Publication Type: Poster
Abstract: For the past eight years I have been listening to death penalty workers in Oregon as they talk about the effects of participating in the death penalty on their lives and work. In addition, I have spent a great deal of time listening to family members of murder victims and students of the death penalty in classes I teach. Certain themes of common concern emerge in the testimonies such as concerns for public safety, retributive needs, distrust of government agencies and legislators, and enmification of offenders. However, when those who implement or insist on the death penalty learn of the suffering of those who carry it out, their concern for innocent victims comes to the fore and they become thoughtful, particularly about a local concept of “We, the people” and what “we” should be doing. I would like to present this methodology in a poster session at ASC and engage visitors in conversation about listening as a way of building complex and layered portraits of the situatedness of public policy in local identities.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: The possibility of states recognizing same sex marriages has produced a moment of political and constitutional crisis that, in the words of the New York Times, “is being likened to other seminal flashpoints in contemporary American history, from the fight over abortion to the battle for civil rights.” In 2004, same-sex couples in San Francisco and Multnomah County Oregon were briefly offered the opportunity to marry. About 7,000 couples in those locations grabbed the opportunity to marry despite the evident legal, political, and social instability surrounding that act in both locales. And indeed, the marriage licenses issued to those couples were subsequently invalidated by the courts.
My paper presents initial results from a survey of those couples. The survey was designed to explore, among other things, the legal and cultural meanings these couples attached to marriage and the impact of legal recognition—and its subsequent removal—on the family unit.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed

Publication Type: Poster Presentation
Abstract: Invasive plant pathogens are a tremendous threat to forest health. Phytophthora ramorum, an exotic fungus-like organism, attacks 110 plant species and kills mature oak, tanoak, and beech trees. The pathogen is also a problem in nurseries, where it can infect plants, soil, and irrigation water. It has been shown that P. ramorum can spread from infected nursery stock into natural landscapes. A federal quarantine regulates the movement of susceptible plants within the US. However, the pathogen continues to be detected in plants moving through trade. The Grower Assisted Inspection Program (GAIP) is designed to compliment the federal quarantine by enlisting the cooperation of nurseries in preventing the spread of P. ramorum through infected plants. The actions taken by GAIP participants will also help manage other Phytophthora problems within their nurseries and potentially minimize fungicide inputs into irrigation water and soil. In 2007, the ODA inspected all potential GAIP participants to establish a baseline for the presence of Phytophthora species in Oregon nurseries. With the help of cooperators, online training modules that describe Phytophthora biology, best management practices for Phytophthora within nurseries, and P. ramorum specifically were developed. The ODA worked with industry to develop a concept paper for interested nurseries that describes the key elements of GAIP. We also developed a template for the mitigation manual each GAIP participant is required to have. Management of P. ramorum in plants, irrigation water, and soil is a mandatory part of the template. To date, 12-15 nurseries are interested in participating in GAIP.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Elementary school students can study various topics in Probability and Statistics at all grade levels, but the topics can be subtle and counterintuitive. Our future elementary teachers should have a good general understanding of these subjects. At Western Oregon University, we offer a course in Probability and Statistics designed for pre-service elementary teachers. It combines basic instruction, group work, computer simulations using Fathom, examples of counterintuitive results in probability, real-world examples of misleading statistics, and lesson plan generation aligned with Oregon State standards. An overview of the topics covered in the course is presented.