Matching Items (545)
Description
Food provides nutrients and sustenance that are essential to life. Humans rely on food to fuel our thoughts and actions. However, food isn’t just a source of energy; it’s a fundamental part of culture and connection. Simply sharing a meal with someone can build teamwork and create a bond. Throughout this short memoir, I explored the ways in which food creates a connection across language and cultural barriers through reflection on specific experiences that I had in India, Uganda, and South Africa. While my experiences in each of these three countries were vastly different, there was one defining theme that brought them together: food. This memoir uses mixed media (personal reflection, research, recipes, and photos) to connect the three different international experiences. Reflection on my own family traditions and history bridges the gap between my upbringing and my interactions with people while spending time abroad. Popular recipes from each of the three countries are mixed into the personal reflection, showing how preparing food in a different geographic location can change the experience of preparation and eating. In addition to personal experience, included is a synthesis of research done on the effects of sharing a plate or a meal on negotiations tactics, how eating the same food increases trust, the ways in which food sharing is an act of social intimacy, and how it can build community. Food is an important part of family connection, a tool in many rituals such as Sunday dinners or breaking bread, a critical aspect of many religions, and is tied to the celebration of both birth and death in cultures around the globe. We all need to eat; food is the great commonality among people.
ContributorsRivard-Lentz, Haley Marie Anne (Co-author) / Rivard-Lentz, Haley (Co-author) / Fette, Donald (Thesis director) / Jacobs, Mark (Committee member) / School of Sustainability (Contributor) / School of Public Affairs (Contributor) / Watts College of Public Service & Community Solut (Contributor) / College of Integrative Sciences and Arts (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
The purpose of this study was to determine current feelings of veterinary staff on their relation to the topics of burnout and compassion fatigue in their field. Additionally, this study was used to determine possible solutions to these mental health issues facing veterinary staff, with solutions coming straight from staff members themselves. Burnout, often experienced by healthcare workers, is a “state of physical or emotional exhaustion that also involves a sense of reduced accomplishment and loss of personal identity” (Mayo Clinic 2018). Compassion fatigue is a loss of empathy to stressful or emotionally draining situations mostly due to frequent encounter with these situations. Using a survey conducted on veterinary professionals, opinions on attitudes toward work environments as well as thoughts on potential solutions to issues with burnout and compassion fatigue were analyzed. Survey respondents ranged from technicians and support staff to doctors and DVM (Doctor of Veterinary Medicine) students. Results of the survey showed that DVM students were under increased pressure, many respondents often felt tired before arriving to work, and doctors felt they did not perform their jobs with the same enthusiasm as when they first started in the field. However, many respondents indicated they were happy and invigorated by accomplishments in the workplace. The respondent comments also displayed a wide range of possible solutions to these mental health issues. Understanding the root causes of these issues as well as possible solutions to help alleviate them could help prevent harsh consequences such as suicide from occurring.
ContributorsOrcutt, Julia Clare (Author) / DeNardo, Dr. Dale (Thesis director) / Thatcher, Dr. Craig (Committee member) / Usiak-Mcbeth, Dr. Megan (Committee member) / School of Sustainability (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
This project draws sustainability material out of the textbook and into the body using a
role play simulation modeled around Michigan wolf management. In this case, role play simulation is a game fabricated to reflect the complexity of real-world conflict. The goal of the exercise is to engage players in mock negotiation and expand their knowledge of wicked environmental problems. By encouraging participants to question their own thought process, the activity aims to foster a transformational experience.
role play simulation modeled around Michigan wolf management. In this case, role play simulation is a game fabricated to reflect the complexity of real-world conflict. The goal of the exercise is to engage players in mock negotiation and expand their knowledge of wicked environmental problems. By encouraging participants to question their own thought process, the activity aims to foster a transformational experience.
