sociological context by investigating the development of the Asian American theatre

Perceived Ethical Climate and Unethical Behavior: The Moderating Role of Moral Identity

Unethical behavior in organizations results in significant negative outcomes, including financial impacts such as decreased shareholder value and profitability as well as non-financial impacts such as poor employee morale and reputation. This research empirically examines the moderating role of moral identity on the relation between ethical climate perceptions and unethical behavior as reflected by moral disengagement, unethical pro-organizational behavior, and ethical judgment. Moral identity was hypothesized to moderate the impact of ethical climate on unethical behavior such that higher levels of moral identity reduced the propensity to engage in unethical behavior in all ethical climate types. Moral identity internalization, but not moral identity symbolization, was found to have significant correlations with unethical behavior as well as the predicted moderating effects on the relationships between ethical climates and unethical behavior. Theoretical and practical implications and future research directions are discussed

DownHome: Accommodating Identity, Ownership and Permanence in Urban Housing

10 p.Conceptual architectural energy program for thesis project titled "DownHome: Accommodating Identity, Ownership and Permanence in Urban Housing." This project, located in NW Portland, proposes mid-rise family-oriented condominium units with a high amount of open space. The design of these attached units will be influenced by energy needs and the typology of the single-family detached house

Reduced isolation-induced pup ultrasonic communication in mouse pups lacking brain serotonin

BACKGROUND: Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) is a key modulatory neurotransmitter in the mammalian central nervous system (CNS) that plays an important role as a developmental signal. Several lines of evidence associate altered 5-HT signaling with psychopathology in humans, particularly neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorders (ASD). ASD are characterized by persistent social and communication deficits along with stereotyped and repetitive patterns of behavior, with all symptoms emerging early during development. METHODS: Here, we employed a mouse model devoid of brain 5-HT due to the lack of the gene encoding tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (Tph2), the initial and rate-limiting enzyme of 5-HT synthesis in the CNS. Tph2 null mutant (Tph2 (-/-) ) mice show normal prenatal development; however, they display for yet unknown reasons severe growth retardation during the first postnatal weeks. We investigated, therefore, whether Tph2 (-/-) mice display deficits in isolation-induced ultrasonic vocalizations (USV) as pups during early life. Isolation-induced USV are the most commonly studied behavioral measure to assess developmental delays and communication deficits in rodent models for ASD, particularly as they serve an important communicative function in coordinating mother-pup interactions. RESULTS: Tph2 (-/-) mouse pups displayed a clear deficit in the emission of isolation-induced USV, as compared to heterozygous and wildtype littermates, exactly during growth retardation onset, including reduced call numbers and deficits in call clustering and temporal organization. CONCLUSIONS: The ultrasonic communication impairment displayed by Tph2 (-/-) mouse pups is likely to result in a deficient mother-infant interaction, presumably contributing to their growth retardation phenotype, and represents a prominent feature relevant to ASD

Southern Exceptionalism and Its Impact on Environmental Attitude

In recent years, the environment has become a top concern for many people. Scientific studies have shown evidence of immediate and future threats on our environment. Despite the vast amount of evidence, many people (especially in the South) do not believe there is a human cause for global warming, a fundamental part of the environmental movement. Literature suggests Southern exceptionalism may a play a part in shaping attitudes toward environmental policies in the South. Further, a recent look at V.O. Key Jr.\u27s 1949 Southern Politics in State and Nation suggests that religion has since been overlooked as an explanation for Southern exceptionalism (Shafer & Johnston, 2011). This study aims to explain these differences found between Southern states and their northern counterparts with special attention to religion. Numerous variables (religion, gender, race, education, age, and trust in government) are considered doing a multivariate analysis. This study finds that religion and ideology are key factors in predicting individual attitudes toward the environment among Southern residents

Optimizing Student Team Skill Development using Evidence-Based Strategies—NSF Award 1431694

