Open Research Oklahoma (Oklahoma State Univ.)
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Visualizing duality: An Iranian woman’s perspective on gender equality through design and storytelling
No full textThis thesis explores the duality experienced by Iranian women, highlighting the inner conflicts and outward expressions of identity shaped by societal norms, legal restrictions, and cultural traditions in post-1979 Iran. Through graphic design and storytelling, this research visually communicates these struggles, offering insights that contribute to broader conversations about gender, identity, and social transformation.
Using a combination of zine design, digital animation, installation, and interactive web experiences, the study translates personal and collective experiences into engaging visual narratives. Projects 1, 2, and 3 focus on my own lived experiences as an Iranian woman, addressing issues such as social expectations, compulsory hijab laws, and personal autonomy. Project 4 expands the perspective, inviting audiences to reflect on their own identities and the external forces that shape their choices. By integrating hand lettering, visual metaphors, and interactive elements, this work fosters awareness, empathy, and deeper reflection on the complexities of identity.
This research contributes to discussions on gender inequality, human rights, and cultural identity while demonstrating the power of graphic design as a medium for social commentary and change. By engaging diverse audiences, the thesis encourages critical reflection on autonomy, societal norms, and the universal struggle for self-determination
Essays on CEO overconfidence, female directors and corporate policy
No full textIn Chapter 1, I investigate how CEO overconfidence and board gender diversity influence M&A outcomes using a dataset of 2,214 transactions from 2000 to 2023. CEO overconfidence significantly impacts M&A dynamics, driving positive short-term stock price reactions (CARs), particularly in the services sector, and increasing bid frequency due to aggressive decision-making. However, overconfidence often leads to diminished post-merger performance (ROA), reflecting overestimated synergies and underestimated challenges. It also drives larger deals in industries like Retail Trade, where bold strategies are valued. Female directors play a nuanced role, mitigating the negative effects of overconfidence on post-merger performance and curbing excessive deal sizes in sectors like Services and Retail Trade. While female directors do not reduce bid frequency, they foster deliberate and strategic acquisitions in industries like Construction. Their influence on short-term market reactions is limited, emphasizing the context-dependent nature of investor perceptions. These findings highlight the importance of governance mechanisms, particularly gender diversity, in balancing the risks and rewards of CEO overconfidence in M&A strategies.
In Chapter 2, I examine how CEO overconfidence and board gender diversity influence earnings management outcomes using a comprehensive dataset spanning 2000 to 2019. CEO overconfidence significantly drives aggressive earnings management practices, as overconfident CEOs are more likely to misalign financial reporting with actual performance to reflect their optimistic projections. Additionally, overconfident CEOs reduce audit quality by diminishing the likelihood of engaging Big 4 auditors, potentially compromising financial oversight. Gender-diverse boards, however, play a crucial moderating role in mitigating these risks. Female directors effectively curb earnings aggressiveness, fostering more ethical and transparent financial reporting. They also counterbalance the negative impact of overconfidence on audit quality, promoting the engagement of high-quality auditors to enhance governance. These findings highlight the importance of gender diversity in mitigating the behavioral biases of overconfident CEOs, highlighting the critical role of female directors in safeguarding corporate governance and financial reporting integrity. This study offers valuable insights for policymakers and practitioners aiming to strengthen governance frameworks and promote sustainable corporate practices
Performance evaluation of limited area sprinkler systems in large-scale burn experiments
No full textMany existing high-rise buildings remain non-sprinklered and highly vulnerable to fires. The limited area sprinkler system is a partial sprinkler system which can be used as a retrofit to existing high-rise buildings based on NFPA 101 (2021), balancing cost and safety. It provides a practical, effective, and economical fire protection solution for existing buildings where a complete retrofit is challenging due to costs, structural constraints, or historical preservation concerns. This study investigated the performance of a limited area sprinkler system by two large-scale burn tests. It compared two dwelling unit protection approaches provided by NFPA 101 (2021), Section 31.3.5.6.2: a single sprinkler above the unit entry door versus a 20-minute fire-rated entry door. Temperatures and radiant heat flux were recorded, with tenability criteria defined by thresholds of 80 °C (176 °F) and 2.5 kW/m² at human head level. The limited area system maintained the corridor tenable in both burns. In terms of protecting the interior of the dwelling unit, the sprinkler strategy controlled the temperatures significantly lower than the fire door strategy at human head level. In conclusion, even partial sprinkler coverage markedly improved life safety by preserving egress tenability and limiting fire spread and damage. These findings underscore the life safety benefits of the limited area system, informing building code compliance and retrofit strategies
Lavish, the wealthy, and the healthy: Effect of housing wealth on health outcomes and behaviors
