Ph.D., Antioch University, 2024, Antioch New England: Environmental Studies

There is no quiet way to churn water. Noise pollution caused by ships is increasing in the Arctic Ocean as sea ice melts, creating more open channels for vessels. This study provides a glimpse into the sources and balance of sounds in a portion of the Arctic Ocean soundscape surrounding the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard. Characterization of the soundscape provides essential data as the region quickly transforms. This study also considers human perceptions of underwater ocean noise and its impacts in the region, and it reviews current ocean policy, suggesting mitigation strategies and ways forward. Before the rapid development of industry, prominent sounds in this underwater soundscape came from geological and biological sources. As vessel traffic increases, primary sound sources may be shifting from wind to ship noise. Sea ice extent has decreased in all months and in almost all regions of the Arctic, impacting Arctic marine mammals (AMMs) as their rapidly contracting habitat fills with unfamiliar anthropogenic noise. Noise in the ocean's underwater soundscape degrades acoustic habitat. This study helps fill a gap in knowledge that has limited our understanding of how much underwater noise the eleven AMMs are exposed to and its effects, especially in consideration of the unique hearing and communication capabilities of each species. AMMs spend much of their lives in deep darkness and have evolved to depend on sound as their principal sense. They rely on sensory cues to learn and thrive in their environments. Hydrophones were deployed at 44 locations between 13 °E and 19 °E and 69 °N and 79 °N in April 2023. Wind, waves, and ice (geophony) dominated the soundscape's acoustic signature in remote locations, while human-caused sounds (anthrophony) were significant near Arctic shipping routes, fishing areas, and in fjords. Marine mammal vocalizations were detected near the ice edge, at fjord mouths, and in fjords. Collecting and interpreting data that help explain th (open full item for complete abstract)

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2024, Antioch New England: Environmental Studies

Climate change presents an unprecedented challenge to global agriculture and food security. Small farms are especially vulnerable to the local impacts of large-scale drivers of change. Effective adaptation in agriculture requires working across scales, and geographic, political, and disciplinary boundaries to address barriers. I use elements of case study, agent-based modeling and serious games, to design a model of farmer decision-making using the sociocognitive framework of climate change adaptation. I examine how adaptation functions as a process, how complex dynamics influence farmer behavior, and how individual decisions influence collective behavior in response to climate change. This novel approach to adaptation research in agriculture examines the relationships between the contextual, compositional, and cognitive elements of the sociocognitive theory. The tools developed for this research have broad practical and theoretical future applications in climate adaptation research and policymaking. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA (https://aura.antioch.edu) and OhioLINK ETD Center (https://etd.ohiolink.edu).

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2024, Antioch New England: Environmental Studies

Aging populations—particularly in areas prone to extreme heat—are facing unique residential challenges. In the past 10 years, extreme heat has killed more people in the United States (U.S.) than all other weather hazards combined, and it is expected to get hotter, with extreme heat events predicted to happen more often in the future. People over the age of 65 are disproportionately represented as the majority of heat victims, and are likely to perish in their own homes during these events. Every day, 10,000 people turn age 65 in the U.S. and many are choosing to age and retire in places of scientific climate concern such as Arizona. This study reveals that age-adaptive and climate-adaptive housing designs contribute to our quality of life as we age in a warming climate. To better understand potential connections between the homes where we live and survivability as we age with extreme heat, the present research was designed and analyzed utilizing a new conceptual framework of my own making titled PLACE: Preparing Living spaces for Aging with Climate Extremes. Employing a mixed-methods approach, this dissertation was accomplished in three parts. First, an archival review of Medical Examiner reports from the hottest 3 days of 2022 in Maricopa County, Arizona, showed evidence of connections between the built environment and an older person's death in their home, which demonstrates these reports to be a useful inclusion when understanding conditions leading to death. Second, a digital survey of people ages 65 and older currently living in Arizona highlighted real-world adaptations that were successful in mitigating the deadly impacts of high heat, and thus support aging in place. Lastly, semi-structured interviews with professionals and older Arizonians provided insights into successful ways to enhance age-friendly and heat-adaptive housing. In addition to advancing our understanding of aging in places with extreme heat, this dissertation offers two pieces of applied mat (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2024, Geological Sciences

