Accessibility in the Theatre

In the fall of 2016, I received the opportunity to participate in the Chicago Semester. Through this program, I was able to participate in an internship at a theatre in Chicago and get credit hours from that instead of academic classes. I interned at Lifeline Theatre in Chicago\u27s northernmost neighborhood, Rogers Park. Most of what I did was box office work, but I also worked on financial reports, marketing, and a little bit of everything it takes to run a theatre. Of all the things I learned during the semester, the most important one was the need for accessible theatres. Erica Foster, the head of accessibility at Lifeline, gave me the initial spark that brought this thesis to life and all the tools I needed to begin my research. I got to learn about teach type of accessible performance Lifeline put on, as well as help put them together and sit in on them to experience it. I also got to sit in on workshops held by the Chicago Cultural Access Center (CCAC), where they talked about accessibility and the law, service animals, and creating DIY Open Captions. Chicago was a wonderful experience, not only because it is a great place to life and explore, but because I learned so much about working in the theatre and how to make a theatre accessible to everyone. I hope that this thesis can serve as a guide for theatres who want to take the next step into a more inclusive environment

Radio frequency additive manufacturing : a volumetric approach to polymer powder bed fusion

Polymer powder bed fusion (PBF) additive manufacturing offers a number of advantages over conventional manufacturing techniques, particularly in the areas of reduced tooling costs and the added geometric complexity available to designers. However, existing methods require heat to be applied to the powder bed at each layer to fuse the powders and form parts. The layer-wise heating strategies used in current PBF processes contribute to a reduction in the mechanical performance of the parts and increase the time required to fabricate them. To address these issues, a volumetric heating strategy is implemented through a novel radio frequency additive manufacturing (RFAM) process. Radio frequency (RF) radiation is a heating mechanism that is capable of penetrating into materials to cause a simultaneous temperature rise throughout the material volume. Given the insulating nature of most polymers, electrically conductive dopants can be added to a polymer powder bed such that the effective composite properties are suitable for RF heating. By selectively patterning the dopant in the powder bed and applying RF radiation, heat generation can be contained to the RF-absorbing doped region with little effect to the surrounding powder bed. With powder mixtures of nylon 12 as the polymer and graphite as the dopant, it is possible to fuse the host polymer using RF radiation as the sole energy source. One of the consequences of creating parts with this method is the complex interaction between the part geometry and the applied RF field that can cause non-uniform heating to develop within the part. Aided by computational design approaches, methods for improving the heating uniformity are proposed including a functional grading scheme to vary the dopant concentration throughout the powder bed. To validate the computational models and further develop the RFAM process, the design of a prototype machine capable of three dimensional dopant patterning is presented. The prototype system is used to create RFAM parts and evaluate the effectiveness of the different strategies aimed at improving the heating uniformity within the doped powder beds. As a result of this work, the feasibility of a volumetric, RF-assisted additive manufacturing process is demonstrated.Mechanical Engineerin

Morphometric Separation Of Annual Cohorts Within Mid-Atlantic Bluefish, Pomatomus Saltatrix, Using Discriminant Function Analysis

Larval and tagging studies neither support nor refute the existence of two mid-Atlantic stocks of bluefish, Pomatomus saltatrix, one that spawns just south of Hatteras, North Carolina, in the spring, and the other off New England in the summer. Subsequent studies have suggested either a continuous spawning with two survival events, or two distinct spawning events, one in spring south of Hatteras, NC, and a second in mid-summer from Long Island to New England. Genetic studies have supported a single stock because they show the existence of a single gene pool. A stepwise linear discriminant function analysis (DFA) of morphometrics of spring-spawned yearling (200-400 mm) and older (\u3e400 mm) bluefish did not classify fish by probable spawning cohort. It did, however separate the yearling fish (200-400 mm) by year class rather than geographic or seasonal spawning. Older fish (\u3e400 mm) showed less separation because multiple (2-10) year classes were present. The DNA studies have revealed genetic homogeneity among these fish. This finding suggests that the morphological characteristics are phenotypically plastic and are influenced each year by the physical environment during spawning and the early juvenile stages

