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This dissertation examines social, political, and cultural dimensions of displacement, resettlement planning, and climate change adaptation policy experimentation along Louisiana’s Gulf Coast. I draw upon four years of ethnographic research alongside Isle de Jean Charles Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw Tribal leaders, during a period just before and after their resettlement plans garnered $48 million in federal financial support. Through participant observation and interviews with Tribal leaders, their allies, media-makers who covered the Tribe’s experiences, and state planners tasked with administering the federal funds, I examined social encounters produced as the Tribe’s resettlement plans were embraced, circulated, and transformed throughout international media and policy. My analysis points to a number of tensions expressed as Tribal community-driven efforts to address historically produced vulnerabilities collided with government efforts to reduce exposure to coastal environmental hazards. I describe how policies, planning practices, and particular constructions of disaster and community encumbered Tribal leaders’ long-standing struggle for recognition, self-determination and sovereignty, land, and cultural survival. Ultimately, I argue that the state’s allocation of federal resettlement funds has reproduced a colonial frontier dynamic whereby redevelopment is rested upon the erasure of Indigenous histories; identities; and ongoing struggles for self- determination, land, and cultural survival. Using ethnography to interrogate the social encounters produced through adaptation may inform policies, planning processes, and activism in solidarity with those already regenerating social and ecological relationships threatened by racial capitalism, settler colonialism, and climate change. / Anthropology

Mental health struggles and suicide rates in athletic populations have been on the rise for the past two decades, with an even bigger increase since the pandemic. Disorders such as stress, depression, and anxiety have been the main causes for these struggles and fatalities. The growing rates of mental health disorders and suicide within this population indicate that athletes do not have the adequate resources to restore and improve their mental health. In some instances of presenting their troubles to coaches, staff, or teammates, their only advice is to seek help with on-campus resources or resources at home. Although this can be sound advice in some cases, this can also create the sense that there is no escape from what may be the cause of these mental obstacles. The purpose of this thesis is to create a mental health retreat for collegiate, professional, olympic, and retired athletes. Tucked away at the edge of Rock Creek Park in Washington, D.C., in between existing amenities such as the Carter Barron Amphitheatre and the William Fitzgerald Tennis Center, the retreat allows for the continual use of existing amenities along with other resources and practices provided on-site. This retreat aims to provide spaces and resources at a location that teams or individuals can visit to allow for healing and education about these mental health disorders. This serene space in the middle of a chaotic big city will provide space for resting, performing, healing, and overall restoring which begins to break the barriers between what can be overcome in the feelings that may seem indomitable. / Master of Architecture / Mental health struggles and rising suicide rates among athletes have become increasingly concerning over the past two decades, with a significant spike since the pandemic. Stress, depression, and anxiety are the primary issues affecting this population, and current resources appear inadequate to address their needs. Often, athletes are advised to seek help from on-campus or home resources, which may not always be effective and can sometimes exacerbate feelings of entrapment. This thesis proposes the creation of a mental health retreat for collegiate, professional, Olympic, and retired athletes. Located at the edge of Rock Creek Park in Washington, D.C., near amenities like the Carter Barron Amphitheatre and the William Fitzgerald Tennis Center, this retreat offers a peaceful environment for healing and education. By utilizing existing amenities and providing additional on-site resources and practices, the retreat aims to support athletes in their mental health journeys. This serene space in the heart of a bustling city will offer opportunities for rest, performance, healing, and overall restoration, helping athletes overcome mental health challenges.

Disgraced novelist Dan Alistair is reeling from a recent public scandal when he meets beguiling first-time author Evan Verde at a secluded writer’s retreat. When Evan uses their shared experiences to tell a twisted story, Dan becomes obsessed with uncovering his ulterior motives. Is there truth to Dan’s paranoia, or will his theories prove delusional?

