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Environmental Biology Masters Capstone
Full text linkHuman wildlife interactions (HWI) pose a complex challenge for wildlife managers. Human encroachment into wildlife habitat and the growing number of outdoor recreationists are increasing the frequency of contact and conflict, especially in regions such as the Front Range of Colorado. Geographic information systems (GIS), which use a combination of remote sensing and environmental survey data, allow for predictive spatial analyses of where human wildlife interactions are likely to occur. I used publicly reported observations of moose to create spatial predictive maps in a species distribution model framework. Slope and elevation were shown to be the strongest predictors of HWI, and additional environmental variables added modest predictive power to the SDM. Additionally, a parsimonious model is presented here for a streamlined and practical framework for future monitoring and analysis. Investigation of suitable habitats based on recent observations provides land managers information to identify the likely locations of human-moose encounters. This study identifies the spatial distribution of moose in the wildland urban interface, the potential for increasing populations in nearby suitable habitats, and subsequent implications for wildlife managers
The Rise and Fall of Political Optimism and the Ongoing Consequences of a Failed Optimistic Society
Full text linkWhen Nelson Mandela was set free and millions of South Africans rushed to the streets to celebrate the long awaited democratic regime in their country, many believed that the injustices and inequalities from Apartheid would disappear. Before the first democratic elections in South Africa in 1994, millions of South Africans anticipated the ability to vote to change South Africa for the better. However, only 30 years into the democracy, South Africans are now challenged with the most important election in their history in 2024. South Africans are fed up with their democracy following years of political corruption, economic stagnation, deteriorating livelihoods, increase in crime and the lowest levels of political trust and democratic satisfaction. Following the heartbreaking 30 years of political and economic stagnation and deterioration within the state, this thesis analyzes the past 24 years of political data to understand the change in political optimism within South African society. It will demonstrate the possible consequences of a democratic state that loses political optimism. And will track the correlation of key political concepts such as political trust, democratic satisfaction, perception of corruption, and political participation with political optimism. Finally, it will establish a new foundation of what political optimism is, the consequences and importance within a democratic society. Two years after the violent riots of the July 2021 presidential corruption scandals, the state could face larger democratic backsliding social movements due to decreasing levels of political optimism
Unlocking Children’s Potential Through Play: Improving Early Childhood Experiences in Nyarufunzo Village
Full text linkFrom the study conducted in February 2024, 80 parents with children under the age of 6 participated in the research. 68 parents (38 women and 30 men) who participated in the survey live in Kigali city and have a bachelor’s degree or beyond. Other 12 parents, 4 men and 7 women, who participated in both focus group discussions and in a survey are parents who live in Nyarufunzo village and have a high school degree or below. This last group of parents has similarities to my village where I was born from where the majority of parents have finished primary school or have never attended school. Limited access to support and playtime were examples of challenges raised from the study. Over 75% of parents surveyed lack access to forums or professional networks for learning or sharing best practices on play-based learning and playful parenting. 50% of parents reported spending less than 30 minutes a day playing with their children, while the remaining 50% engaged in no playtime at all. Hence, this lack of parental engagement in play-based learning, at home and school, limits children’s potential in developing numeracy, literacy, and life skills. ’As a solution, I propose a play-based learning and playful parenting program. This program would equip caregivers with the knowledge and skills to engage in playful interactions with their children and assist Early Childhood Development center facilitators in integrating play-based learning activities into their curriculum. By promoting play and fostering positive parent-child interactions, this program aims to create a foundation for optimal learning and development, leading to improved educational outcomes for young children in Nyarufunzo village
Physically, Mentally, and Emotionally Drained
