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Targeted Communication for Climate Denial: Ideologically Framed Survey Messaging
Get PDFClimate change denial prevents meaningful environmental action. Current approaches, like overwhelming deniers with lists of facts and polarizing language, exclude individuals who might otherwise engage in discussion about climate issues. With an understanding of the barriers to entry of climate communication, local demographics, and successful communication strategy, we addressed the primary research question: what is the relationship between climate change messaging and respondents’ opinions on environmental issues? We collected survey data of 108 people on Boise State’s campus using two distinct flyer designs: one explicitly referencing “climate change” and another emphasizing “Idaho’s outdoors.” We found that individuals who engaged with the outdoors-focused messaging were more likely to align with Republican or conservative values. However, there was not a correlation between messaging and belief in climate change. These results suggest that framing environmental communication around shared values - like the outdoors and land conservation, can increase engagement across political divides. We recommend that future research should expand beyond college campuses to survey a wider audience, to engage with both larger conservative communities and groups that are more likely to deny climate change, to foster inclusive environmental advocacy
Regional Convergence in the United States: A State-Level Analysis
Get PDFThis paper examines regional economic convergence across the United States from 2005 to 2019 using a panel dataset. Drawing on state-level capital stock and gross investment estimates from Garofalo and Yamarik (2002), as well as data from the American Community Survey, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Federal Reserve Economic Data, and the Fraser Institute\u27s Economic Freedom Index, this study explores β-convergence across states and regions. The analysis employs an augmented Solow growth model incorporating human capital and uses dummy variables to account for regional differences. The findings indicate evidence of β-convergence consistent with previous literature, suggesting that states with lower initial levels of economic development experience higher growth rates over time. Furthermore, investment rates, educational attainment, and regional factors play significant roles in determining the speed of convergence. These results contribute to the broader discourse on economic disparities in the U.S., offering insights into the policy implications of fostering regional economic growth and reducing structural inequalities
Markerless Motion Capture Overestimates Knee Flexion During Walk and Run Tasks
Get PDFLow-cost markerless motion capture systems, such as OpenCap, have shown recent promise for accurate kinematic analysis of human motion during several activities, including walking, squatting, and drop landing. Although this technology has shown promise within a controlled laboratory space, its ability to accurately quantify kinematics in less controlled environments, like a recreational run, is unknown. The focus of this study was to determine if markerless motion capture, OpenCap, could accurately quantify knee kinematics during both a walk and run trial with body-borne load and over an uneven surface. Thus, 18 participants had their knee kinematics quantified during a walk (1.5 m/s) and run (4.5 m/s) over a flat and uneven surface with (15 kg) and without (0 kg) body-borne load. Both marker-based and markerless time-series knee kinematic data were aligned to heel strike of the same step and clipped to a common time window (stance phase of dominant limb). Then, knee flexion angle at heel strike and peak of stance were calculated from marker-based and markerless data. Our results indicated markerless motion capture consistently overestimated knee flexion during both a walk and run task
The Illusion of Sustainable Development: An Analysis of Economic Impact and Social Consequences of the Mayan Train in Yucatán
Get PDFAs nations pursue economic growth, sustainable development has been positioned as a means to balance economic expansion with environmental consciousness and social equity. However, the reality of such initiatives reveals a troubling contradiction. While sustainable development projects such as ecotourism, clean energy, and infrastructure are presented as mechanisms for economic and environmental improvement, they frequently exacerbate socio-economic disparities and displace vulnerable communities. This study looks at sustainable development projects in Mexico, utilizing the Tren Maya or Mayan Train as a key case study that showcases the political, social, and economic nuances of sustainable development.
Rather than fostering local empowerment, most sustainable development projects often prioritize external investment and state-led agendas, sidelining the very communities they claim to uplift. Economic incentives tied to sustainability initiatives attract capital that benefits corporate stakeholders and political elites while destabilizing traditional livelihoods and cultural practices. As seen in the case of ecotourism in the Yucatán Peninsula region, local populations face land dispossession, economic marginalization, and increased environmental degradation, contradicting the promised ecological and social benefits. The Mayan Train, in particular, exemplifies how large-scale infrastructure projects disrupt Indigenous communities, compromise environmental integrity, and reinforce pre-existing inequalities under the guise of sustainable progress.
