Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Wrap Up & Where To From Here, Kathleen Draper, Hugh Mclaughlin, Erich J. Knight Mr., Amanda Ravenhill

USBI Biochar Conferences

Symposium Track Chairs will provide high level summaries of the information covered in each of the tracks: Feedstock & Production; Benefits & Uses; Policy & Community and Sales, Scale & Marketing.

To conclude the symposium and leverage all of the great new ideas and information in everyone's minds, we will capture key take aways as a community and then invite suggestions and discussion about next steps in the biochar movement.

Manure Management & Biochar, Matthew W. Smith, John Miedema, Mike Mcgolden

USBI Biochar Conferences

Co-location synergies: Biomethane & Biochar Production: John Medeima, BioLogical Carbon

Biochar Filters Impact on Anaerobic Digestion: Matthew Smith, WSU

http://youtu.be/RILS6wS3qWk

The Benefits of a Manure-based Biochar: Mike McGolden

http://youtu.be/t1hVgolalRI

Biochar has been in existence for thousands of years. However, it has only been in the past decade that there has been a resurgence in the thirst for knowledge about biochar and research into how it is made and its impact on the environment.

This resurgence has brought about a tremendous amount of research and a rapid growth in education among the general population about biochar – especially in the past …

Wednesday Morning Plenary, Doris Hamill, Tom Miles

USBI Biochar Conferences

Tom Miles will kick off the "Where to From Here" conversation that is critical to understanding next steps for the biochar industry in North America.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCIu8QEQUkk

Doris Hamill will describe the K-12 biochar educational package she and her team launched at NASA, where it has taken off and where it may land. She will also share details about her project for using biochar in the redevelopment project on the Hampton Roads campus.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yx_7w1-bJ8A

Biochar Community Development, Ronal G. Larson, Jim Long, Scott Graves

USBI Biochar Conferences

Growing a Biochar Learning Network in a Rural Community: Jim Long

The presentation will review what we are learning about the effectiveness of our several-year, voluntary journey to introduce biochar to residents using a variety of techniques including:

• Orientations with members of our Umpqua Bio-Alternatives Cooperative and its Biochar Study Group;
• Articles published in newsletters and on web pages produced by related groups;
• Exhibits at farmers' markets, county weed days, and Earth Day;
• Live demonstrations with farmers, community gardeners, Grange members, school students, and Job Corps youth;
• Exhibits, demonstrations, and discussions during our annual fall Biochar Exposition with members of …

Pre-Soil Techniques, Nigel Gale, Dale Hendricks, Doug Clayton

USBI Biochar Conferences

Rescuing biochar: Pre - application techniques to enhance plant responses to biochar additions: Nigel Gale, U of Toronto

A growing body of literature indicates variable responses of different plant species to biochar, including positive, neutral, and negative, suggesting that it is important to investigate the nature and mechanism of species-specific responses to biochar additions. Neutral or negative plant responses to additions of biochars have commonly been reported in prior studies, and are likely the result of a combination of changes in soil properties (e.g. pH, surface area, and nutrient and water retention) and the production of volatile organic compounds from …

Labeling Biochar Products, Kelpie Wilson, David Yarrow, Renel Anderson

USBI Biochar Conferences

Making Claims for Biochar: Kelpie Wilson

Cool Foods: David Yarrow, KAW Valley Biochar

OMRI Certification: Renel Anderson, Black Owl Biochar

Novel Uses Of Biochar, Hans-Peter Schmidt

USBI Biochar Conferences

Cascading Uses of Biochar - Hans-Peter Schmidt, Ithaka Institute

In addition to the use of biochar as a soil amendment, there are an increasing number of ways to incorporate biochar into different eco- and industrial systems. Thus feeding biochar to livestock has numerous benefits not only for the animals, but it also helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improves nutrient retention in animal manure. The use of biochar in building materials is just beginning to be studied but shows promise in the ability to insulate, decontaminate air, provide odor and humidity control. Biochar as pillow filling to induce perfectly reposing …