Dense non-aqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs) are a group of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are commonly used industrially and frequently escape confinement and reach the water table. DNAPLs are denser than water and thus sink until reaching a confining layer, at which point weak solubility leads to the formation of a dilute dissolved contaminant plume as groundwater flows by which can then pollute and threaten downstream wells and water supplies. Existing remediation methods for DNAPL plumes are generally unsatisfactory and not very effective while also requiring significant investment in time and labor. This study continues work on the slow-release permanganate gel (SRP-G) first proposed by Lee et al. (2013) and further developed by Gupta (2013), Hastings (2021), and Acheampong (2023) in a flow-tank setting and examines its effectiveness in remediating a dilute dissolved plume of trichloroethylene (TCE), a common DNAPL contaminant. A 200 ppb TCE solution was pumped through the flow tank and SRP-G was injected. MnO4 - release and spread was monitored in twelve wells at three depths and samples were collected from three locations for TCE analysis. A statistically significant negative correlation was found between MnO4 - in solution and TCE concentration. This demonstrates that the SRP-G was able to effectively remediate the TCE contaminant plume and reduce contaminant concentration to approximately half of background levels. Future studies are suggested examining SRP-G behavior and remediation potential in anisotropic heterogeneous media and in field settings.

Master of Science in Engineering, Youngstown State University, 2024, Department of Civil/Environmental and Chemical Engineering

The 108-mile-long Mahoning River, historically one of the most contaminated rivers in the U.S., contains metals above the EPA aquatic criteria. This study identifies the contamination levels, spatiotemporal patterns, sources, speciation, and bioaccessibility of metals (As, Ba, Fe, Pb, Ni, Zn) in the water and sediment of the lower Mahoning River. Sediment analysis showed that all metals exceeded the Sediment Reference Value, except for Ba. Regression analysis showed a significant decrease of Pb and Fe (p < 0.05) in water from 1993-2021, suggests that the water quality of the river with respect to Pb and Fe is improving comparatively in the past three decades. The contamination factor indicated that metals in water were uncontaminated (< 1), while metals in sediment were moderately to highly polluted (3-15). Inverse distance weighting in sediments illustrated decreasing concentrations towards downstream for Ni, while increasing concentrations towards downstream for As, Ba, Fe, Pb, and Zn in sediment. The inverse distance weighting patterns may be associated with land use, as the river traversed the agricultural region upstream, the urbanized region downstream, and mixed-land areas in the last stretch. Speciation analysis revealed metals in water and sediments were in divalent forms (HM2+), except Pb (PbOH+, PbCO3), indicating high bioaccessibility and potential plant uptake in the aquatic environment.

Master of Arts (MA), Ohio University, 2024, Geography (Arts and Sciences)

This study sought to deepen understanding on climate-induced (im)mobilities by examining the ways small holder rice farmers adapt to saltwater intrusion in two riparian rice growing communities in the North Bank Region of The Gambia: Dasilameh and Tambana. The study examined how mobilities or immobilities reflect intersectional differences and how such differences enable or constrict access to the wider set of adaptation options. I employed 24 (N=24) semi-structured interviews, 2 (N=2) community-based workshops, and field observations. The findings showed that there is high heterogeneity and diversity in the adaptation pathways of the farmers, as they reflect a combination of on-, and off-farm practices, short-term and seasonal mobility-dependent opportunities including dependence on remittances from long-term migrant household members. The findings also showed that the majority of the mobility-dependent adaptation pathways that farmers pursued were short-term with only the male farmers engaging in seasonal mobilities for agricultural purposes. The study found that access to and maintenance of adaptation practices are determined by existing socio-economic, cultural and institutional factors.