Optimizing Student Team Skill Development using Evidence‐Based Strategies NSF Award 1431694 The broad goal of this work is to study the effectiveness of various teamwork training interventions. This research requires the use of a common model of teamwork and a system for training, collecting ratings data, and providing feedback. We will leverage the NSF’s prior investment in the CATME system, which meets the research criteria and automates some of the data collection and feedback, which will aid in executing the research protocol consistently. Seven empirical studies will determine the effect sizes of training, practice in teams, practice rating, and feedback interventions on cognitive development (improvement of team skills) and metacognitive development (improvement of self‐ and peer‐evaluation skills). Outcomes. We focus both on cognitive skills related to team‐member effectiveness and on metacognitive skills that enable competent self‐ and peer‐evaluation of team members’ effectiveness. An intermediate knowledge‐level outcome affects both—developing an improved cognitive model of teamwork. Students must learn what skills are necessary for effective teamwork to be able to develop and evaluate them. Strategies. To achieve these outcomes, we have several strategies. Frame‐of‐reference training, which is well‐established and empirically supported, will align students’ cognitive model of teamwork with ours by teaching students the ways team members can contribute effectively to teams in the five key areas summarized earlier. Experience working in teams and evaluating teamwork will improve team skills and self‐ and peer‐evaluation skills. Experience in teams increases as students work on multiple teams. Rating practice will be accomplished by showing students descriptions or videotapes of fictitious team members and having them rate the contributions these fictitious team members make, in addition to rating themselves and their real teammates following work in teams. Finally, we will examine how the degree to which and manner in which feedback on team skills is provided affect student outcomes

The Rapid Adoption of SMARTER Teamwork Tools: the System for Management, Assessment, Research, Training, Education, and Remediation for Teamwork

The Rapid Adoption of SMARTER Teamwork Tools: the System for Management, Assessment, Research, Training, Education, and Remediation for TeamworkThe rapid adoption of Team-Maker and the Comprehensive Assessment of Team MemberEffectiveness (CATME) tools for team formation and peer evaluation make it possible to extendtheir success to have a significant impact on the development of team skills in higher education.As of October 19, 2014, the web-based systems have been used by more than 300,000 studentsof more than 6000 faculty at more than 1100 institutions in 59 countries—the figure belowshows the growth of the user base at the end of September.This paper and its accompanying poster will describe progress toward broadening the scope ofthose tools into a complete system for the management of teamwork in undergraduate education.The System for the Management, Assessment, Research, Training, Education, and Remediationof Teamwork (SMARTER Teamwork) has three specific goals: 1) to equip students to work inteams by providing them with training and feedback, 2) to equip faculty to manage student teamsby providing them with information and tools to facilitate best practices, and 3) to equipresearchers to understand teams by broadening the system’s capabilities to collect additionaltypes of data so that a wider range of research questions can be studied through a secureresearcher interface. The three goals of the project support each other in hierarchical fashion:research informs faculty practice, faculty determine the students’ experience, which, if wellmanaged based on research findings, equips students to work in teams. Our strategies forachieving these goals are based on a well-accepted training model that has five elements:information, demonstration, practice, feedback, and remediation.The paper that will be submitted and the poster presented at the conference will focus on newfeatures of the system, the development of training materials, and the deployment of a partnerwebsite that shares information about the SMARTER tools for teamwork and provides basicinformation about teamwork and team management. The observed growth is both penetrationinto the original target market and growth into unexpected markets

Board # 114 : Progress toward Optimizing Student Team Skill Development using Evidence-Based Strategies

The broad goal of this work is to study the effectiveness of various teamwork training interventions. This research requires the use of a common model of teamwork and a system for training, collecting ratings data, and providing feedback. We will leverage the NSF’s prior investment in the CATME system, which meets the research criteria and automates some of the data collection and feedback, which will aid in executing the research protocol consistently. Seven empirical studies will determine the effect sizes of training, practice in teams, practice rating, and feedback interventions on cognitive development (improvement of team skills) and metacognitive development (improvement of self- and peer-evaluation skills). Outcomes. We focus both on cognitive skills related to team-member effectiveness and on metacognitive skills that enable competent self- and peer-evaluation of team members’ effectiveness. An intermediate knowledge-level outcome affects both—developing an improved cognitive model of teamwork. Students must learn what skills are necessary for effective teamwork to be able to develop and evaluate them. Strategies. To achieve these outcomes, we have several strategies. Frame-of-reference training, which is well-established and empirically supported, will align students’ cognitive model of teamwork with ours by teaching students the ways team members can contribute effectively to teams in the five key areas summarized earlier. Experience working in teams and evaluating teamwork will improve team skills and self- and peer-evaluation skills. Experience in teams increases as students work on multiple teams. Rating practice will be accomplished by showing students descriptions or videotapes of fictitious team members and having them rate the contributions these fictitious team members make, in addition to rating themselves and their real teammates following work in teams. Finally, we will examine how the degree to which and manner in which feedback on team skills is provided affect student outcomes. This presentation (Executive Summary and Poster) will provide a valuable update on this project, share various lessons for classroom practice, and provide guidance to other faculty who seek to use CATME in their research