Ethics & Sustainability, Gloria Flora, John Bonitz, Karen Ribeiro

USBI Biochar Conferences

Biochar and the Sustainability Imperative. Now marks a critical time: as biochar comes of age and markets begin to develop, this young industry is attracting naysayers, doubters and get-rich-quick-schemers. Ethical biochar production and use is of paramount importance as we continue to lay the groundwork for biochar as a model for carbon neutral/negative business, landscape restoration and truly green technology. Shortcuts, poor quality product and unsustainable use of biomass could bring biochar to its knees before it gains the traction necessary to fulfill its promises. This discussion will explore opportunities and pitfalls in feedstocks sustainability, production integrity and ethics in …

Remediation/Pollution Control, Makoto Ogawa, Seok-Young Oh, Josh Kearns

USBI Biochar Conferences

Sorptive Treatment of Metals and Nitro Explosives in Water Using Biochar -

Seok-Young Oh^1*,

Biochar, a solid byproduct of a pyrolysis process was investigated as a sorbent to remove toxic metals and nitro explosives from natural water and wastewater. It was hypothesized that biochar can sorb dissolved metals and nitro explosives due to its high surface area and strong sorption affinity of aromatic organic compounds. Using a tube furnace under N₂, various types biochar were synthesized by changing biomass (poultry litter, sludge, fallen leaves, corn stalk, rice straw, and coffee grounds) and temperature (250, 400, …

Farmer Workshop, Rachel Hestrin, David Yarrow, Christian Pulver, Thea Whitman

USBI Biochar Conferences

Sunday afternoon October 13, 2013 from 1:00 to 4pm, at the New England Small Farm Institute in Belchertown MA (275 Jackson Street)

Join fellow farmers and gardeners in an interactive, educational, and highly stimulating presentation/workshop about what biochar is (and is not) along with details about how and why biochar can help you achieve your growing goals. Learn about the many benefits of soil conditioning with biochar, application techniques and amounts, carbon stability, and other practical advice. Rachel Hestrin from Cornell University will deliver a hands on technical presentation and field expert David Yarrow will review his extensive SARE grant …

Changing Workplace Culture And Building Community With Student Outreach, Aaron Nichols, Anne R. Dixon, Angus Robertson

UVM Libraries Conference Day

This presentation discusses how the Bailey/Howe Library created a student-run outreach program to help create a major cultural change in its student workforce. The presentation discusses the problems Bailey/Howe faced with the student workforce, the planning for changes to be made in the student workforce, and how an outreach program run by student employees created a greater sense of community in the workplace.

New Torch, Same Flame, Joanne Montanye

UVM Libraries Conference Day

This project is a work-in-progress exploring collaborative preservation opportunities for libraries and current digital-content creators in Vermont. Legacy retention partnerships are waning with the print industry, and new independent creators are discovering the need to self-archive, develop new alliances, or risk eventual loss of their work. Cooperation is in everyone's best interests, in that libraries can advise on best curation practices for access and interoperability; creators can keep libraries up-to-date technologically; the public benefits from access to more digital-only work; and the bridges between print and digital records are maintained. This presentation is a narrative of the project's origins up …

Online Social Media And Informal Language Learning, Nikita Chan

Practical Social and Industrial Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

Getting In Our Own Way: The Degradation Of Student Organizations, Johnny Brownlee

Black Issues Conference

Getting in our own Way: The Degradation of Student Organizations:

Across the nation our student organizations are struggling and student governments are struggling. Many seem to be on their last leg, past their prime, etc. Organizations don’t have the activism and sacrifice of students form the 60’s and 70’s, drive of the 80’s, survival skills of the 90’s or money and participation of orgs form the early 2000’s. We seek to see if it’s a generational problem or are other factor the problem

Streaming Media Hosting Provided By Libraries, Cyrus Ford Zarganj

Scholarship Colloquium

Describes the different kinds of streaming media and things libraries should keep in mind about them.

Functional Speech And Language Techniques For All Types Of Learners Across The Lifespan, Susan P. Paul M.A., Ccc/Slp

Annual Foundations Behavioral Health/La Salle University Autism Spectrum Disorders Conference

Communication is behavior and behavior is communication. We learn how to learn and interact through communication. This workshop will focus on how the environment can foster an individual’s attention and emotional regulation, thus facilitating a person’s ability to learn and interact with the world. Functional verbal and non-verbal strategies will be demonstrated in all areas of speech and language.