Master of Arts, Miami University, 2024, Geography

Rapid urbanization and the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect are key global challenges, particularly in the Global South. Dhaka City, Bangladesh, one of the fastest growing and most densely populated cities in this region, facing increasing heat trends which threaten its public health, social and environmental conditions. Mitigating future UHI requires a geospatial analysis of urbanization and temperature trends at the neighborhood-scale. However, proprietary geospatial data and applications are often prohibitively costly for planners. This study combines cost-effective, publicly-accessible geospatial applications and time series satellite data from 2003 - 2023 to analyze land use and land cover (LULC) and land surface temperature (LST) changes in Dhaka City at regional and neighborhood-scales. For monitoring LULC, Landsat images were analyzed through supervised classification at a regional scale, and spectral mixture analysis (SMA) helped understand complex urban development patterns at the neighborhood-scale. This study analyzed MODIS daily LST images to understand diurnal temperature trends and found a strong positive correlation between urban development intensity and increased day and nighttime temperatures, contributing to neighborhood-specific UHI impacts. The study emphasizes the importance of developing publicly-accessible and inexpensive geospatial methods to support UHI mitigation planning that can benefit other similar cities.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2024, English

This dissertation explores how organizations in the Little Cities of Black Diamonds (LCBD) microregion in Appalachian Ohio collaborate and negotiate tensions as they work to build an eco-tourism economy. This economic development is focused on the region's natural environment and labor history in the aftermath of a post-extractive mining economy. The LCBD microregion is generally defined as the historic Hocking Valley Coal Mining region in Perry, Hocking, Athens, and Morgan counties. The name, Little Cities of Black Diamonds, refers to the history of coal mining in the region. After extractive industries in the region declined, the Wayne National Forest took its place, though there are still remnants of acid mine drainage, stories of underground coal pit fires that still burn today, and historical landmarks, like Robinson's Cave where the United Coal Miners Union formed, that inform the place-based identities in the region. This dissertation asks the following questions: How do diverse stakeholders negotiate a shared, though sometimes conflicting, interest in place? How is power negotiated within and beyond grassroots organizations? How do different generations approach place-making? What role does technical and professional communication play in grassroots place-making efforts? What is at stake in place-making efforts in rural areas that have a history of resource extraction? To explore these questions, I engage in rhetorical field methods and analyze texts ranging from archival documents, technical and professional documents, speeches, public-facing websites, and interviews. I look to the rhetorical practices of place-making that exist within grassroots coalitional networks, individual nonprofits, and between nonprofit and for-profit organizations. My dissertation posits that technical communication acts as an essential element in crafting shared narratives of place/environment, history, and community that circulate from the underground and intergenerational (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2024, Environment and Natural Resources

Departing from literature on social-ecological fitness and social-ecological network analysis, this dissertation explores the degree to which social-ecological theory reflects underlying social processes of issue engagement and partnership evaluation and identifies pathways for future research to engage practitioners with social-ecological network data. In total, the research presented in this dissertation shows that social-ecological network analysis and theory can both be strengthened by participant engagement and qualitative analyses and can be translated into actionable information that practitioners can use to inform their management decisions. This research – which includes three consecutive empirical studies (chapters 2 through 4) – presents one of the first comprehensive accounts of confirming social-ecological network theory with participant populations. Each of the three chapters seeks to determine how practitioners navigate social-ecological interdependence by assessing whether practitioners' strategies align with social-ecological motifs that are commonly used in empirical network analyses (i.e., small-scale network structures that impart theoretically important processes). Further, all three empirical chapters analyze separate components of a dataset pertaining to climate change adaptation governance in Columbus, Ohio, which is a system comprised of over one hundred unique stakeholder organizations, 19 climate adaptation-related issues, and their interconnections. In the first chapter, I explore how community-engaged network tools can help to overcome fragmentation in environmental governance systems. I helped to develop a network tool that offers personalized partnership recommendations to practitioners that would close “collaborative gaps,” which are instances where two actors who manage the same issue(s) fail to collaborate with one another. Results from focus group conversations with practitioners suggest that engaged network tools can be 1) hampere (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2024, American Culture Studies

