Master of Arts, Miami University, 2020, History

This thesis examines the life of an engineer and professor Gustav Trinkler under the Imperial and Soviet Russia. By using archival materials, such as letters, certificates, reports, questionnaires, and a memoir, it explores his living conditions and interactions with authorities before and after the 1917 Russian Revolution. Trinkler was born in 1876 to a prosperous family of a predominantly German ethnicity. Despite his origins, he identified as a Russian throughout his life. Before the 1917 Revolution, Trinkler enjoyed cultivating his estate, sent his family on vacation to the south and petitioned his superiors requesting positions and financial assistance. After 1917, Trinkler aspired to maintain his living standards and re-engineered the life he knew: he obtained a new summer house, enjoyed family vacations in the south and kept sending petitions asking new, Soviet, authorities for assistance and benefits based on his technical skills. He managed to manufacture a Soviet life that was strikingly similar to his Imperial one even after his imprisonment as a "bourgeois" specialist in 1930. Using Trinkler's biography as a microhistory, this thesis points to the need to examine individuals' lives before 1917 to better understand the Soviet system and what constituted novel, "Soviet," behaviors.

Committee: Stephen Norris PhD (Advisor); Scott Kenworthy PhD (Committee Member); Francesca Silano PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: History; Russian History

Master of Science in Engineering, University of Akron, 2018, Engineering

With an aging infrastructure in the United States it is becoming more pressing to understand corrosion and the effects it has on structures. This knowledge will allow structural inspectors to determine the best course of action to take when dealing with a corroded member and insight so as to not take a member out of service prematurely. There are many types of corrosion that effects steel structures the form that is being studied in this report is uniform corrosion. Uniform corrosion occurs when the corrosion process attacks the surface of the steel uniformly thinning the material. This report looks at the effect uniform corrosion has on built up I sections subjected to a bending moment, and the reduction in moment strength associated with a percent loss in cross sectional area. To accomplish this lab tests were conducted on beams that were corroded in a controlled environment. With a known reduction in cross sectional area the beams were exposed to a bending test and the results were compared to moment values calculated using equations present in the American Institute of Steel Construction Steel Manual. In addition to bending tests tension tests were conducted on non-corroded tension specimens, corroded tension test specimens and corroded specimens that the corrosion byproduct was cleaned off by a chemical process. Finally finite element models were created to as another check and to see if the corrosion process could be modeled by assuming idealized uniform loss in area from corrosion

Committee: Anil Patnail Dr. (Advisor); Craig Menzemer Dr. (Committee Member); David Roke Dr (Committee Member) Subjects: Civil Engineering

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2015, Industrial and Systems Engineering (Engineering and Technology)

The ability to communicate effectively is one of the most critical skills needed in the field of engineering today. Not only are industries that employ engineers requesting communication skills be improved, but effective communication is an ABET student outcome. The objectives of this research include the identification of: 1) proficiencies and deficiencies that exist between critical communication skill areas of young engineers, 2) differences in communication that exist between various employee levels and 3) differences in communication that exist between various industries. Data was collected via personal interviews and analyzed using analytical qualitative data techniques. Three industries were consulted along with four employee levels. Attitude, nonverbal communication, and the use of technical language were among the most critical deficiencies of young engineers. Attitude, non-business conversation, and knowledge of new engineers were among some of the highest ranking proficiencies. Analysis indicated that young engineers should be communicating differently with various levels of employees, and that the various industries yielded culture and environmental differences rather than proficiencies and deficiencies of communication for young engineers.

