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The Survival of the Liberal Arts College: Connecting Endowment Management Type, Endowment Returns, and U.S. News and World Report Rankings
No full textRecent societal and economic trends affecting liberal arts colleges will lead to heightened competition amongst each other and against larger institutions. The upcoming challenges that they will face necessitate an understanding of what can help liberal arts colleges not only survive, but succeed. Two principal drivers of success are identified as endowment characteristics and ranking performance. A unique dataset is created to perform econometric analysis studying the effect of endowment management types (in-house, outsource, and committee-consultant) on annual endowment returns, as well as the effect of annual endowment return on performance in the next year’s USN&WR rankings. Outsourced management is found to generate statistically significantly higher returns than in-house management, and endowment return is found to have a significant positive relationship with next year’s ranking. These findings bring about important implications regarding institutional decision-making surrounding endowment management, and offer new insight into the risks & returns, and costs & benefits that institutions must balance when making these decisions
Cities in Transition: Insights from Three Latin American Cities on Urban Growth, Governance, and Sustainable Development
Get PDFIn 2015, the Inter-American Development Bank reported that nearly 80 percent of the Latin American population lived in cities, a figure projected to reach 90 percent by 2040. In addition to being the most urbanized region in the world, Latin America is also the most unequal. This research explores the challenges and possibilities of equitable urban development in Latin America by evaluating how cities perform across four key dimensions: functionality, inclusivity, environmental sustainability, and aesthetic value. Drawing from historical context and case studies of El Alto (Bolivia), Brasília (Brazil), and Medellín (Colombia), this thesis examines patterns of urban growth shaped by colonial legacies, state planning, and informal systems. Special attention is given to satellite cities and new cities as two dominant models of expansion, demonstrating that outcomes depend less on typology and more on the role of the state in shaping access and investment. Based on these findings, a set of best practices is proposed, including inclusive public-private partnerships, regional connectivity, climate-resilient innovation, and participatory planning. As urbanization slows across Latin America, this moment presents a critical opportunity to reorient policy toward more equitable development
Assessing Properties of Firefly Luciferase Mutants and Homologs
No full textFirefly luciferase (FLuc) is a bioluminescent enzyme widely used in biological imaging to track molecular events in real time. While isolated processes can be observed with a single luciferase-luciferin pair, sensitive multicomponent imaging requires enzymes with enhanced brightness and selective substrate recognition. Previous work has identified a number of orthogonal luciferase-luciferin pairs; however, most luciferases emit significantly less light than with the native substrate, limiting their use in imaging. Our high-throughput screening approach increases the likelihood of identifying bright orthogonal pairs by enabling the rapid evaluation of large enzyme libraries for both brightness and selectivity. Using this method, we identified FLuc mutants exhibiting improvement in these two properties with D-Luciferin and 4’-Br-Luciferin as substrates. Several mutations conferring enhancement in both brightness and selectivity for a particular substrate were identified, including F250W, L253W, A477D, A477M, and A482P for D-Luc and I120M, I237S, K372L, H431F, and V519F for 4’-Br-Luc. To complement this approach, we conducted preliminary characterization of FLuc homologs to evaluate their natural brightness and substrate preferences. This analysis revealed natural variation in selectivity that may be leveraged alongside engineered mutants to expand the available luciferases for multicomponent imaging. Collectively, these findings inform avenues for further engineering and optimization of luciferases by granting insight into how specific mutations influence substrate preferences and luminescent output
INVESTIGATING THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN ROUTINE AND CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH: THE MODERATING ROLE OF THE STRESS RESPONSE
Get PDFEvidence suggests that for children, consistent routines can promote wellbeing. However, few studies have examined individual variation in this effect. In the current study, we examine the role of the stress response in the relationship between engagement in routine and children’s internalizing and externalizing behaviors. This study drew data from a cross-sectional study of 106 mother-child dyads. Parents reported on children’s routines using the Childhood Routines Questionnaire, and used the Child Behavior Checklist to report on their children’s internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Hair cortisol was an index of individual differences in the stress response. Routine was found to be negatively correlated with internalizing ((r(174) = -.25, p \u3c .001)) and externalizing (r(174) = -.28, p \u3c .001), behavior. Hair cortisol was positively correlated with somatic symptoms and internalizing behaviors, which were subscales of the behavior measure. Hair cortisol did not moderate the relationship between routine and internalizing and externalizing behaviors. These findings shed light on the role of routines in relation to stress and mental health among children
Heart Rate as a Physiological Correlate of Heritage Language Anxiety
No full textLanguage anxiety refers to the stress that accompanies the use of a second language for some bilingual individuals. Researchers have identified three types of language anxiety: foreign language anxiety, heritage language anxiety, and majority language anxiety. In addition, it is widely known that the autonomous nervous system—which is responsible for involuntary physiological processes—produces responses to anxiety. The present study explores the relationship between heritage language anxiety and heart rate. Sixteen English-Hindi/Urdu heritage bilingual students from the Claremont Colleges were recruited to participate in a speaking task while their heart rate was measured in beats per minute (bpm). The results of this study demonstrate that heritage bilinguals display significantly higher heart rates while speaking in Hindi/Urdu than in English, which suggests the presence of heritage language anxiety in these individuals. These results support the usage of heart rate measurement in future studies as a physiological correlate of heritage language anxiety