No full textHow does housing wealth affect people's health outcomes and health behaviors? We study such an effect on the middle-aged and older population in China by exploiting a discontinuity in housing wealth generated by two housing policies under a regression discontinuity design (RDD) framework. These policies gave tax and down-payment breaks to owners of houses 90 m2 or smaller. We find that increased housing wealth leads to exacerbated counts of self-reported health conditions. However, objective biomarker indicators only point to a negative effect on lung functionality. Other objective indicators, such as mortality and stroke, also point to the null effects. One explanation for such a discrepancy is that wealth not only has a direct impact on health but may also increase the possibility of having a health condition diagnosed. These hypotheses are also supported by our findings that increased housing wealth is accompanied by more frequent healthcare use. The negative effect of housing wealth on lung health, as indicated by both objective and subjective measures, can be attributed to worsened smoking habits. The results of our paper highlight several important biases that arise when the diagnostic effect is ignored in using subjective health indicators.Peer reviewedDepartment of Economic
Soil properties and greenhouse gas emissions in a long-term wheat fertility study
No full textLong-term field studies have been vital sources of information regarding the effects of amendments on soil properties because they account for natural variability and complexities of experimental conditions over time. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of soil fertility amendments on soil physical and chemical properties and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions at a long-term continuous wheat soil fertility experiment which was established in 1892 on Oklahoma prairie soils. Samples for analysis of soil chemical and physical properties were collected prior to planting of the 2023 wheat crop while the analyses of some physical properties were performed in situ. Collection of gas samples for GHG analysis was performed within the 17-month study period. Manure application led to higher pH and soil organic matter (SOM) content. Continued phosphorus and potassium applications seemed to cause their accumulation on the surface while nitrogen application led to nitrate leaching all the way to the 45 cm depths. Although there were observed trends in treatment effects on physical properties, most were not statistically different likely be due to the overwhelming tendency of continuous conventional tillage to homogenize soil physical properties. Carbon dioxide (CO₂) and nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions were influenced by soil temperature and rainfall. Emissions of both GHGs were appreciably higher in the N-applied and the manure-applied treatments. The study showed that long-term continuous fertilizer application influenced GHG emissions, soil physical and chemical properties, as well as the distribution of nutrients in the soil profile
Impact of youth involvement in sport on positive youth development
No full textThis undergraduate honors thesis is a literature review paper that evaluates the impact of youth participation in sports on positive youth development (PYD). Existing studies on extracurricular activities and youth development primarily focused on the prevention of adjustment problems. However, more attention needs to be given to youth thriving and PYD. Lerner's PYD theory (2005) highlighted Five Cs of positive youth development: competence, confidence, character, connection, and caring. Guided by this framework, this paper aims to synthesize how participating in youth sports can contribute to PYD. For the purposes of this paper, youth sports are broadly defined as organized sports activities for children and adolescents under the age of 18. Overwhelmingly, empirical studies indicate that youth involvement in sports positively impacts the 5Cs of PYD (though see Larsen et al., 2006 for exceptions). PYD is vital in shaping youth to become the most optimally functioning version of themselves as adults. This paper highlights the importance of PYD through sport rather than simply the lack of negative development. Sports provide a unique avenue to PYD that many other structured youth activities do not, supporting the idea that youth involvement in sports foster optimal development. Much of the PYD associated with participation in sport is facilitated by coaches, teachers, parents, counselors, and other personnel involved in youth lives, and this paper outlines how to continue to spur PYD in the lives of the youth
Bridging the divide: A case study exploring the perceptions of inclusive career preparations for students with disabilities in the rural Midwest
No full textThis qualitative multiple case study examines the perceptions of individuals with reading impairments as they transition from high school in a rural Midwestern state. Despite national efforts toward inclusive education, students in rural areas often encounter limited resources, reduced access to transition planning, and minimal institutional support. The study aims to explore the challenges these students face, the support they receive, and how their experiences shape their career goals. The findings highlight the need for improved transition services, early support systems, and increased awareness in rural schools to better prepare students with reading impairments for post-secondary success
Performance-based design: A grounded theory of the role of fire protection engineers in California
No full textNovel or unique construction may employ performance-based design, a process that results in an equivalent level of safety when compared to a prescriptive-based design. Development of performance-based design involves numerous professionals, including fire protection engineers. Authorities having jurisdiction are required to review and, as appropriate, approve these designs. An authority having jurisdiction responsible for reviewing performance-based design may be at a disadvantage when a fire protection engineer is not involved in the review process; However, the relative level of this disadvantage is not understood. Likewise, the overall approval rate of performance-based design by authorities having jurisdiction is not known. This research proposal seeks to better understand both approval and utilization of fire protection engineers in the performance-based design review process.