Everyone can relate to hearing stories about our changing world. Yet far fewer people ask how these stories change depending on where in the world they are told. Indeed, many ignore the wicked problem caused by garbage, and focus on narratives from the global North. This study aims to combat this by comparing the narratives of the global North and the global South through a decolonizing methodology. Specific groups from the global South include Indigenous American peoples, Aboriginal Australian peoples, as well as Bangladeshi and neighboring cultures. Specific groups from the global North include Americans and Canadians. To highlight these narratives, the art of storytelling is employed, focusing on scientific knowledge, Indigenous knowledge, narratives from fiction and documentary, and personal storytelling as sources to illustrate these points. The use of garbage as a commodity that intersects with cultural, social, and political influences is also explored. Issues of environmental justice and how it intersects with racism and colonialism to fuel the garbage crisis are investigated. The relationship between Indigeneity and garbage, along with traditional ecological knowledge, is another topic explored and expounded upon. Garbage as a wicked problem is analyzed through narratives, seeking a deeper understanding of its consequences, with a particular focus on how storytelling and wisdom may point to a way out of the crisis. This dissertation introduces the concept of the “Plasticocene,” a term coined within this study to encapsulate the era where plastic waste has become a defining feature of our environmental and cultural landscapes. This term highlights the pervasive influence of plastic pollution on global ecosystems and human societies, offering a critical lens through which to analyze the contemporary garbage crisis and potential sources of garbage justice. Through rigorous analysis of policy, literature, and cultural texts, this study contributes to a nuanced (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2024, Environment and Natural Resources

In the Midwest region of the United States, climate change has led to increasing average temperatures, increased total precipitation, more frequent extreme precipitation events, reduced snowpack in the winter, and earlier warm spring temperatures. While climate change affects all farmers, the potential risks and actual impacts may vary depending on the types of crops they grow. For example, extreme precipitation patterns during spring planting pose a significant challenge for annual row crop farmers. In contrast, perennial fruit farmers are often more concerned with volatile weather and changing seasonal patterns, which can impact the long-term fruit production of their plants. However, despite these different risks, most social science research in the Midwestern United States has focused on climate adaptation and decision-making among annual row crop farmers, while specialty crops have received little attention. Through the mixed-methods analysis of 25 semi-structured interviews and Ohio Farm Poll survey data, I examined the unique differences in climate change perspectives, vulnerabilities, and adaptive behaviors between row crop and fruit farmers in Ohio. In general, perennial fruit farmers perceived more complex climate change risks, had less access to capital and research developments, and faced unique challenges in adapting long-lived perennial crops, all of which had implications for their perceived adaptive capacity. This research provides insight into areas where additional support can be provided for perennial fruit and specialty crop farmers to enhance their resilience to climate change, particularly considering the historical focus of the agricultural sector on large-scale row crop farming.

Psy. D., Antioch University, 2024, Antioch Seattle: Clinical Psychology

The present study investigates the phenomenon of climate denial through a new theoretical framework of privilege. The analysis utilizes a feminist orientation that builds on a historical interpretation through the lens of colonialism. Through the dissection of current multidisciplinary understandings of climate denial and new concepts discovered in the review of academic literature and popular media, a compilation of theory, relationship, and connection is made. Systems of power and privilege are examined and connected to the mechanisms and maintenance of climate denial. The resulting analysis illuminates that settler colonialism, supported by connected ideologies of White supremacy, ableism, and patriarchy inform the creation and perpetuation of climate denialism. Privileges grant invisibility, insulation from climate change and discomfort, and innocence in the maintenance of climate denial and subsequent power structures. Implications of communication and dismantling climate denial and systems of power are discussed. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA (https://aura.antioch.edu) and OhioLINK ETD Center (https://etd.ohiolink.edu). Keywords: climate denial, climate change, privilege, settler colonialism

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2024, Civil Engineering (Engineering and Technology)