Stream morphology is an important aspect of many hydrological and ecological applications such as stream restoration design (SRD) and estimating sediment loads for total maximum daily load (TMDL) development. Surveying of stream morphology traditionally involves point measurement tools, such as total stations, or remote sensing technologies, such as aerial laser scanning (ALS), which have limitations in spatial resolution. Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) can potentially offer improvements over other surveying methods by providing greater resolution and accuracy. The first two objectives were to quantify the measurement and interpolation errors from total station surveying using TLS as a reference dataset for two fluvial applications: 1) measuring streambank retreat (SBR) for sediment load calculations; and 2) measuring topography for habitat complexity quantification. The third objective was to apply knowledge uncertainties and stochastic variability to the application of SRD. A streambank on Stroubles Creek in Blacksburg, VA was surveyed six times over two years to measure SBR. Both total station surveying and erosion pins overestimated total volumetric retreat compared to TLS by 32% and 17%, respectively. The error in SBR using traditional methods would be significant when extrapolating to reach-scale estimates of sediment load. TLS allowed for collecting topographic data over the entire streambank surface and provides small-scale measurements on the spatial variability of SBR. The topography of a reach on the Staunton River in Shenandoah National Park, VA was measured to quantify habitat complexity. Total station surveying underestimated the volume of in-stream rocks by 55% compared to TLS. An algorithm was developed for delineating in-stream rocks from the TLS dataset. Complexity metrics, such as percent in-stream rock cover and cross-sectional heterogeneity, were derived and compared between both methods. TLS quantified habitat complexity in an automated, unbiased manner at a high spatial resolution. Finally, a two-phase uncertainty analysis was performed with Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS) on a two-stage channel SRD for Stroubles Creek. Both knowledge errors (Manning's <i>n</i> and Shield's number) and natural stochasticity (bankfull discharge and grain size) were incorporated into the analysis. The uncertainty design solutions for possible channel dimensions varied over a range of one to four times the magnitude of the deterministic solution. The uncertainty inherent in SRD should be quantified and used to provide a range of design options and to quantify the level of risk in selected design outcomes. / Ph. D.

Human beings have relied on outdoor public spaces for thousands of years to recreate, socialize, exercise, and conduct business. As climate change leads to more severe weather including flooding, prolonged heatwaves, and wildfires, our ability to safely spend time outdoors is increasingly under threat. While a lot of attention has focused on bolstering the resilience of physical infrastructure, social infrastructure such as public parks are often left behind. To address this issue, this project uses East Potomac Park in Washington, DC as a case study to explore architectural interventions to physically and socially adapt parks for climate change. The existing park, which sits on a sinking island constructed in the early 20th century, is frequently forced to close due to tidal flooding. Utilizing a managed retreat along the southwestern edge of the park, the northeastern edge can be reconstructed as a resilient park for the next century. A series of interconnected pavilions each contain a unique architectural program coupled with passive and active environmental strategies to create comfortable recreational opportunities throughout the year. Specifically, sawtooth roofs, brise soleil, and vegetation are explored to manage temperatures, light, and airflow. / Master of Architecture / Human beings have relied on outdoor public spaces for thousands of years to recreate, socialize, exercise, and conduct business. As climate change leads to more severe weather including flooding, prolonged heatwaves, and wildfires, our ability to safely spend time outdoors is increasingly under threat. While a lot of attention has focused on bolstering the resilience of physical infrastructure, such as roads and bridges, social infrastructure such as public parks are often left behind. To address this issue, this project uses East Potomac Park in Washington, DC as a case study to explore architectural strategies to physically and socially adapt parks for climate change. The existing park, which sits on a sinking island constructed in the early 20th century, is frequently forced to close due to tidal flooding. Utilizing a managed retreat along the southwestern edge of the park, the northeastern edge can be reconstructed as a resilient park for the next century with a series of interconnected pavilions housing recreational or social space.

