Hispanics are the fastest growing minority group in the U.S. and signs indicate a similar trend in their college enrollment. Leisure activities are known to have a moderating effect on individuals experiencing stress in their lives. Hispanic organizations registered with a major 4-year metropolitan university were targeted. The hypothesis for this study was there is no relationship between acculturation stress and leisure satisfaction. Results indicate no relationship between acculturation stress and leisure satisfaction. One explanation for this lack of a significant relationship between these two measures might be that these college students had obtained a high level of acculturation, which would explain the relatively low level of acculturation stress reported.

The first section explores how far I could stretch dichotomy in formal terms, while maintaining a visually resonant image. I wanted to manipulate a superficial surface filtered through "natural forms" as seen in scientific imagery. By this I wanted to create access to a place where forms could play and imagination could wander. I was seeking to find a confluence in seemingly opposing forces that would coexist in the same work. The second section answers questions I had established for myself. The most important discovery I made was about the true nature of what I called a dichotomy in my work. The last section discusses the conclusions drawn from mounting the Master of Fine Arts Exhibition. I found that my interests resided more in investigating an already confluent dualism, as opposed to reconciling a conflicting dichotomy.

One of the final steps in fabricating microelectromechanical devices often involves a liquid etch release process. Capillary forces during the liquid evaporation stage after the wet etch process can pull two surfaces together resulting in adhesion of suspended microstructures to the supporting substrate. This release related adhesion can greatly reduce yields. In this report, a wet etch release method that uses polystyrene microspheres in the final rinse liquid is investigated. The polystyrene microspheres act as physical barriers between the substrate and suspended microstructures during the final liquid evaporation phase. A plasma ashing process is utilized to completely remove the polystyrene microspheres from the microstructure surfaces. Using this process, release yields > 90% were achieved. It is found that the surface roughness of gold surfaces increases while that of the silicon is reduced due to a thin oxide that grows on the silicon surface during the plasma process.

The submarine and the spaceship fit in perfectly with the ideas of permanence and protection on which my work has been focusing. It is not coincidental that I have long been fascinated with the shapes and mechanisms of these vehicles. They are complex machines designed for a complex function; I find the precision of this to be appealing. I have used their shapes and mechanisms as design aspect in my thesis work. Also, in the studio, I have developed a type of Damascus steel bowl by modifying a technique once used for making gun barrels. I have made three small vessels inspired by spaceships and submarines using this modified technique.

Electronic and computer technology have advanced and transformed graphic design. New technologies are forcing design educators to constantly monitor and update their programs, creating a need for a system to be adopted by college-level institutions to better investigate, evaluate and plan art and design curriculum. The author identifies metaphorical approaches to designing a two-part solution, which includes a Comprehensive Visual Information System (CVIS) and Three-Dimensional Virtual Database (3DVDb), which assign volumetric form to education components based on the form, structure and content of a discipline. Research and development of the conceptual design for the CVIS and 3DVDb are intended to aid in the development of an electronic media solution to be made accessible to students, faculty and administrators.

Man has used graphic signs and symbols to express a variety of thoughts and feelings since before the invention of writing; they have helped him to preserve the ideologies that have enabled him to articulate his conception of the world. Every culture in every historical era has invested the objects, animals and plants around it with a multitude of different psychological meanings to communicate its essential belief systems and social aspirations. In my document, I chose to shed light on the responsibility I believe design educators must assume regarding their ability to understand and teach the importance of how similar graphic signs, symbols, ideograms and icons are perceived differently by different cultures in the hyper-connected, inter-global economy of 21st century. It is very crucial not to discount the influence and correlation of symbolic, fundamental building blocks of design with the basic psychological functions that inform our subconscious, and are also informed by our individual social and cultural upbringings. People from different cultures may cognate these shapes similarly, but they perceive and encode their meanings based on their particular social and cultural influences. One-size-fits-all communication design solutions rarely work, especially when they are distributed to culturally diverse audiences, because various ethnic …