Playing Politics With Rape: Republican Apologia In The 2012 Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization, Kelsey Deforest

Hollins Student Conference (2012-2016)

During the second half of 2012, heightened scrutiny was applied to Republican politicians’ discussion of sexual assault. This wave of interrogation, though, began too late to affect the debates over the 2012 Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization. This paper will problematize these debates by analyzing the rhetoric of self-defense used by Republican legislators in the House of Representatives to defend their VAWA Reauthorization bill. By applying a feminist critical discourse analysis to the final VAWA Reauthorization debate held on May 16, 2012, this paper shows that the actions of the Republican legislators are rooted in a desire to protect the …

A Style Of His Own: A Rhetorical Analysis Of Barack Obama, Victoria West

Hollins Student Conference (2012-2016)

This paper analyzes President Obama’s rhetoric in his two inaugural addresses in order to determine how his presidential rhetoric conforms to and violates current rhetorical traditions in inaugural addresses. For this paper a rhetorical analysis of Obama’s addresses was performed using a form of genre criticism. The components for this genre criticism were drawn from Vanessa B. Beasley’s work on presidential rhetoric in her book You, the People: American National Identity in Presidential Rhetoric. Anticipated results of this analysis will show that President Obama’s presidential rhetoric is more secular than previous presidents. The results will also illustrate that President Obama’s …

Adoption Messages Communicated Intergenerationally, Kelcee Clark

Creative Activity and Research Day - CARD

The purpose of this case study was to examine what, if any, messages related to adoption were passed down intergenerationally through a family with a connection to adoption. To investigate this topic, I conducted two interviews, one with a mother who was adopted and one with her biological daughter. Using Owen’s (1984) thematic analysis (1984), I found that messages of openness, positivity, and shaping of opinions on social issues were expressed and passed down through generations of this family. These results and implications for future research are described.

Coping With Pediatric Cancer: Conversational Methods Utilized By Parents And Children When Dealing With Pediatric Cancer, Chelsi Morgan Walls

Graduate Research Symposium (GCUA) (2010 - 2017)

This thesis sought to analyze how parents communicate with their child regarding pediatric cancer treatments. When dealing with pediatric cancer, it is vital that parents and their child communicate about the illness in order to effectively cope with the cancer. Using Uncertainty Management Theory, along with sub-concepts of the theory (i.e., appraisals, inferences, and illusions), this thesis sought to discover which coping mechanism (i.e., affect-management or buffering) would be chosen to manage the illness. Under UMT, appraisals were assessed, resulting in positive and negative appraisal, which indicated whether the individual handled the issue with either an inference based on general …

Media Bias Through Facial Expressions On Local Las Vegas Television News, Jessica Zimmerman

Graduate Research Symposium (GCUA) (2010 - 2017)

Trust in news media has been considered an important base for social order and cohesion in society and is a crucial variable for evaluating news media. Media credibility has been questioned by the audience for some time and the audience’s trust in the media has been slowly diminishing over the years. When a news broadcaster communicates a story on local television news, it is possible for his own opinions and beliefs to leak through nonverbal communication, specifically facial expressions. This presentation explores the four main local Las Vegas television news stations’ anchors and reporters to visually analyze whether facial characteristics …

Does Movie Viewing Cultivate Unrealistic Expectations About Love And Marriage?, Lauren Galloway

Graduate Research Symposium (GCUA) (2010 - 2017)

The present study investigated the connection between romantic movie viewing frequency and endorsement of dysfunctional beliefs for romantic relationships in a university-based sample of 228 participants. Respondents completed a questionnaire in which they reported demographic information as well as responses to the several scales that measure endorsement of romantic ideals. I base this investigation of Segrin and Nabi’s (2002) examination of television viewing habits and proclivity for unrealistic expectations of sex, love, and marriage. Both the current study and the investigation conducted by Segrin and Nabi (2002) support the supposition that media play a part in reinforcing beliefs about coupleships. …

President Barack Obama's Commencement Addresses: Revising The Functions Of Ceremonial Rhetoric, Milene Ortega Ribeiro

Graduate Research Symposium (GCUA) (2010 - 2017)

Commencement speakers are typically expected to praise students for their achievements and motivate them for the path that is to come. When the commencement speaker is a President, however, the expectation is different. In times of rhetorical presidency, no presidential address is apolitical, and this project investigated the functions of ceremonial rhetoric in light of the rhetorical presidency doctrine. Close textual analysis of the three most controversial commencement speeches delivered by President Obama, revealed that the challenge of fulfilling the expectations of a commencement address, while also responding to rhetorical problems, required the President to adopt complex rhetorical strategies. The …