The research question, “How does the utilization of a fire protection engineer by the authority having jurisdiction in the review process change the acceptance of, approval of, and confidence in performance-based designs?” is examined using an inductive grounded theory approach. Local authorities having jurisdiction in California were selected as participants in semi-structured interviews. This involves a purposive sampling technique, with focus on municipalities of all size. Jurisdictions other than cities, counties, and special districts that provide fire protection services were excluded.
Content analysis following grounded theory was conducted on transcripts of 23 interviews. Coding included the use of Atlas.ti and resulted in 104 concepts, 21 categories, and five themes. The themes are internal features, external features, training, design process, and trust. Ten recommendations based on the themes were developed. Implementation of recommendations will increase the effectiveness of authorities having jurisdiction in reviewing and approving performance-based designs. This will increase the level of safety provided to the community and decrease the overall risk
Multiple testing procedure for count data based on the local false discovery rate
No full textHigh throughput sequencing technology is often used to generate high dimensional (HD) count data. One objective is to determine which among thousands of ‘features’, ‘genes’, ‘variables’, etc. are associated with a covariate using a relatively small number of samples. This leads to an HD multiple hypotheses testing problem, where the objective is to reject as many hypotheses as possible (maximize the number of discoveries) subject to control of the false discovery rate (FDR), which is the expected proportion of false discoveries among discoveries. There are several challenges in HD multiple hypotheses testing with count data: 1) count data are often overdispersed, making consistent parameter estimation challenging with small sample sizes, 2) technical variation exists, 3) covariates may be categorical or continuous, 4) multiple testing procedures may be inefficient. Many existing methods address some of these challenges but not all four simultaneously. This research develops HD local FDR-based procedures based on finite mixtures of log-linear models and shows that they can address all four challenges. Specifically, it is shown that the model allows for overdispersion with consistent estimation via maximum likelihood estimators. Technical bias is removed through normalization factor. Further, the model is general enough to allow for both categorical and continuous covariates. Lastly, we show that the method is asymptotically valid and optimal when the model is correct. Simulation studies demonstrate that the method can perform better than competing methods even when the model is misspecified. It is demonstrated that an empirical null hypothesis can capture any “uninteresting” negligible effects, and results in a method that is robust with respect to model misspecification and/or overfitting
4D printing of LCE composites for enhanced damping
No full textLiquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) are a class of materials that exhibit large, anisotropic, and reversible shape changes in response to thermal stimuli, called actuation. This unique property makes them promising candidates for applications in artificial muscles and soft robotics. Their stimulus-response is attributed to lightly cross-linked polymer networks containing liquid crystal molecules, i.e. mesogens, oriented in a common direction. Recent advancements in 4D printing technology have introduced innovative possibilities for simultaneously controlling the alignment of mesogens in the microstructure and the three-dimensional geometry of the LCE object. This new development brings more functionality to the design of LCE objects with tailored characteristics, thereby expanding their potential applications.In this study, a robust in-house printing system was developed to streamline the challenging printing process of LCE. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) tests were conducted to determine the effect of curing and printing on the transition temperature of LCE. Among the three samples—LCE ink, cured ink, and printed LCE—the printed LCE specimen exhibited the highest transition temperature, followed by the cured ink, which had a higher transition temperature than the LCE ink. Polarized Optical Microscope (POM) was used to qualitatively measure the effect of printing speed on mesogen alignment. Later, a quantitative analysis was conducted with the help of MATLAB-based video processing, showing the variation of actuation with printing speed. Finally, a composite made of silicone and printed LCE was developed, which showed higher damping capability than either of the constituents