This study critically examines the economic and social trade-offs of sustainable development initiatives in the Yucatán Peninsula, arguing that such projects often serve as tools for economic expansion at the expense of marginalized populations. By analyzing economic data, policy decisions, and on-the-ground community impacts, this research highlights the ways in which sustainability narratives mask the adverse consequences of these initiatives. The findings contribute to a broader discourse on the intersection of economic policy, environmental strategy, and social justice, offering insights for policymakers and scholars seeking more equitable approaches to development
Parental Influence on Children\u27s Motivation in Sport: Exploring Perceptions and Their Impact on Motivational Climate
Get PDFParents play one of the most important roles in a child’s participation in sport. Parental involvement in their child’s sport participation can be perceived as motivating or as overwhelming. The main focus of this study is to examine how parental support, encouragement, and pressure can affect a child’s sport experience. Additionally, we will examine how children’s perceptions of their parent’s behavior shape the children’s own goals in sports. Research suggests that mothers typically show more praise and provide a more nurturing environment to their children while fathers create more pressure and take part in more directive behaviors toward their child in sport (Dorsch, 2015). I have analyzed questionnaire data from 106 young athletes, aged 8 to 14, to look at their perceptions of parental involvement as well as their own motivational goals (ego or task). This research aims to better understand the dynamic between parents and children with youth sport participation and how that knowledge can be used to bring awareness to parents of the importance of creating a positive and supportive environment for their children, so children can experience more enjoyment in sports
Research and Habitat Restoration at the Diane Moore Nature Center: Student-Led Projects Working to Restore Wildlife Habitat in Boise
No full textThe Boise River is a regulated system containing multiple dams for irrigation and flood control in the Treasure Valley. Many river functions are absent or highly modified compared to pre-settlement conditions, and therefore the river lacks complexity that is important to native fish and wildlife. The VIP project at the Diane Moore Nature Center focuses on ecosystem restoration that includes reconnecting a historic side channel to benefit wildlife including fish, birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians, and invertebrates. The goals of the nature center include native habitat restoration, limited public access, and community education/outreach. During Spring 2025, VIP students placed large woody debris in the side channel to provide fish habitat, taken cuttings of local tree populations for planting, and distributed seeds to re-establish native vegetation to stabilize banks. We have also addressed the impacts of pedestrian foot traffic by fencing areas and reinforcing eroding slopes
Devoured (Detail 2)
No full texthttps://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/mfa_images_2025/1013/thumbnail.jp
Born Russian, Die Ukrainian (Installation Angle 1)
No full texthttps://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/mfa_images_2025/1014/thumbnail.jp
Benefits, Challenges, and Strategies for Increasing Women Coaches in Elite Sport: The Trail to Gold (T2G) Initiative in U.S. Cross-Country Skiing
Get PDFDespite tremendous growth in sport participation of girls and women following Title IX in 1972, women’s participation as sport coaches did not follow the same trajectory. In fact, women remain significantly underrepresented in sport coaching. Research highlights ongoing barriers within the sport industry\u27s patriarchal structure, and although strategies have been proposed to improve women’s representation, the lack of progress over the past two decades indicates limited effectiveness. A better approach is essential to address this issue across individual, interpersonal, organizational, and societal levels. The purpose of this study is to interview participants within the U.S. cross-country skiing program, Trail to Gold (T2G), to learn about its programming and implementation, with an eye toward learning from this comprehensive, multidimensional approach to help advance women coaches in all elite sports. Eight coaches and administrators who participated in the T2G program completed semi-structured interviews. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and reviewed by participants for accuracy. Key themes were identified using both inductive and deductive qualitative analysis methods, with final themes confirmed by triangulation. T2G participants highlighted the importance of a supportive environment, robust networking, and effective sponsorship to advance women in coaching roles. This study expands the recommended strategies to increase women’s representation in sports coaching by learning from women coaches and administrators who work in environments that value and actively pursue gender parity. Continued support for women coaches is essential for gender equality, enhanced team performance, and a more inclusive sporting environment
Validating Structural Predictions of Conjugated Macromolecules in Espaloma-Enabled Reproducible Workflows
Get PDFWe incorporated Espaloma forcefield parameterization into MoSDeF tools for performing molecular dynamics simulations of organic molecules with HOOMD-Blue. We compared equilibrium morphologies predicted for perylene and poly-3-hexylthiophene (P3HT) with the ESP-UA forcefield in the present work against prior work using the OPLS-UA forcefield. We found that, after resolving the chemical ambiguities in molecular topologies, ESP-UA is similar to GAFF. We observed the clustering/melting phase behavior to be similar between ESP-UA and OPLS-UA, but the base energy unit of OPLS-UA was found to better connect to experimentally measured transition temperatures. Short-range ordering measured by radial distribution functions was found to be essentially identical between the two forcefields, and the long-range ordering measured by grazing incidence X-ray scattering was qualitatively similar, with ESP-UA matching experiments better than OPLS-UA. We concluded that Espaloma offers promise in the automated screening of molecules that are from more complex chemical spaces