As the number of persons living in the United States with permanent criminal records rapidly increases, finding stable and affordable housing for ex-offenders and their families becomes exceedingly difficult. In the interest of promoting and protecting public safety, complete exclusion of those with criminal histories from the both the workforce and public housing has proven to be ineffective. While housing and employment are fundamental in preventing recidivism, those with criminal backgrounds face inevitable obstacles. Nevertheless, landlords and other officials of public and subsidized housing programs have a legitimate interest in ensuring the safety and well being of their residents. An evaluation of Seattle Housing Authority’s use of criminal history in determining which applicants to exclude from its various housing programs is thus necessary to address this conflict. By analyzing both the eviction notices and denial letters of housing applicants, our research aims to examine how criminal history impacts both potential and current residents, as well as determine whether the policies and subsequent actions of Seattle Housing Authority are consistent with the ultimate goal of providing secure housing for those in need. Through these findings we will develop policy recommendations that encompass a comprehensive understanding of the problem, while considering the legal, ethical, and social consequences of excluding applicants with criminal histories.

Seyfert galaxies are a type of galaxy that is part of a larger class called active galactic nuclei (AGN) in which the central supermassive black hole is accreting surrounding material. On large scales, Seyfert galaxies look identical to quiescent galaxies in which the supermassive black hole is inactive. However, on a smaller scale, around 10 – 10³ parsecs, we are now starting to detect differences in the molecular gas and stellar properties that can help us reach our goal of determining what the key differences are between the Seyfert galaxies and the quiescent galaxies and what results in the generation of an AGN. One of these differences could be star formation at the nucleus of the galaxy. To determine if this is a factor, we can use spatially resolved 2-D spectra to detect any Brackett Gamma (Brγ) emission within the central 10³ pc. For galaxies that have Brγ emission, we can measure the equivalent width of the Brγ line and, through comparison with stellar population evolution models, constrain the age of the stars. A potential complication with using the Brγ line is that there can be an additional broad component of the line generated by high velocity clouds very near the central black hole that is not associated with star formation. We minimize the impact of this broad component by fitting and removing it to isolate the narrow line emission of interest. The age can also be further constrained by estimating the supernova rate and the mass-to-light ratio. We have found that Brγ is significantly more prominent in Seyfert galaxies than in quiescent galaxies, suggesting that there is more active star formation in the nuclear region of Seyfert galaxies. Constraining the age of this stellar population will determine the role of these stars in fueling the central AGN in these galaxies.

Astronomers do not yet completely understand how galaxies evolve. Current leading theories propose that spiral galaxies merge and the result is an ultra-luminous infrared galaxy or ULIRG, which is a galaxy with an active galactic nuclei (AGN) that is obscured by warm dust and gas. After the ULIRG phase, it is thought that the galaxy becomes a quasar after a blowout stage occurs. The blowout stage is when the huge energy output from the accretion process of material falling into the central black hole expels the gas that was previously obscuring the central quasar. The blowout stage would be short-lived, however, and therefore difficult to directly observe, so evidence of this process is scarce. In order to study the blowout stage, we obtained 2-D K-band integral field data with SINFONI (Spectrograph for Integral Field Observations in the Near Infrared) on the Very Large Telescope for a sample of six quasars that are divided into pre- and post–blowout by comparing their ratios of infrared luminosity to the luminosity of the optical 'big blue bump’. We measured the spatial distribution and column density of the warm molecular gas but did not find the correlation of these quantities predicted by blowout models. To further explore the relationship between post- and pre-blowout galaxies, we fit the luminosity profiles of the molecular gas and compare this to the profiles of the stellar population which traces the gravitational potential.

Single molecule microscopy techniques make it possible to observe the fluorescence of individual dye molecules. One observation previously obscured in ensemble measurements is fluorescence intermittency, where molecules undergo prolonged non-emissive periods, as well as other intermediate emissive states. We are trying to identify the photochemical processes that cause these fluctuations in intensity. The fluorescence of dye molecules can be affected by the environment in which they are immersed, specifically the substrate they are in. The polymer polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) is of special interest because of its ferroelectric properties, which allows polarization of domains in the polymer. I have been exploring procedures to make PVDF films with a high degree of domain polarization. Using infrared (IR) spectroscopy, I have characterized the percentage of domain polarization in these films. Future investigation is still needed though to understand how PVDF will act as a substrate and what influences it will have on fluorescent organic dyes. An expanded knowledge of organic materials is essential for the design of photochemically stable devices. Based on organic electronics, these new devices will be greener alternatives to semiconductor technologies.