Survivors Of Childhood Sexual Abuse:What Heals And What Hurts In A Couple Relationship, Laura Smedley, Kathy Disney-Fairchild, Stephen Fife, Colleen Peterson

Graduate Research Symposium (GCUA) (2010 - 2017)

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is a significant trauma that affects a person’s self-concept and ability to form healthy intimate relationships later in adulthood. Approximately 20% of adults who experienced childhood sexual abuse go on to evidence serious psychopathology in adulthood (Harway & Faulk, 2005). Knowledge of how relationship partners affect the healing of the survivor may be very beneficial to couples’ therapists, to survivors themselves, and to their intimate partners. The purpose of this qualitative study is to increase understanding of the survivor’s experience of what is helpful and what is counterproductive in their healing process within the construct of …

The Other September 11th: El Mercurio Media Coverage After The Chilean Coup Of 1973, Valeria A. Gurr‐Ovalle

Graduate Research Symposium (GCUA) (2010 - 2017)

This thesis provides an exploratory overview of the role the El Mercurio newspaper played along with the military after the Chilean coup of 1973. The study reviews the contents of the newspaper’s front pages, including their coverage of the events during the coup. The thesis will show how the paper revisited its coverage each year on the September 11th anniversary, beginning with the years dominated by the military government, from 1973 through 1990, and continuing through the transition to democracy, from 1991 through 2007. The primary method used in the course of this examination is a content analysis, which will …

Social Media As Technologies Of Accountability: Explaining Resistance To Implementation Within Organizations, Jeffrey Treem

Collaborative Organizations & Social Media Conference

No abstract provided.

The Organization (Re)Invented By Its Blogs, Alex Primo

Collaborative Organizations & Social Media Conference

This article discusses how interactions in organizational blogs participate in the

emergence of the organization itself. Based on the principles of The Montreal School of organizational communication, the paper reflects on how the recursive relationship between texts and conversations in blogs, according to their affordances, mobilizes the organization and contributes to its continuing creation. In order to conduct this argument, the concept of social media, uses of organizational blogs and the main contributions of The Montreal School are analyzed. Finally, this article demonstrates how blogs contribute to the definition of the organization. Beyond their promotional potential, the blog’ role as …

Framing Ict Usage In The Real Estate Industry, Steven Jones

Collaborative Organizations & Social Media Conference

The real estate industry, like many, is one based on a competitive consumer culture in which professionals vie for the business and, ultimately, the loyalty of customers. In this case, those customers are purchasing what, for most, is a significant investment, requiring them to navigate various legal and regulatory processes that might be impossible without the assistance of a knowledgeable, seasoned agent. It is the presence of agency that renders real estate unique from retail and other industries where goods and services trade hands. Furthermore, the rise of various information and communication technologies (ICT) over the course of the past …

Microblogging Practices Of Virtual Organizations: Commonalities And Contrasts, Jing Wang

Collaborative Organizations & Social Media Conference

Microblogging is becoming increasingly pervasive in computer-supported collaboration, attracting various types of users. Organizations, as one type, are willing to leverage this social media service for their operation, but lack guidance of how to effectively manage their organizational microblogs. However, research on microblogging practices at organizational level, especially in virtual organizations, is very limited. To enhance the understanding of how virtual organizations use microblogs in similar and different ways, we investigate microblogging practices of two virtual organizations by examining the content characteristics of their Twitter posts. We identify eleven categories of microblog themes of three dimensions, consisting of both common …

Virtual Communities Don’T Exist: Avoiding Digital Dualism In Studying Collaboration, Pj Rey, Nathan Jurgenson

Collaborative Organizations & Social Media Conference

Effective collaboration in communities requires information sharing. Though digital media may have certain affordances that encourage us to communicate differently than in the past, the communities these media facilitate are no less real than communities bound together by voice or text. In this paper, we argue that idea of “virtual communities” is misleading. Communities and collaboration occur not in some virtual world or a new, cyber, space, but instead they are part of one reality influenced simultaneously by materiality and the various flows of information—digital included. In light of this argument, we implore researchers to take serious the influence of …