ContributorsVermeer, Danielle Nicole (Author) / Cloutier, Scott (Thesis director) / Movahed, Neda (Committee member) / School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
The meanings and values that people assign to music and the material culture that music creation offers make excellent data sources for uncovering new and transformative aspects of culture. Gospel music is a subculture that emphasizes a unique performance style, and is based upon culturally specific religious, social, musical, and historical contexts. Students in the ensemble who musically developed through a Western classical-based connective strand may experience some adjustment from what they know and develop new skills to navigate across cultural difference. The purpose of this study was to document how participants in a specific university gospel choir setting navigated across cultural differences for gospel choir study and performance. Participants were recruited and interviewed a total of three times about their experience in the ensemble. Questions that guided the study focused on three areas: religious difference, social difference, and musical difference. An in-case analysis of each participant showed that overall, experiences in the choir were positive. Participants from a variety of diverse backgrounds approached new cultural learning differences such as physical movement, aural music learning, religious text, and performance context with an open mind and an individualized way of navigating through difference. In order for participants to reach a point where they felt that they had cultural competency in a new musical area, in this case, the establishment of a strong community was especially essential because of the assumptions attached to this ensemble and because of many of the participants' initial limited understanding of cultural markers for learning music that draw on improvisatory and aural means. This study implies that there are connections between each cultural difference that are related. For the educator intending to introduce new cultural competencies in their classrooms, considering the dynamics in which cultural differences might interact with each other is essential.
ContributorsCrane, Janelle Elizabeth (Author) / Thompson, Jason (Thesis director) / Schmidt, Margaret (Committee member) / School of Music (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
Freshwater is an essential component of life for most organisms on earth. "Civilization itself is built on a foundation of water (Fagan, 2011)," as people often congregate near water sources, and find innovative solutions to exploit these resources for food production and domestic needs. Rising demand for water due to altered lifestyles and population increase pose further stress on water availability. Alterations and pollution of freshwater ecosystems can dramatically compromise ecological services that many species, among them humans, depend on. Arid places are specifically vulnerable in regards to water, characterized by very low levels of precipitation, as well as many dry months, which are often followed by a short time of severe storms. Considering the interconnectedness of social and ecological systems in regards to freshwater services is crucial in order to sustainably manage freshwater resources and avoid ecological crises that in turn are likely to lead to social crises around the globe (Berkes et. al., 2003).
ContributorsHenenson, Einav (Author) / Anderies, M. John (Thesis director) / Aggarwal, Rimjhim (Committee member) / Golub, Aaron (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor)
Created2012-12
Description
Jupiter’s moon Io is tidally locked with Jupiter and falls in a 4:2:1 orbital
resonance with Europa and Ganymede, driving extreme tidal heating that makes it the most volcanically active body in the solar system. Io possesses a metallic core, as does its Galilean sibling Ganymede, yet, unlike Ganymede, Io lacks a magnetic field. Here, I investigated the potential size, composition, and cooling rate of Io’s core to help determine why Io lacks a strong dynamo. First, I used mineral physics equations to determine that the radius of the core should be between ~650 km to 950 km for a composition ranging from pure Fe to a eutectic Fe-FeS alloy. Cosmochemical constraints from meteoritic analogues yield complementary constraints on the abundance of sulfur in the metallic core (~2.67–28.6 wt%). The mantle could be either fully or partially molten. I found that the scenario of a global magma ocean creates temperatures at the base of the mantle that are possibly too hot for core convection, but that a magma sponge regime could create core-mantle boundary temperatures cooler than the melting point of pure Fe, which could promote core convection. Therefore, I conclude that Io lacks a strong dynamo likely because it has a magma ocean with temperatures too high for convection. However, the possibility that Io’s mantle is a magma sponge suggests the importance for future missions to investigate the state of Io’s magnetic field.
ContributorsLunetto, Sarah (Author) / O'Rourke, Joseph (Thesis director) / Walker, Sara (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Earth and Space Exploration (Contributor)
Created2024-05
Description
Historically, young people have spearheaded environmental movements, demanding equitable involvement in decision-making processes that impact their future. Despite their active participation, barriers such as inadequate knowledge, lack of empowerment, and diminished hope often hinder meaningful engagement and impact. This study addresses these challenges by implementing a series of educational workshops designed to equip youth with the necessary tools to effectively influence climate policy and urban planning so that they can feel more hopeful about the future in the face of climate change. Utilizing both qualitative and quantitative methods, this research evaluates how different methods of arts-based educational engagement impact workshop participants' knowledge, empowerment, and optimism regarding their ability to inspire environmental change. The findings aim to contribute to the discourse on effective youth engagement in environmental justice, advocating for strategies that equip youth with the tools they need to foster sustainable community development and hope for the future.