Committee: Diana Schwerha Dr. (Advisor); Brittany Peterson Dr. (Committee Member); Dale Masel Dr. (Committee Member); Šormaz Dušan Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Communication; Engineering; Higher Education; Social Psychology

Master of Fine Arts, The Ohio State University, 2014, Industrial, Interior Visual Communication Design

Studying as a designer and working with engineers revealed differences between the disciplines that affect communication. The increasingly complex problems facing society require specialists to manage. Increased specialization can lead to confusion when communicating across disciplines. Designers and engineers both provide vital services to industry and it is important that they be able to work with each other as effectively as possible. With a focus on the two academic disciplines of design and engineering, I have attempted to explore whether collaboration between the two can be positively impacted. Participants from each field of study were asked to complete a series of evaluations to determine their problem solving tendencies, learning styles, and patterns in thinking. They were then asked to present their problem solving process for approaching a set of complex contemporary issues. Engineers tend to fall into logical and rational thinking patterns and are more likely to be seen as linear thinkers. Designers differ in their approach to problem solving when there is an opportunity for abstract and innovative thinking. A practical application of this information would require the contributions of both designers and engineers throughout the design and development process. Interaction between disciplines should take place in the form of information exchange, discussions, and informal dialogues. These goals can be achieved through common workspaces, support from management, and strong leadership.

Committee: Paul Nini (Advisor); Elizabeth Sanders Ph.D. (Committee Member); Philip Smith Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Design; Engineering

Master of Science (MS), Wright State University, 2014, Biological Sciences

White-tailed deer directly impact vegetation structure and species composition through selective foraging, and indirectly impact other species by altering habitat, food-web interactions, and microclimate. I examined the direct effects of deer exclusion on vegetation communities, and indirect effects on beetle, spider, and web-building spider (WBS) assemblages. Forb and woody plant percent cover were higher in exclosures, while graminoid cover was higher in controls. There were no differences in beetle and spider assemblages between browsed and protected areas. The absence of differences could be attributed to legacy effects, or alternatively high vagility of individuals. WBS assemblages were more abundant and diverse in protected areas, reflecting differences in web site availability and litter depth. This suggests indirect effects of deer alter arthropod assemblages. Through selective feeding, deer act as ecosystem engineers. They are indirectly changing the WBS assemblages in this area, and may be changing beetle and spider assemblage composition.

Committee: Thomas Rooney Ph.D. (Advisor); Don Cipollini Ph.D. (Committee Member); John Stireman III Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Biology; Ecology; Entomology; Environmental Science; Forestry

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Toledo, 2011, Biology (Ecology)

Understanding what factors drive an organism's population fluctuations in time and space can be very difficult in complex ecosystems due to changing environmental conditions and issues with spatial scale. In this dissertation, I examined the effect of soft-sediment Dreissena (D. polymorpha and D. rostriformis bugensis) clusters, an invasive ecosystem engineer, on a native burrowing mayfly (Hexagenia limbata and H. rigida). Specifically, at the small-scale, I examined the effect of Dreissena clusters on Hexagenia: 1) habitat preference, 2) availability as prey, and 3) behavior during changing abiotic (low oxygen) and biotic (presence of a predator) conditions. At the large scale I examined: 1) the spatial association of Hexagenia and Dreissena and 2) the abiotic and biotic factors influencing Hexagenia spatial distribution and temporal fluctuations. I conducted experiments, spatial mapping and statistics, and generalized additive models to examine these objectives. Hexagenia were found to prefer sediment covered with both live and artificial clusters over bare sediment, likely due to decreased fish predation when under Dreissena clusters in turbid conditions. Hexagenia also received benefit from Dreissena clusters during hypoxic conditions; Hexagenia were able to exit anoxic burrows to seek well-oxygenated waters while staying within the Dreissena cluster as refuge from predation. At the large scale, Hexagenia density was not related to Dreissena density, however Hexagenia were more likely to occur where Dreissena were also present. Similarly, Dreissena density was not a good predictor of Hexagenia density in western Lake Erie, but abiotic factors, such as percent silt, organic carbon, depth, and distance from western shore did significantly influence Hexagenia distribution. Sites with high average Hexagenia density were clustered near the western shoreline of Lake Erie and exhibited a two-year density cycle, likely a density-dependent regulation. Overall, abiotic fa (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Christine Mayer PhD (Advisor); Jonathan Bossenbroek PhD (Committee Member); Thomas Bridgeman PhD (Committee Member); Lynda Corkum PhD (Committee Member); Kenneth Krieger PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Aquatic Sciences; Ecology; Environmental Studies; Limnology

