Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Fight For Fluoridation In Stl, Noor Yousaf

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Fluoridation is the addition of fluoride to a source of drinking water. In St. Louis’s public water supply, the amount of fluoride remains the same since 1953 at 5ppm. Dr. Ralph Rosen and his team of dentists and researchers advocated for the fluoridation of the water because it reduced the frequency of dental caries occurring in children and adults alike, but the public had opinions on the sudden addition of chemicals to their water. This includes how the public’s health will be affected, how consumer products would change, and also how effective this addition of fluoride would be. This debate …

Quality Of Life Disparities For The Rural Economically Disadvantaged, April Westerfield-Jackson

Scholar Week 2016 - present

Families who reside in rural communities and live in poverty often experience a lack of quality of life supports, which impacts their mental health and exasperates any special needs they may have. Research in regards to these concerns, has historically focused on southern states and or the impacts of poverty in urban settings. This phenomenological qualitative research study reveals quality of life supports that impoverished families living in rural communities in Central Illinois often do without. This study further examines the families’ perceived barriers to those supports. The following research questions guided this study: (1) What quality-of-life supports (employment, food …

The Influence Of Sustainability Efforts On Sustainable Consumption Habits Amongst College Students, Rebecca Bell

Scholar Week 2016 - present

ABSTRACT:The Influence of Sustainability Efforts on Sustainable Consumption Habits Amongst College Students.

AUTHORS: R. Bell and C. Anstrom

LEARNING OUTCOME: Identify the implications of sustainability efforts implemented within a college campus food service on student perception of university sustainability practices and student behavior.

INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND: Sustainability of food systems is a growing concern for registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs), food service operation employees, policymakers, and activists. Limited research studying student awareness of sustainability efforts and the implication towards developing sustainable behaviors is available. This study explores the relationship between student awareness of sustainability efforts implemented within a college campus food service …

Mapping The Impact Of A Trailway System On The Amount Of Trash Present Within Two Watersheds Of Lynchburg City, Virginia, Lillian Smith

Student Scholar Showcase

Transportation of trash debris within water systems is a prominent occurrence which has been linked to natural and artificial processes such as wind, rain, and littering. Recreational areas, such as activities along greenway trails, have been determined to be a source of debris found in waterways. This study examines whether the presence of an established recreational trail system limits trash accumulation in the entirety of a watershed. Trash data collected at Blackwater Creek, which contains an established trail system, was compared to trash data collected at Fishing Creek, containing a non-established trail system, to answer this hypothesis. A distance of …

El Atlas De Las Carreteras Propuestas En La Zona Transfronteriza Ucayali, Perú-Acre, Brasil, David S. Salisbury, Stephanie A. Spera, Elspeth Collard*, Anna Frisbie*, M. R. Place*, Yunuen Reygadas Langarica, Elizabeth Zizzamia

Multimedia

El Atlas de las Carreteras Propuestas en la Zona Transfronteriza Ucayali, Perú-Acre, Brasil incluye una serie de 15 mapas de dos carreteras propuestas: 1) Pucallpa, Perú-Cruzeiro do Sul, Brasil; 2) Nuevo Italia-Puerto Breu, Perú. El objetivo del atlas es presentar los mapas, posters, e información geográfica para dar una perspectiva geográfica de las propuestas de carreteras y entender mejor los posibles impactos socio-ambientales en estas áreas fronterizas con altos índices en diversidad ambiental y cultural. Los mapas y posters son de acceso público.

Beyond The Politics Of Climate Change: How Education And Income Level Affect Environmental Values, Joanna Falla

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Human-caused climate change has been acknowledged for decades, but public opinion on its validity and severity has been consistently questioned in the United States. Despite the overwhelming evidence pointing towards fossil fuel emissions and unsustainable practices as the leading causes of global climate change, its politicization during the beginning of the century has seriously slowed down America’s path towards a green future. Because this has become a partisan issue for many voters, considerable research has been done on the affiliation between party identification and public opinion on climate change. Although party identification has been studied as a major factor, other …

Understanding Of Aerosol Transmission Of Covid 19 In Indoor Environments, Adama Barro, Cathal O'Toole, Jacob S. Lopez, Matthew Quinones, Sherene Moore

Publications and Research

Our reason for discussing severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) or 2019 novel corona virus (Covid-19), is to understand its aerosol transmission characteristics in indoor spaces and to mitigate further spread of this disease by designing a new HVAC system. The problem that we are tackling is the spread of covid-19 droplets through aerosol transmission by looking at potential engineering solutions to the existing HVAC systems. The purpose is to eradicate the spread of the COVID-19 by testing indoor spaces in an effort to understand the effectiveness of ventilation controls. We believe that scientists and engineers have not …

Evaluating The Impact Of Common Fertilizers On Soil Properties After Planting Tomatoes And Marigolds, Rachel Stuckey, Iin Handayani