Full text linkHormonal cycles play an essential role in the development and maturation of young boys and girls into men and women. As teenagers enter their late teens and early twenties, their hormonal cycles are primarily responsible for functions related to fertility and hormone production. During this period of time, these men and women are often in their collegiate years. Overall, the college experience is enjoyable for many students, but it can also be a very stressful time due to a difficult class load and the students’ need to balance their academic, social, and personal lives. Recent studies have analyzed the effects that hormonal cycles and stress levels have on college students. However, it is important to note the differences between genders. The education system is often divided into daily and seasonal sections, with the average school day occurring daily and semesters occurring somewhat seasonally. With this knowledge, it is evident that the college experience aligns with the male hormonal cycle. Nothing about the education system caters to the monthly hormonal cycle of females. As a result, I conducted a study to determine if there is an impact of reading comprehension and mood on academic productivity in female college students. My results demonstrated that there was no difference in reading comprehension or mood levels based on phase of the female hormonal cycle and stress. Even though I did not find any statistically significant results, it is still important to consider how to level the playing field. Therefore, I propose methods, such as exercising, increasing Vitamin D intake, and practicing methods of mindfulness, that women can utilize in their daily lives to accommodate for hormonal fluctuations
The New Landscape of Online Sex Work
Full text linkDebates surrounding sex work are nothing new. Decades have been spent arguing that it’s misogynistic, liberating, exploitative, none of your business. There is a distinct shift in the field, though, one that warrants new analysis. The technological advancements of the past decade have resulted in a significant development: OnlyFans. This website combines certain aspects of in person sex work with pornography, and adds in new layers of parasocial connection. In order to understand both the issues with this mode of sex work and its implications, I employ a Marxist analysis of labor to understand commodification and wage slavery. Additionally, I refer to the anti-sex work feminism of the second wave as well contemporary feminism’s acceptance of body commodification in this manner. I maintain that, even though it is new and changed, OnlyFans is still prone to many of the previous criticisms of sex work as well as newer critiques. The harm that porn and websites like OnlyFans inflicts on the perception of women, their roles in society, and their physical safety cannot be understated
CAN BIOLOGY DEFINE A HUMAN LIFE?
Full text linkI grew up contemplating the concept of life. From my Catholic grandmother to my pediatrician mother, I always received mixed perspectives on the hot topics of abortions, vaccines, and embryo use. I found that the controversy lies in an ambiguous, mixed understanding of what constitutes a human life. From biochemical approaches to extraterrestrial life forms and spirituality there is no clear, coherent all-encompassing definition of life. However, that does not mean we can merely agree to disagree. The concept of a human life has drastic implications on our everyday lives. An insufficient definition has, and will continue to, diminish quality of life and shorten our life spans. If we cannot define a human life we can not justify vaccines, drug development, and disputes over bodily autonomy regarding a fetus. We have (and will continue to) experience the recirculation of previously extinguished diseases. Drugs necessary to help facilitate bodily processes necessary for patients to live can be banned based on their use of embryos. Female reproductive tracts may be more regulated based on various versions of timelines regarding a human life. Furthermore, the inconclusive understanding of what constitutes a human life fuels controversy and leads to social divide within our political sphere. There is no all encompassing, all-pleasing definition of life, but we must find one. A lack of a clear and coherent definition has and will continue to diminish the very quality and length of our lives
The Development of Homicidal Behavior in Relation to Life-Course Theory
Full text linkThis paper examines the role of life-course theory in order to explain the relationship between individuals developing violent behavior and committing murder. By incorporating evidence from case studies, documentaries, and various forms of criminological literature, I discuss how the development of violent behavior through exposure to risk factors increases the likelihood of developing homicidal behavior. In Chapter 1, I seek to establish this correlation by narrowing the risk factors down to three categories: antisocial behavior, low self-control, and normalization of violence. To further support this correlation, I utilize control theories and learning theories which focus on the development of homicidal behavior.