Shifting Realities: Understandings of Citizenship among Filipino Americans
Get PDFExtensive sociological scholarship examines U.S. immigration and integration frameworks with a predominant focus on Latin American populations, yet less is known about how Filipino Americans fit, or rather diverge, from these models. This study explores second and third generation Filipino Americans’ notions of legal and cultural citizenship and their experiences with integration in U.S. society. Through a semi-structured interview process conducted in March and April 2025, I examined participants’ reflections on family immigration histories, sense of belonging, and perceptions of prevailing immigration narratives. Findings reveal that existing literature supports many Filipino American experiences, particularly regarding tension between ethnic identity and U.S. integration, and the grief associated with the loss of cultural markers. Participants also express a distinct awareness of the racialized targeting of Latin American immigrants in public attitudes and federal policy. Notably, second generation respondents report challenging their naturalized first generation parents’ conservative attitudes toward Latin American immigration, advocating for expanded protection and naturalization opportunity for immigrants over restriction. This research, alongside the limited immigration scholarship on the Filipino diaspora, demystifies how Filipino Americans are positioned in relation to dominant, Latin American-focused narratives of citizenship and integration
RADIAL: The Ceramic Reimagining of Micro-Marine Organisms
No full textIn my thesis work, “Radial” (2024-2025), I create forms based on the silica skeletons of marine microorganisms, specifically radiolarians and diatoms, to highlight the beauty and functionality of some of the most invisible forms. This piece explores several facets of the tension between form and function. By situating the project at the intersection of biomimicry and biophilia, I aim to inspire viewers to connect with essential yet unseen organisms in our ecosystem while appreciating their delicate complexities. In reimagining these skeletons into “functional” pieces, I challenge the distinction in ceramics between fine art and ask the viewer to question the functional importance of these unseen organisms to our fragile environment
A LESSON IN REMINDING YOUTH THAT THE WORLD BELONGS TO THEM: UNA ANÁLISIS LITERARIO, HISTÓRICO, Y CREATIVO DE TRES NOVELAS POR BENJAMIN ALIRE SÁENZ
No full textEste proyecto se compone de un análisis literario de tres novelas para adultos jóvenes por de Benjamin Alire Sáenz Aristóteles y Dante Descubren los Secretos del Universo, La Lógica Inexplicable de mi Vida, y Aristóteles y Dante se Sumergen en las Aguas del Mundo y un análisis histórico de los efectos de AIDS en la comunidad queer, específicamente la comunidad queer y Latinx, y cómo la educación y medidas de prevención del SIDA apoyan la lucha por la liberación e independencia de personxs queer. La tesis termina con un análisis creativo de mis textos originales inspirado por mis investigaciones, incluyendo una narracion por mi amigx y mi modelx a seguir Evelyn Urusquieta quien me inspira y que se identifica como una lesbiana Latinx.
This project is composed of a literary analysis of three novels by Benjamin Alire Sáenz Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, The Inexplicable Logic of my Life, and Aristotle and Dante Dive Into the Waters of the World, a historical analysis of the effects of AIDS on the queer community, especially the queer Latinx community, and how AIDS education and prevention measures furthered the fight for queer liberation and autonomy. This thesis ends with a creative analysis composed of original work inspired by my research, including a piece by my longtime friend and role model, Evelyn Urusquieta, who identifies as a Latinx lesbian
Infinite Flesh: Constraint and Liberation Through the Fold
No full textThis thesis examines the female and feminized body, and specifically the belly, as a site of both constraint and liberation through a studio art practice and theoretical engagement. Utilizing Gilles Deleuze’s theory of the fold, Julia Kristeva’s concept of abjection, and scholarship in disability and Black feminist studies, this body of work investigates the tensions between containment, corporeality, and agency, manifesting in three sculptures. These forms, constructed from pantyhose, stuffing, silicone, and cast jello, among other items, serve as visceral extensions of lived embodiment, drawing attention to the messy, entangled realities of bodily existence. Influenced by artists such as Sarah Lucas, Yayoi Kusama, and KINGCOBRA, I work in a haptic style influenced by the study of phenomenology and the writing of Eva Hayward. By foregrounding materials associated with intimacy, domesticity, and medical violence, the project positions the body not as a stable object but as a dynamic field of folds, ever shifting, resisting categorization, and imbued with social and political weight. This research is deeply informed by personal experiences of gendered embodiment and seeks to contribute to ongoing dialogues in feminist and queer theory and art practice. Ultimately, the project proposes sculpture as a means of thinking through and with the body
Plot Sold Separately: Ad or Art?
No full textThis paper explores the intricate relationship between product placement and narrative integrity in film and television. I argue that product placement is not merely a commercial strategy but an art form that can enhance storytelling when executed with finesse. The research investigates how brands can affect narratives and the viewer experience, raising the question of what constitutes an artful integration of consumer products. Through a series of case studies, including E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), Seinfeld, “The PEZ Dispenser (1992), Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), Stranger Things (2016), and Barbie (2023), this thesis examines the evolution of product placement over the past four decades, highlighting both successful and excessive integrations.
The thesis discusses the historical context of product placement, tracing its roots from early advertising practices to its current status as a multi-billion-dollar industry. It emphasizes the importance of subtlety and context in product integration, arguing that effective placements can stylistically strengthen narrative engagement and foster brand loyalty without alienating audiences. Ultimately, this work advocates for a balanced approach to product placement