Tag: Oral Session 3S

Transnational Professionals: Agency and Practice of Highly Skilled Foreign Employees in American Transnational Corporations

Presenter(s): Shuxi Wu − Anthropology, Asian Studies, Economics, International Studies

Faculty Mentor(s): Tuong Vu

Oral Session 3S

Research Area: Social Science

Funding: UROP Mini-grant

Anthropological examination of transnational migration up to current day has focused primarily on the clearly disadvantaged (low-skill workers vulnerable to exploitation) or the driving figures of globalization (what has been termed the “transnational capitalist class”), whereas the middle strata of skilled employees has received scant attention. In policy debates, skilled
foreign employees are seen as displacers of American workers. In economic analysis, professional knowledge is regarded as valuable capital. It is imperative to put these fields in dialogue with each other for a non-fractured image of highly skilled foreign workers. This ethnographic study of relocated, highly skilled East and Southeast Asian employees or “global hires” of two Portland-based transnational corporations (Nike, Inc. and Columbia Sportswear Company) examines the experience and agency of global hires in the transnational circuit. I analyze how the status of foreign workers with special knowledge construe both leverages and obstacles in the employees’ relocation experience and result in a variety of strategies for negotiation of better opportunities within their structural position. Drawing theoretical inspirations from global commodity chain (GCC) analysis and discussions of organizational migration, I first attempt to show the methods and rationale with which corporations condition the transnational labor flow in the new knowledge economy. I then discuss global hires’ strategies in negotiating for mobility and workplace niche – strategies informed by agentic considerations of possibilities and limitations attached to their status; Bourdieu’s notions of habitus and practice will be seminal here.

A Comparison of Market Based and Government Enforcement Environmental Policies across US States to Observe How Oregon Employment Rates are Impacted

Presenter(s): Blake Dressel − Economics

Co Presenter(s): Natalie Valent

Faculty Mentor(s): Bill Harbaugh

Oral Session 3S

Research Area: Social Science

In an effort to combat climate change, the Oregon State legislature has proposed a cap-and-invest program that establishes a ceiling on total anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions through covered entities and a market-based compliance mechanism. The mechanism will promote carbon sequestration, adaptation and resilience in the face of climate change
and ocean acidification. The legislation establishes a Climate Investment Fund, Just Transition Fund, and a Transportation Decarbonized Fund, which allocates permit funds. The program funding should be allocated in a way that is feasible, cost- effective, and consistent with the law. To find changes in employment rates across Oregon economic sectors, we classify United States (US) state policies as either command-and-control, market-based, or information instruments with the goal of increasing renewable energy development. This data comes from the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency (DSIRE). Furthermore, the paper uses a difference-in-difference-in-difference (D3) econometric estimator, which compares environmental conditions before and after policy implementation, that looks to compare various policy types across US states, across economic sector, and over time with the goal of estimating changes in employment. The employment data comes from the US Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). Based on the literature and data gathered from other US states’ laws, we propose measures that reflect the most cost effective abatement instruments. We then examine changes in emissions through policies to observe changes in employment in Oregon. This information helps inform the analysis of Oregon energy and environmental policies.

Getting to Mars: Assessing In-Space Propulsion Options

Presenter(s): Manju Bangalore − Physics, Mathematics

Faculty Mentor(s): Dan Tichenor, Ben Roberts

Oral Session 3S

Research Area: Space Exploration

The evolution of life has always depended on exploration. From single cell organisms to multicellular, from water to land, and onwards to consciousness. NASA’s hope is to land astronauts on the Red Planet in the 2030s. But how do we get there? A proper propulsion system is necessary to transport the crew members to and from Mars. Current technologies being investigated will take 6 – 12 months just for a one-way trip. However, there are other technologies available for R&D, such as nuclear electric propulsion. A study was conducted to layout and translate the technical capabilities of each major in-space propulsion option for legislators and key decision makers. In addition, the paper examines the policy and political implications of choosing one system over another. This paper serves as a critical addition to the information legislators and policymakers need to decide which transportation system will carry our species beyond one planet, continuing our legacy of crossing new frontiers.