Master of Environmental Science, Miami University, 2003, Environmental Sciences

In order to fulfill the requirements for a Master of Environmental Science at Miami University, this report outlines my work experience as a project engineer at A. Morton Thomas and Associates, Inc. (AMT), a civil engineering consulting firm in Rockville, Maryland. This report describes the role of the civil engineer in land development and the progressive phases of the development projects at AMT. The project phases, responsibilities, and tasks that were typical of these projects are detailed through the description of a campus development job that I was involved with - the University of Maryland College Park Student Housing Buildings “5” and “6”. Insights of my work experience and the role that my education at Miami University played at AMT is discussed in the conclusion.

Committee: Gene Willeke (Advisor) Subjects:

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2012, Management

Women remain underrepresented in the engineering profession comprising only 10% of the employed engineers in 2010 while in that same year women exceeded more than half of those employed in professional, managerial and related occupations according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. While others studies have identified the reasons women leave engineering, this study focuses on women who persist in the profession. A complex, three stage mixed methods study has been conducted. The first stage was a qualitative research study based on semi-structured interviews with 31 women engineers, ten of whom had left an engineering career and 21 persisting for on average 21 years leading to a conceptual model and the development of a new construct to measure the ideal self. Next, a field experiment was conducted which surveyed 495 women ages 21 to 70 with engineering degrees. A structural equation model has been developed showing that women's commitment to an engineering career is impacted by their levels of self efficacy, the interaction of age and number of children, and their ability to articulate a personal vision as operationalized by the ideal self. A woman's relationship with her manager and level of work engagement also impact career commitment. The final stage of this research compared the factors and relationships important to a woman's career commitment to engineering to a sample of 138 male engineers. Findings show that the factors important to persistence for women engineers have little or no impact on a man's commitment to an engineering career. Women engineers have lower levels of self efficacy than men, and for men self efficacy has no statistically significant relationship to career commitment to engineering. Further both the relationship with the manager, one's ideal self, and work engagement influence a woman's career commitment to engineering more than for a man. A conceptual model adapted from the intentional change theory (Boyatzis, 2008) is presented tha (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Richard Boyatzis PhD (Committee Chair); Diana Bilimoria PhD (Committee Member); Toni Somers PhD (Committee Member); Gary Wnek PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Engineering; Management

Bachelor of Science of Journalism (BSJ), Ohio University, 2013, Journalism

Journalism has always been about questions. The fundamental building blocks of standard news stories are small questions with documentary orientations: Simple whos, whats, wheres, whens, hows, and whys that flesh out a story. It is easy to make a case for how basic facts help media consumers understand the world around them through simple documentation. But criticisms of modern journalism often take issue with the image of reality that journalism portrays. Scholars have conceptualized it as incomplete, biased, and unhelpful to society. Such questioning of media products and processes is fruitful. This project questions the media's reliance on objectivity as its means of documenting truth, and the primary question is whether or not compromising conventional journalistic objectivity in favor of a hybrid perspective that incorporates subjectivity could be a legitimate way for journalists to better represent truthful worldly reality. It analyzes how the elements of literary journalism can enable blending objective documentary impulses with self-conscious commentary to yield a media product that answers more questions. It asks if this hybridity can move journalism toward bigger questions approached on personal levels, thereby taking journalism from a passive reflection to an active representation. Ultimately, it is concerned with journalists' desire to have their work be a record of human activity and a promoter of democratic freedom and the issue of whether or not journalists have the ability or feel the obligation to comment on big questions and their answers. This project is not the first to question objectivity. It includes a literature review that explores some of the historical and philosophical discourse on the subject of objectivity and its use by journalists as a means to an end of truth. Journalism holds truth as its primary tenant. Objectivity is truth's twin ethic in journalistic discourse. After defining and critiquing a synthesized concept of objectivity (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Cary Frith (Advisor); Bernhard Debatin (Committee Chair) Subjects: Journalism