Scholars Week

There are many name brand fertilizers that are used today in gardening in the state of Kentucky. Due to the standardization of name brand fertilizer production in factories, this can cause the fertilizers to compromise the nutrients of soil, while all-natural fertilizers are seen as better quality for the consumers, plants and soils. Alaska, Miracle Grow, Monty’s, Pure Gold, Tiger Bloom are the top five fertilizers sold in the state of Kentucky. This study aims to determine the impact of five top commercial fertilizers on soil quality indicators including organic matter, acidity level and moisture content. These fertilizers were applied …

Implementation Of Music Therapy To Reduce Anxiety In Icu Patients, Calley Womack

Scholars Week

Current practice in intensive care units regarding anxiety commonly results in administration of an anxiolytic, which can potentially increase patient’s time admitted, increase costs due to adverse effects, and decrease patient involvement in care. An analysis of multiple research studies was conducted to explore the best practice for management of anxiety, particularly the implementation of music therapy. Studies have been conducted on the implementation of music therapy to reduce levels of anxiety in patients on intensive care floors. Specifically, extensive research with music therapy has been conducted on patients receiving ventilation in the ICU. Consequentially, these studies have shown that …

Observing Waste Production And Bringing Sustainable Options To The Houses In Fraternity Circle, Lindsay Travers

Senior Honors Projects

In our ever-changing world, focusing on sustainability has become important due to human-caused climate change. As a result of our world changing and advancing, the majority of the population now moves at a fast pace. In some cases, this speed of living requires the easiest route possible when it comes to using resources or disposing of items. However, there have been many advancements that have given our world options to be more sustainable. In the 1970’s, recycling was introduced and groups ranging from large corporations to individual households began recycling items and reducing their overall waste production. This was a …

Panel 8. Paper 8.3: Address Flood Threats To Protect Rural Landscape Heritage And Enhance Cultural Tourism, Dexell Aita, Diane Menzies

ISCCL Scientific Symposia and Annual General Meetings // Symposiums scientifiques et assemblées générales annuelles de l'ISCCL // Simposios científicos yy las Asambleas Generales Anuales

Apia has repeatedly been hit by floods exacerbated by climate change. Apia is the capital of the small island nation of Samoa, in the Pacific. The floods from three watersheds start high in the steep rural areas through which the streams traverse. The streams become rushing torrents, destroying the subsistence farms, soils, homes, crops and properties upstream. Downstream flooding impacts buildings, businesses and tourism in the small city as well as the ecology of the harbour, through repeated silt deposits.

A flood management project, which binds Fa’a Samoa, (Samoan cultural practices) to technical landscape management practice, can also lead to …

Assessing Woody Species In The Philadelphia Urban Forest: Foraging Potential Versus Actual Practices, Sarah Becker

Environment and Sustainability Presentations

No abstract provided.

British Government Information Resources, Bert Chapman

Libraries Faculty and Staff Creative Materials

Provides an overview of British Government information resources. Contents include basic British economic and political background and information from British Government websites including the Department of Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), Brexit related material produced by British government agencies such as the Department for Exiting the European Union,, the Ministry of Defence, the National Museum of the Royal Navy, the Home Office Visas and Immigration Section, the Office of National Statistics, Her Majesty's Treasury, the British Parliament including parliamentary committees and research agencies, the website of Member of Parliament (MP) Jacob Rees-Mogg (Conservative-North East Somerset), a webcast of House …

A Socioeconomic Valuation Of Urban Wetland Ecosystems And Policy Recommendation For College Lake, Michael Dunmyer

Student Scholar Showcase

The current dilemma of College Lake offers a unique case study for how urban ecosystems can not only subsist within cities but provide pivotal functions for them as well. With the potential for a dam-breaching storm event increasing in possibility with each passing year, concerns regarding the structural integrity of the College Lake dam in Lynchburg, VA have arisen. Such concerns have led the City of Lynchburg to consider reinforcement or removal of the dam in order to mitigate flood risks along the Blackwater Creek floodplain. Since its formation following the installation of the Depression-era dam, however, College Lake has …

Summer Of Sidewalks: Accessing Lynchburg's Walkability And Planning Within Community Development In Lynchburg, Virginia, Lauren Fishbein

Student Scholar Showcase

For an urban community to be sustainable, it must also be accessible to community members across all socio-economic groups. Due to the current trends in development, communities are beginning to re-evaluate their transportation options. Urban planners are beginning to discourage ‘single family vehicular' reliance and explore other facets such as; public transportation, safe bike lanes and safe sidewalks. Safe, connected and maintained sidewalks can have many benefits including public health, environmental and economic advantages. I interned with City Planning, a department within Community Development in Downtown Lynchburg, and aided their goals to edit the zoning ordinances to make sidewalks a …

Student Knowledge Of Environmental Factors In The Dominican Republic, Nicole Sandretto

The Exposition

No abstract provided.