Powder bed fusion metrology for additive manufacturing design guidance

The benefits afforded by the use of additive manufacturing (AM) are diminished due to limited understanding of the various AM processes. Design for additive manufacturing (DFAM) guidelines can be generated through metrology studies using test parts to characterize specific processes and inform designers. Polymer selective laser sintering (SLS) is an AM process that can be used to create geometrically complex, end-use parts. However, no DFAM guidelines exist for polymer SLS that are both comprehensive and statistically robust. A test part is designed for polymer selective laser sintering (SLS) that incorporates an array of geometric features. The part is comprehensive, including a variety of different features of interest to a designer. Many copies of the test part are built in a factorial-style metrology study, while varying different input parameters. The part is built in multiple materials, build orientations, locations within the build chamber, and on different machines to assess the variation attributed to each processing parameter. Multiple replicates are created at each point in the experimental design to add statistical robustness to the results. Both resolution and accuracy are investigated based on the features of the test part. Upon measurement of the test parts, tolerances and design allowables could be established and compiled into a set of design guidelines for SLS. The design guidelines are structured to include varying levels of detail depending on the intent of the designer implementing them. Lastly, the guidelines are assembled into an online web-based tool that allows them to be accessed freely. Using the web tool, designers can realize parts with fewer mistakes and iterations in the design process.Mechanical Engineerin

Prevalence of Inadequate Hydration Levels in Aquatic Safety Personnel: A Pilot Study

Lifeguards play an important role in the security and safety of those they are hired to protect. A performance issue may arise if they succumb to circumstances that cause them to become physically or psychologically compromised. Dehydration is one issue that can result in decreased levels of workplace performance and pose personal health risks. Certified lifeguards 15 years old and older were tested for urine specific gravity (USG) to determine their place within the dehydration spectrum. Participants (N = 55) were recruited from seven test sites offering a variety of designs (indoor/outdoor, traditional/waterpark) and classifications (private, semipublic, public). Testing involved the collection of a urine specimen from participants and immediate recording of specific gravity using a reagent test strip by researchers. A brief survey to collect demographic information from subjects was also administered. The majority of participants were found to reside along the dehydration spectrum (USG ≥ 1.015), several showing results toward the severe end of the scale. The sample provided adequate demographic variability among males and females and facility classification types. No statistically significant differences were found between the demographic variables and USG scores of subjects. Since the majority of lifeguards in the sample showed some level of dehydration, this indicated a need for more information concerning lifeguards and dehydration. Despite the lack of statistically significant differences among the demographic factors within this sample, future studies should incorporate other behavioral factors and dehydration testing methods to investigate the mechanisms for preventing dehydration as well as its impact on lifeguarding performance

The Unified Legal Skills Program: How One Law School Adapted to Meet the Needs of Students Online, and How Those Adaptations May Inform Post-Pandemic Teaching

When CWSL was forced to switch to online learning for the COVID-19 pandemic, we worked hard to follow best practices for online learning by attending online conferences and voraciously reading everything we could find to make the learning experience the best we could for our students. CWSL\u27s Legal Skills program earned high praise in student evaluations for adapting so quickly given the difficult circumstances. During the summer of 2020, we met as a Legal Skills team to discuss how to approach the regular school term. Specifically, we faced a larger-than-anticipated first-year class and contemplated how to remedy the sense of disconnection we expected would be felt by both students and us as teachers with online teaching and the ongoing pandemic. We asked ourselves, what if one of our colleagues become sick? How would we cover that professor\u27s classes? How can we create a sense of connection in a remote world? We also saw the challenges we faced as an opportunity to learn from one another and also mentor our new faculty members. To address these challenges and make the most of these opportunities, we decided to adopt what we came to call our Unified Program for Legal Skills. This paper describes our approach, experiences, and lessons

From Poverty to Prosperity - Applying Commercial Techniques to Subsistence Fishing Communities in Costa Rica

Our project analyzed the application of commercial techniques to subsistence fishing communities, focusing on the island of Venado, where 22 families have formed a cooperative to improve their socioeconomic condition. We accomplished this through interviewing and surveying field experts, members of other cooperatives, members of Coope Isla Venado, and potential consumers. We analyzed the current path of commercialization and concluded that processed products are sold at higher prices and that the use of intermediaries as processors is the main source of profit loss for fishermen. We identified successful business practices of the Costa Rican fishing industry and made recommendations to streamline production and so achieve sustainable commercialization