As part of the investigation concerning the process of the criminal justice system in convicting homicidal individuals, Chapters 2 and 3 focus on specific murderers who were convicted and punished through their country’s criminal justice system. In my last chapter, I utilize the evidence found in research to support the benefits of resocializing programs aimed at minimizing the development of homicidal behavior during adolescence. I suggest improvements to the United States criminal justice system to offer more rehabilitation opportunities aimed at reforming antisocial and violent behavior. Additionally, I discuss the importance of restorative justice as a method to support healing secondary victims and offer remorseful offenders the opportunity to actively reflect on their crimes while undergoing their punishment
Female Empowerment, Struggles, and Romance in Pop and Rock Music (Taylor\u27s Version)
Full text linkTaylor Swift is a worldwide phenomenon, especially in 2023. She follows in the footsteps of the female pop and rock musicians from the 1980s and 1990s who were lighting up the world with their music. Madonna, Gwen Stefani, the Riot Grrrls, and many more set the foundation for the feminist topics discussed in Swift’s music. They all perform songs of female empowerment and struggles by being sexually provocative and aggressively anti-sexist in their lyrics and performances. These lyrics and performances reflected Second Wave Feminism ideas. Swift takes these same feminist themes and inserts them into her lyrics and performances, but instead of being sexually provocative, she maintains a nice, girl-next-door persona. She also exists in a time vastly different than the female musicians from the 1980s and 1990s.
Since the early 2000s, Americans have increasingly used social media in their daily lives, experienced the #metoo movement where women openly shared stories of their sexual assault experiences, and endured a long quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic. All these experiences are isolating and connect to a loneliness epidemic. People need connection, which is where Swift and her music come into play. By having a nice girl persona, discussing feminist themes that girls and women can relate to, and while living in a time of isolation, she creates a sense of connection amongst her audience in a time when society needs connection more than ever. Provoking this connection amongst girls and women reflects Postfeminism. Additionally, more connection is further needed. After all, Swift is a cis-gender, straight, white, wealthy female, and thus, there is a limit to how much people can connect to her. Nonetheless, there are female pop and rock musicians in the U.S. who are already following in her footsteps and come from more diverse backgrounds. These artists reflect Third Wave Feminism. Some examples include Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, and Camila Cabello. As time goes on, more connection can form with more women and girls seeing people representing them in pop and rock music telling their feminist stories. Ultimately, due to her feminist pop and rock female predecessors, using her lyrics and performances to reflect Postfeminism, the isolating circumstances of her time, Swift forms a community of girls and women when the need for connection is at its highest
The Study Abroad Effect: A Psychological Examination of Love and Friendship During Extraordinary Experiences
Full text linkSeventy-five percent of people in the Peace Corps fall in love. College students go on Semester at Sea and come back calling it “the love boat.” Mormon missionaries meet their soulmates. The list goes on and on. Why are people going on these excursions and forming such intense bonds? And what do all of them even have in common? Well, they all fall under the category of “extraordinary experiences,” according to the criterion of intensity, engagement, and temporality. During experiences such as these, dopamine levels in the brain spike significantly. After a while, our brains become hardwired by the mundane and repetitive nature of everyday life. Extraordinary experiences legitimately rewire our brains, and we love it. With dopamine flowing through our veins, relearning awe and wonder, and that rewiring, it is not hard to believe that we can often mistake all of this arousal in our bodies for attraction. I know this is true because there is science to corroborate it, yes, but I also know because I experienced it first-hand. My central argument came naturally because of this: people fall in love easier during extraordinary experiences
Economic Entanglement: The Quantum Race Between the United States and China
Full text linkThe United States and China are both currently home to the strongest economies and militaries in the world. Despite their interdependence, trade wars have escalated between the two countries in the past few years. While past trade wars have been focused on purely economic protectionism or ideological stances, the trade wars of today signify a shift towards protecting critical emerging technologies. The important emerging technology of today is quantum computing, which will forever change the way that computers encrypt, process, and decode information. The United States and China are on the eve of the “quantum race,” in which they will attempt to outcompete each other as they vie for the technology that will shape the future of warfare, information technology, and arguably, the new global order. Alarmingly, existing sanction literature operates on the assumption of unassailable American hegemony and has not caught up to recent developments like the rise of the yuan and China’s impressive technological capacity. I begin this paper by outlining the physics that makes quantum computing so revolutionary. Then, I draw on the historical precedence of sanctions to outline the conditions for sanctions to be effective, and their various impact scenarios