The goal of this thesis is to compare the current methods to generate pigment from AMD, test the pigments for their chemical and elemental compositions, and determine whether the pigments generated meet ASTM and market standards. The pigments were also evaluated to find their associated color numbers and compared to existing pigments collected from pigment companies. Iron oxide sludge was generated and collected from Truetown, OH by oxidizing and settling AMD. This sludge was tested for quality with the intent of making pigments from dried iron oxide. The sludge was dewatered or washed to represent potential treatment methods, then dried and ground into a fine powder. The powder was tested for iron oxide, sulfates, lead, organic coloring matter, moisture content, and ignition loss using ASTM standard methods. It was tested for its X-ray patterns using X-ray diffraction and for 31 elements using X-ray fluorescence. It was finally tested for its performance as an oil paint and its color spectrophotometry. These experiments were repeated for several examples of pigments from existing industry, including artistry and concrete dyeing. The results of these experiments showed that AMD pigments are generally lower in impurities than artist pigments, but higher than expected in sulfates. They are also amorphous but contain no toxic levels of metals. The experiments consistently showed that pressing was more effective than washing for removing impurities. The AMD pigments were also determined to be a different color than any of the collected pigments on the market, and would need to be identified as its own, separate color. Based on these conclusions and its derivation from AMD, it is suspected to be the iron oxide mineral known as Shwertmannite.

Master of Arts (MA), Ohio University, 2024, Geography (Arts and Sciences)

This research seeks to establish an understanding of Appalachian women and their experiences of environmental justice through an arts-based analysis of their poetry. I ask two research questions that inquire how Appalachian express their experiences of EJ through poetry, as well how Appalachian women associate and relate gender to environmental injustices through their poetry. To investigate this process, I perform a poetry-based analysis of ten different poems by Appalachian women. Ultimately, I find that Appalachian women engage themes of empathy, othering, and gender to portray their connections to, relationships with, and understandings of environmental justice. This research is important because it addresses intersectional themes of both geography and environmental justice, however in new ways. Ultimately, this research portrays Appalachian women's use of poetry as an expression of their experiences with environmental justice, and as such, provides a different method and outlook from which to view environmental justice issues.

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2024, Environmental Studies (Voinovich)

Growing human population has led to an accelerated rate of degradation of natural resources. One of the most alarming impacts is water quality impairment globally as a result of nutrient pollution from agricultural and other non-point sources. This study assesses the efficiency of wetland restoration project in mitigating nutrient pollution in the Bell Run-South Fork Licking watershed in Ohio. Nutrient pollution, primarily stemming from nitrogen and phosphorus runoff from agricultural activities poses water quality challenges to the region. The restoration of an 80-acre portion wetland aims to ultimately improve the water quality of the Soth Fork Licking River by reducing nutrient loading into Bloody Run and its tributaries. Through pre- and post-construction assessments, the study evaluated changes in nutrient concentrations and hydrological inputs. Results indicate significant reductions in nitrogen species loading postconstruction. However, there was an increase in phosphorus loading following the construction period. Hydrological inputs' to the site influences on nutrient dynamics were evident, with storm events leading to higher nutrient discharge. Continued monitoring during high-flow periods is recommended to improve understanding of nutrient dynamics within the restored site and inform management strategies for optimizing the wetland's nutrient retention capacity over time.

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2024, Environment and Natural Resources

Millions of migratory birds are funneled through the Great Lakes Region annually and depend on the shoreline habitats for stopover and refueling. The Great Lakes Region also has a high capacity for offshore wind development. Environmental assessments of a proposed experimental six-turbine array located eight miles offshore from Cleveland, Ohio determined that the impact to migratory birds would be low citing that birds avoid crossing the lake, which contrasts previous individual bird tracking studies showing an estimated 70% of birds crossed Lake Erie after stopping over on the lakeshore. The high crossing rate of some species suggests the potential for increased risk of avian collisions with offshore structures if improperly placed. Collisions with anthropogenic structures such as buildings account for upwards of 988 million annual deaths in the United States. Comparatively, turbines account for lower levels of mortality in the U.S. (679 thousand birds), but these estimates likely underrepresent the total impact due to surveying difficulties and data restrictions for industry reports. Additionally, this number is likely to increase with expansion of wind energy in the United States making now a critical time to close knowledge gaps related to offshore wind impact and to ensure proper siting of turbines that minimizes the risk to migratory birds. Understanding lake-crossing behavior and shoreline usage of birds in the region is necessary for predicting risk. Using Lake Erie as the focus for this study, I sought to determine the prevalence of lake-crossing behavior for migratory songbirds by tracking the movement of individuals from inland stopover habitats and identifying high use areas along the shoreline. Using automated radio telemetry and the Motus Wildlife Tracking System, I deployed transmitters on 174 birds from a suite of study species including White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis), Swainson's thrush (Catharus ustulatus), Tennessee Warble (open full item for complete abstract)