Coastal sand dunes play an important role in the littoral processes of California’s coastline. Functioning as both source and sink for sand, these dunes often protect coastal infrastructure and provide a buffer between anthropogenic development and coastal forces. At Toro Creek Beach, north of Morro Bay California, recent extreme winter storms have raised concerns about the erosion of the sand dunes that front California State Highway 1. This thesis attempts to characterize the historical growth and recession patterns of the Toro Creek dunes since 1977, the dune movement over the 2023-2024 winter seasons, the wave forcings behind recent high erosion events, and potential impacts of sea level rise. Four topographic surveys of the beach were conducted through the winter of 2024 and showed evidence of -11.5 ft and -12.8 ft of erosion north and south of the Toro Creek bridge. Historical aerial and satellite imagery was used to delineate the extent of the dunes at Toro Creek and estimate dune movement during this period. From 1977-2023, the dunes moved seaward 37.4 ft and 126.6 ft north and south of the bridge. Throughout this period, temporal erosion and accretion is seen on both sides of the bridge. The winters of 2021-2024 display dune erosion on at least one side of the Highway 1 bridge that approaches or exceeds yearly retreat rates developed by the USGS for shoreline (-4.9 ft/yr) and coastal cliffs (-1.6 ft/yr) in the Morro Bay area. Of these winters, 2023 witnessed the most erosion: -33.3 ft north of the bridge and ‑1.1 ft south of the bridge. This study utilized wave data from the Diablo Canyon Waverider buoy to develop a significant wave height climate specific to the orientation of Toro Creek Beach. Using tide data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) tide gauge in Port San Luis, I estimated total water level—the summation of significant wave height and tide—for Toro Creek. Subsequently, I evaluated wave runup using an empirical equation developed by Stockdon et al. (2006). I analyzed the total water level and runup height—the summation of runup and tidal stage—along with other coastal processes like wave direction and refraction during the peak events of the 2021-2024 winters. Among these years, 2023 experienced total water levels as high as 16.3 ft, and runup values as high as 14.3 ft—some of the highest since the start of analyzed wave data. Additionally, I calculated the impact sea level rise (SLR) would have on runup using our wave data, under an extreme sea level rise scenario of 6.4 ft. The number of 24-hour days per year during which runup height exceeds the extreme runup height reached during the December 28, 2023 storm increases from 0.01 to 95.06 with 6.4 ft SLR. The exceedance of the 17 ft FEMA Coastal Flood Zone VE elevation for Toro Creek increases from 0 to 6.60 24-hour days per year with 6.4 ft SLR. Overall, this study shows that dune erosion accompanies high wave runup heights, and that future SLR will increase the likelihood of dune erosion at Toro Creek beach.

This study uses topographic profiles, washover fan volumes, and shoreline retreat rates to explore relationships between barrier types and Hurricane Harvey storm washover sedimentation. Pre- and post-Hurricane Harvey topographic profiles were created on 15 transects using Bare Earth LiDAR (2016) and surveyed elevations (2019). Depth and area of washover fan measurements were collected to estimate washover fan volumes. An inverse relationship was found between washover fan volume and pre- and post-storm barrier heights. Based on the topographic profiles, one section of shoreline had a scarp up to 3m high which blocked overwash, but appears to have increased shoreline erosion. In contrast, a low-lying section of shoreline generated relatively large washover fans, but experienced less shoreline retreat. Shoreline retreat was further quantified between 2014 and 2019 using Google Earth Imagery from 2014, 2016, 2017, and 2019 to track migration of the shoreline. The entire shoreline in the study area is undergoing relatively rapid retreat, but the results suggest that Hurricane Harvey increased erosional rates. The Colorado River Jetty borders the study area and may have acted as an anthropogenic barrier, likely reducing storm surge energy and contributing to marsh aggradation on transects in its close proximity. The study findings indicate that the identification and incorporation of other variables that influence washover magnitude would further the understanding of this complex natural system. The research results provide valuable information on the interaction of hurricane storm surge with natural and anthropogenic barriers, beach and dune erosion, and marsh aggradation along the coast of Texas.

published_or_final_version / Architecture / Master / Master of Architecture

The plate-boundary Alpine Fault runs immediately offshore of the popular tourist destination of Milford Sound, which is visited by more than half a million tourists each year. Glaciers retreated from the fiord between ~24-16 ka, leaving behind a legacy of extreme topography, including some of the world's highest sea cliffs, which tower nearly 2 km above the fiord. Visitors come to view the spectacularly steep and rugged landscape, with many cruising the fiord by boat. This project utilizes surface exposure dating (TCND) of glacially modified surfaces, to gain further insight into the glacier retreat history of Milford Sound. Exposure dates from strategic locations near the entrance to the fiord indicate that the main trunk glacier had retreated about 9 km from its peak LGM position by ~18 ka. Additional TCND and calibrated Schmidt Hammer data from a range of positions within the Milford catchment provide strong evidence that the main trunk glacier receded rapidly after about 18 ka, retreating a further 16 km to a position near the present-day confluence of the Tutoko and Cleddau rivers, by ~16 ka. Available seismic reflection data suggest that post-glacial sediment infill has been strongly influenced by massive deposits of rock avalanche debris. New high-resolution bathymetric and seismic reflection data reveals the presence of at least 18 very large post-glacial rock avalanche deposits which blanket ~40% of the fiord bottom. Geomorphic mapping and field investigation reveal the presence of at least ten additional very large to giant terrestrial landslide deposits in the lower Milford catchment; radiocarbon and surface exposure dating indicate that these events occurred during the Holocene, between ~9-1 ka. Ages of six of these deposits are in agreement with published rupture dates on the southern on-shore portion of the Alpine Fault.