ContributorsKarthikeyan, Amritha (Author) / Eakin, Hallie (Thesis director) / Pfeiffer, Deirdre (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor) / School of Art (Contributor) / School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (Contributor)
Created2024-05
Description
This creative project explores the design and creation of a dance studio that promotes mental and physical wellbeing for the dancers within it. This project utilizes multiple design tactics that challenge and transform the traditional ways of dance into a modernized space that is more conducive to a dancer’s physical and mental health. The challenge of tradition through the implementation of design in this light is essential and can affect an extensive range of people. This project is vital as it can benefit and improve the overall health of those using the designed space. The users can include any range of dancers and performers open to exploring an innovative space designed with their health at the center of it.
ContributorsParker, Meghan (Author) / Murff, Scott (Thesis director) / Spellman, Catherine (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / The Design School (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor)
Created2024-05
Description
The town of Visaginas, originally known as Sniečkus, is a small city in Lithuania located about a two hour drive from the country's capital of Vilnius. While Vilnius is a lively and big city of about 600,000 that draws people in and acts as the country’s hub, Visaginas is a small and quiet town. The town is a Soviet-planned city, and was fully established in 1975 almost exclusively to house workers of the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant. Its ties to Russia and nuclear energy give Visaginas a complex history. Almost all workers at the nuclear plant came from the Soviet Union, so the community served as an instrument for Russification. Visaginas' geographically isolated location and predominantly Russian speaking demographic effectively makes it an exclave in Lithuania. When the decommissioning of the INPP was completed, Visaginas lost its main source of economic revenue, but it was also a huge loss to the community because their sense of identity was strongly tied to the nuclear plant. Visaginas provides a one of a kind case study and a unique opportunity to examine the energy justice implications of the end of the nuclear industry.
The complex relationship between Lithuania and the Soviet Union, succeeded by Russia, has played a major role in shaping Visaginas as well as contributing to some of the ongoing struggles in the region. This thesis will aim to address the history of Visaginas in relation to the geopolitics between Russia and Lithuania and examine the lifespan of the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant. The decommissioning will be framed through the lens of energy justice by examining the distributive, participatory, and recognition justice implications that stemmed from the decommissioning process. Finally, the paper will address the era of post-nuclear urbanism in Visaginas, Lithuania, and explore possible future avenues for the town. This thesis is a comprehensive literature review of relevant research and studies completed relating to the topic, and elements informed by the Generator Project week-long field school, a European Humanities University energy justice fellowship.
ContributorsBussiere, Jacqueline (Author) / Richter, Jennifer (Thesis director) / Kelman, Jonathan (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Social Transformation (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor)
Created2024-05
Description
Nitrate (NO3-) pollution in surface and groundwater, worsened by nitrogen-rich fertilizers in agriculture, poses a significant challenge. Conventional methods remove NO3- physically, yielding concentrated reject water needing further treatment. Electrochemical processes use electrons to convert NO3- into ammonia (NH3) or dinitrogen (N2). This project explores photoelectrocatalysis, enhancing selectivity for NH3 as an added-value product using a photocathode based on tri-layers.
Titanium oxide (TiO2) nanorods modified with Ag and CuOx nanoparticles that exhibit high NO3- conversion rates and exceptional NH3 selectivity. Mechanism evaluation reveals additive effects between photocatalysis and electrocatalysis, surpassing individual performances. This approach offers promising solution for NO3- pollution remediation and sustainable resource recovery in agriculture.
ContributorsButzine, Noah (Author) / Garcia-Segura, Sergi (Thesis director) / Cerron-Calle, Gabriel (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Sustainable Engineering & Built Envirnmt (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor)
Created2024-05