Theses and Dissertations from UMD

Permanent URI for this communityhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/2

New submissions to the thesis/dissertation collections are added automatically as they are received from the Graduate School. Currently, the Graduate School deposits all theses and dissertations from a given semester after the official graduation date. This means that there may be up to a 4 month delay in the appearance of a give thesis/dissertation in DRUM

More information is available at Theses and Dissertations at University of Maryland Libraries.

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Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
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    Art as Architecture: Abstract Modernist Painting Techniques and the Viewer Experience
    (2023) McClure, Katherine; Tilghman, James; Architecture; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    The reciprocal relationship between art and architecture has been a longstanding practice in the design process of both fields. The geometric forms, textures, and colors of various forms of art, but especially painting, have been known to inspire the architectural design process. Similarly, the shape and environmental experience of buildings can inspire or host works of art. Certain paintings, like those of Mark Rothko, are often cited in foundational architectural courses as examples of comprehensive and layered forms suggestive of architecture. However, these references are not typically taken beyond the parti phase in the early stages of architectural design. But how far can this reciprocal inspiration be taken? How can architecture evolve as not just a place for art, but as art itself? This thesis will explore the ways in which the abstract modernist painting techniques of the late works of Mark Rothko can affect the compositional form and experience of a mixed-use artist residency in Georgetown, DC.
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    The Indistinct Edge: Reconnecting Experience in Nature and Architecture
    (2016) Bender, Matthew David; Abrams, Michael; Architecture; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    This thesis explores how architectures sense of place is rooted in the natural environment. The built environment has been constructed to protect and sustain human culture from the weathering of nature. Separating experience from the natural environment removes a sense of place and belonging in the natural and reinforces architectural dominance. This separation distinguishes the natural world as an article of spectacle and gives the human experience an unnatural voyeurship to natural changes. By examining the fusion of architectural and natural edges this thesis analyzes how the human experience can reconnect with a naturalistic sense of place through architecture, blending the finite edge where architecture maintains nature, and adapting buildings to the cycles of the environment. Removing dominance of man-made spaces and replacing them with the cohabitation of the edge between built and natural forms.
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    James E. Alatis: A Life in Language An Oral History
    (2012) Coomber, Nicole M.; Finkelstein, Barbara; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    This oral history tells the story of James E. Alatis, who served as dean of the Georgetown School of Languages and Linguistics (SLL) and as the first executive director of the professional organization Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). Born to Greek immigrants in Weirton, West Virginia in 1926, his preparation for leadership in language education included an upbringing as a child of immigrants and Greek community school. In this environment, Alatis learned to be an interpreter for his parents and for his community. In his later leadership of transformational organizations in the language education field, he institutionalized a style of leadership characterized by the ability to promote a vision and interpret the needs of various groups. His interpretive leadership style fostered collaboration towards a common vision. His story underscores the essential role of linguistics in language education, advocates for a close relationship between government and academia, and promotes applied linguistics as key for language learning and scholarship. He leads by facilitating collaboration and translating among different groups. His vision of language education proved prescient after over forty years in the field of language education and despite challenges presented to it by a change in leadership at TESOL and the closing of the SLL. Alatis's story both opens a window to this period of history in language education and stands as an example of academic leadership in the field.
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    Capital Constructions: Race and the Reimagining of Washington, D.C.'s Local History in the Twentieth Century
    (2006-12-05) Harris, Megan Elizabeth; Giovacchini, Saverio; History; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    From the time of its creation to the present day, Washington, D.C. has been conceptualized as a symbol of the United States, rather than a city in its own right. Such a view disregards the idea that Washington, D.C. possesses a local history. Through the investigation of two recognized historic districts--Georgetown and U Street--this thesis explores how Washington, D.C.'s local history has been commemorated. Examining the constructed nature of these historic districts--the "reimagining" of them--reveals that over the course of the twentieth century, Washington, D.C.'s local African American history has been both erased as well as embraced. Furthermore, the recognition of these two areas as historic has had dramatic repercussions for residents of these neighborhoods.
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    Meaning Through Use: Adaptive Reuse of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
    (2004-06-23) O'Hearn, Kathleen Coleman; Nieves, Angel; Architecture; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    The intersection of urban and natural in addition to old and new in Georgetown allows a unique opportunity to explore how people today find meaning in these features. Adaptive reuse and the re-creation of experiences, as opposed to museum style preservation, are becoming integral components of an Historic Preservation continuum. Interacting with the past creates a living history. This project strengthens the connection between the neighborhood and its history. The Genealogy Library and Archive places an importance on individual contributions to the history of Georgetown and provides a venue for the current population to discover this significance. The patrons can also access other genealogical centers and ascertain their "sense of place" within their own particular family history. The landscape program along the canal as well as the building's bond with the urban fabric invites the people who work and live in Georgetown to use it as an alternative route to M Street. The centerpiece to the design is the urban plaza at the intersection of M Street and Wisconsin with a terraced café and series of ramps cascading towards the canal. The interpretive elements further nurture an understanding of Georgetown's early reliance on the canal and create a unique node in the city. Placing a new value on the C & O canal and engaging it in everyday life creates a stronger sense of place. The history of the site will not be relegated to the one time museum visit but will gain meaning through constant use.