The Anthropocene, Overview, Scott W. Schwartz

Open Educational Resources

This presentation offers an overview of the developing concept of The Anthropocene -- a term coined to describe our current geological epoch, in which human impact on the planet will leave a permanent trace.

Toxic Treasure Island: Finding Radium Instead Of Gold, Nicole Rejer

Creative Activity and Research Day - CARD

This presentation explores the Navy’s controversial use of radioactive materials in former decades on Treasure Island. It highlights the incomplete cleanup of contaminated soil and radioactive materials, and how current radiation measures are damaging to present-day residents’ health. Finally, it explains the city’s current plans for redeveloping the island, and how many public officials are ignoring the entire radiation problem, as long as other environmental issues Treasure Island residents face on a daily basis.

Human Elephant Conflict, Madeleine Johnson, Sara Miller

CLAS: Colby Liberal Arts Symposium

Human elephant conflict is a serious issue around the world. There are various cases, all of which problematic, with many different solutions. By comparing human elephant conflict in various countries throughout the world, we seek to find possible solutions for Sri Lankan communities.

Examining Environmental Injustice In Florida, Samuel Wasserman, Jeffrey Vaz

CLAS: Colby Liberal Arts Symposium

This project analyzes potential areas of environmental injustice on a census tract level throughout Florida. Data on race and median household income were compiled into ArcGIS 10.2.2 along with Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) locations to determine if communities with low income or large minority population are disproportionately exposed to sources of heavy pollution. Statistical tests found that high minority and low income census tracts were more likely to be within two miles of a TRI site and that census tracts containing two or more TRI sites had significantly lower median household incomes than census tracts with only one or fewer …

Predicting At-Risk Areas For Deforestation In Malawi, Robin Lewis, Andrew Currier

CLAS: Colby Liberal Arts Symposium

One of the poorest nations in Africa, the small country of Malawi has recently experienced severe deforestation. From 1990-2010, Malawi lost 17% of its forest cover (FAO 2013). Malawi also has the 6th highest population growth rate in the world (3.3% per year) (CIA 2014). Given this information, our study aimed to predict areas of future deforestation in Malawi. We constructed a spatial model to predict deforestation using the following parameters: distance from roads, distance from major markets, and population density. Our model predicted tree cover loss from 2000-2010 with some degree of accuracy. We then applied this model to …

The Utilization Of Spatial Analysis To Predict Areas Of High Shark Attack Risk, Emily Walker, Laurel Whitney

CLAS: Colby Liberal Arts Symposium

In the past twelve months, Australia has faced five fatal shark attacks. Some researchers have attributed this spike in shark attacks to increased populations. Since 1990, the Australian population has increased from 17 million to 23 million. As sharks are relatively common in Australia, the governments of some states have implemented culling as a shark attack mitigation strategy. However, under the Fisheries Management Act 1994 and the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995, this program is listed as a Key Threatening Processes as it has harmed two or more threatened species listed under those acts, which has rendered it quite controversial …

Impacts Of Sea Level Rise On Plum Island, Ma, Jessica Batchelder

CLAS: Colby Liberal Arts Symposium

ArcGIS 10.2.2 and NAD1983 Massachusetts Stateplane Mainland FIPS 2001 projection was used to model sea level rise on Plum Island, Massachusetts. Under high sea level rise conditions of 3m, 81.9% of the buildings on the island will be inundated in addition to a total of 11.06km2 or 75.44% of the islands land area. 86.5% of the wetlands would be inundated, the most loss of any vegetation type on the island. Based upon elevation data, this model provides a basic analysis of the impacts of extreme sea level rise on Plum Island.

Case Studies Of Turtle Rehabilitation As Implicators Of Legislative Efficacy, Meredith Braun

CLAS: Colby Liberal Arts Symposium

Six of the seven species of marine turtles occur in Australias waters. All species of marine turtle are listed as vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered under the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). International legislation exists for the protection of biodiversity, habitats, and endangered flora and fauna, but the cohesion of these policies leaves much to be questioned. In cooperation with the Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre on Fitzroy Island, Queensland, Australia, this study aimed to take the stories of four turtles observed in rehabilitation in May of 2014 and use them as a launching pad for investigation and …

Sustainability Perceptions In The Brewing Industry: Regional/Regional Craft, Microbreweries And Brewpubs, William B. Pierson

Symposium of Student Scholars

The purpose of this study is to identify sustainability perceptions within the US brewing industry. In 2014, we disseminated an online survey to all regional/regional craft breweries, microbreweries and brewpubs as identified by the Brewer's Association, 2012 (http://www.brewersassociation.org/). We employed statistical analysis to determine if there was a significant difference among the three categories of breweries found in urban and urban clusters regarding their self-assessment of sustainability. Findings indicate that regional/regional craft breweries and microbreweries tend to score higher in their self-assessment when compared to brewpubs.

Using Historical Information In Wildlife Science: A Personal Journey, William Krohn

William B. Krohn