Bachelor of Arts (BA), Ohio University, 2024, Environmental Studies

Spring Break Sisters is a professional project led by Ohio University undergraduate students to provide a Spring Break Camp to Athens County girls aged 11-14. The inaugural camp ran from March 11th-15th, 2024, at ARTS/West. The camp themes were community, self-care, and empowerment. During the week, ten people participated in an educational nature walk, guest speakers, nature poetry, and the creation of 2 community-themed murals, now on display in the Athens Community Center. The camp was possible through a partnership with Athens, Arts, Parks, and Recreation and by a $5,000 experiential education award from the Center for Advising, Career, and Experiential Learning.

Master of Science in Electrical Engineering, University of Dayton, 2024, Electrical Engineering

Remote sensing techniques are capable of capturing large scenes of data over several sensing domains. Hyperspectral imagery (HSI), often accompanied with lIDAR and orthoimagery sensors during collection, can provide deeper contextual information for a wide range of applications in many different fields. Complex characteristics across spectral bands in addition to high-dimensionality of HSI data present challenges to accurate classification. Generally, dimensionality reduction of the input hyperspectral data cube is performed through multi-phase analytical algorithms as a pre-processing step before further analysis to include machine learning networks. These networks commonly rely on labeled training data for segmentation. Annotating ground truth aerial data can prove to be a cumbersome endeavor that may require specific expertise for accurate assessment. This inspires exploratory research for useful unsupervised feature-learning approaches that can withdraw essential information from HSI data to map scenes without labeled data thereby providing a start-to-finish scene segmentation process.

Bachelor of Science of Journalism (BSJ), Ohio University, 2024, Journalism

The scientific and psychological communities have started to recognize ecological anxiety (also known as eco-anxiety or climate anxiety), an emotional response to climate change and environmental destruction, as a growing mental health phenomenon. There has been an increased focus on how psychologists and other mental health professionals can best support those who are experiencing negative mental health effects due to climate change, including increased anxiety. In turn, mainstream media outlets have increased their coverage of eco- anxiety and other related mental health impacts of climate change. This paper discusses how eco- anxiety has been framed by mainstream media outlets, specifically newspapers with large readership. Articles from eight different American newspapers that included the words “eco- anxiety”, “climate anxiety”, or referenced the phenomenon were compiled. These articles were coded to reveal the specific frames utilized, including master, generic, and issue-specific frames. The focus of this research was to provide a better understanding of how mainstream media frames the topic of eco-anxiety and if that framing reflects the current scientific understanding of eco-anxiety.

Bachelor of Science (BS), Ohio University, 2024, Biological Sciences

Environmental health challenges are present in numerous communities across the nation but have a unique and significant impact on the Appalachian region. This study explored the impact of each factor in the decision-making process of Appalachian individuals, as well as highlighted the importance of environmental inequities in Appalachia. The results were striking – the impact of the social environment, followed by a general understanding of the built environment, played the largest role in shaping the social determinants of health and Appalachian decision-making. Environmental health proved to have little influence on Appalachian decision-making, but data shows that environmental determinants do have an impact on human health and wellbeing. Improving the population's understanding of environmental health and its associated impacts may aid Appalachia in reducing health disparities and improve human wellbeing. Also, a focus on improving the social and built environments of Appalachians might contribute to improving community cohesion and overall health and wellbeing. I did not seek to paint the region in a negative light in this work; rather, my work sought to understand the importance of the environment to Appalachians. My work may serve as a beacon to bring these environmental injustices to attention, highlighting the importance of environmental and health literacy, enabling these individuals to make more informed decisions about their own health.