Dissertation Defense Schedule

Academic Excellence

Sharing original dissertation research is a principle to which the University of Delaware is deeply committed. It is the single most important assignment our graduate students undertake and upon completion is met with great pride.

We invite you to celebrate this milestone by attending their dissertation defense. Please review the upcoming dissertation defense schedule below and join us!

Dissertation Defense Form

Must be received two weeks prior to your defense.

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PROGRAM | Energy and Environmental Policy

From the Endless Summer to the Surf Spring: Technology and Governance in Developing World Surf Tourism

By: Leon Mach Chair: Robert Warren

ABSTRACT

This work explores the potential for resource users to self-organize to reduce or eliminate the negative impacts historically associated with surf tourism in developing countries – or in other words, the potential for user inspired governance, rather than governments to foster sustainable outcomes in areas where surf tourism is the dominant (if not only) source of tourism. This study proposes a new framework to contextualize developing world surf tourism (DWST), which combines knowledge from socio-ecological systems (SESs) studies and the growing body of work dedicated to characterizing co-evolving technology, environment, and society (TES) interrelationships. This framework is applied to a case study of volunteer surf tourism (VST) in Lobitos, Peru. Data was collected utilizing participant observation and informal interview methodologies during two field visits, which occurred in 2010 and 2014. This data was analyzed using the Framework Assessment for Sustainable Surf Tourism (FASST) to assess the role VST plays in shaping the overall surf tourism governance structure in Lobitos and to examine the sustainability of the surf tourism development that results. The findings reinforce the need for more careful consideration of how technology influences surf tourism governance at different scales.

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The Process

Step-by-Step

Visit our “Step-by-Step Graduation Guide” to take you through the graduation process.From formatting your Dissertation to Doctoral Hooding procedures.

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Dissertation Manual

Wondering how to set up the format for your paper. Refer to the “UD Thesis/Dissertation Manual” for formatting requirements and more.

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Defense Submission Form

This form must be completed two weeks in advance of a dissertation defense to meet the University of Delaware Graduate and Professional Education’s requirements.

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