Digital Commons Network^™

Makerspaces And The Steam Initiative, Anthony Paganelli, Andrea Paganelli

Kentucky Convergence Conference

Due to Core Curriculum Standards and the STEM and STEAM Initiative, educators are searching for innovative tools to meet the educational needs. Makerspaces offer an outstanding perspective in teaching interdisciplinary studies. A wonderful example is the Future of Music Makerspace, which introduces participants to basic musicianship. By studying music, students will learn various other disciplines while collaborating and accomplishing a common goal.

Teaching Multimedia With Free Tools, Jim Lindsey

Kentucky Convergence Conference

Students love doing hands-on work with multimedia – images, audio, video and Web sites. Unfortunately, software to do such work so can be costly and difficult to install. This hands-on presentation will show participants free tools for editing images, audio, video and Web site creation as well as how to incorporate them into their computer literacy courses. Most of the tools that will be shown are Web-based; students only need an Internet connection to use them. Since the session is short, hyperlinks to tutorial videos, sample assignments and grading rubrics will be made available to participants.

Universal Design: Collaborating With Campus Partners For Accessibility, Beth Case, Deb Castiglione

Kentucky Convergence Conference

Recent lawsuits have focused attention on the importance of accessible online courses. Although often perceived as the role of the disability office, the responsibility for accessible online courses also falls on the shoulders of faculty and instructional designers. In this presentation, you will learn about Universal Design, how to be proactive, and how to collaborate with others on campus to provide the best experience possible for online students with disabilities.

Advanced Ads-B Prototype For Support Of Reusable Launch Vehicles And Other Spacecraft, Richard S. Stansbury

Space Traffic Management Conference

No abstract provided.

Knowledge-Centered Support: Why Bother?, Kaliegh Belda

Kentucky Convergence Conference

This presentation’s goal is to provide an understanding of Knowledge-Centered Support, provide initial steps for starting a Knowledge Base, and provide resources for help with starting a Knowledge Base. This presentation is derived from the WKU IT Helpdesk’s experiences and challenges that we overcame when implementing our own Knowledge Base.

Combining Faculty, Instructional Design, And Library Services To Provide Students A Framework For Information Evaluation, Linda Leake, Samantha Mcclellan

Kentucky Convergence Conference

The creation of the course-embedded Critical Thinking & information Evaluation Module series resulted from the need for undergraduate students to start their academic careers with a framework for evaluating information. Pulling from the Paul-Elder Critical Thinking Framework and focusing abstract information literacy concepts on the commonly-used resources of Wikipedia, Google, and scholarly journal articles, the presenters will delve into module creation to implementation of these modules and discuss the logistics of this process to guide other faculty-librarian-instruction designer collaborations.

Quick And Easy Tips For Improving The Accessibility Of Online Materials, Beth Case

Kentucky Convergence Conference

Most faculty and instructional designers know they need to make their online materials accessible to students with disabilities. But do you know how? This presentation will walk you through some very simple and quick techniques you can use to improve the accessibility of your documents. This workshop will focus on Microsoft Word documents, while touching on PDFs, PowerPoint, audio, and video files

Space Objects, Limited Resources, & Space Traffic Management: A View From The Field., Mark A. Skinner

Space Traffic Management Conference

No abstract provided.

Marshall University Special Collections Digitization Workshop, Lori Thompson, Nat Debruin

Librarian Research

This workshop, Digitization 101: To Digitize or Not to Digitize? was presented at the West Virginia Library Association (WVLA) Fall Conference on October 6, 2015. The focus of the workshop was to introduce the participants to factors and considerations that should be taken into account prior to starting a digitization project for the preservation of textual and graphic materials. Also included was a technical session (Session 2) on the selection of hardware and software for digitization as well as accepted best practices.

50 Shades Of Ebooks With A Hint Of Pda, Laura Edwards, Victoria Koger

EKU Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Institutionally licensed eBooks have not quite lived up to users’ needs and libraries’ expectations. Patrons accustomed to the ease of accessing eBooks purchased via commercial sites such as Amazon and Google Play are sometimes thrown for a loop when they encounter eBooks via the library’s site and the myriad restrictions that seem designed to turn users away. Libraries struggle with managing the complexities of eBook licensing and access, and staying on top of the differences between vendor platforms. Add to that the rapidly changing landscape of the ebook business landscape (rocketing STL prices, conflicting access models for ebooks on the …

B-1 Psalm 1: "From Obedience To Eternity", Maksym S. Gordiienko

Celebration of Research and Creative Scholarship

In my paper I analyze Psalm I. There are direct allusions in this psalm to the Pentateuch and to the book of Revelation. Thus it connects the past of Israel with eternity and glorious future of God’s people.

In poetic form the Psalmist reveals secrets of salvation. In order to understand his wisdom I make two steps. Firstly, I analyze the literary context and the genre of the psalm. I also make exegetical analysis studying the structure of the psalm, its keywords and grammatical data. Secondly, I give suggested theological interpretation.

The paper finishes with practical application as any theological …

Team Maggot: Designing A Better Bait Cup, Kristi Bugajski, Jordan Corsolini, Chris Henning, Tori Tamburrino

Fall Interdisciplinary Research Symposium

Forensic entomology is the application of data from arthropods for investigative purposes in the criminal justice system. This study examined blow fly oviposition (egg laying) rates on chicken liver. The purpose of this experiment was to create a more effective bait cup for a higher percent yield in oviposition. The three main questions studied were: “does the weight of the liver affect oviposition?”, “does the location of the bait cup affect the occurrence of oviposition?” and, “is a foil or a plastic cup more attractive for oviposition?” A one way ANOVA showed a significant difference in the amount of oviposition …

Solar Thermal Decoupled Electrolysis: Reaction Mechanism Of Cobalt Oxidation, William Prusinski, Daniel Kotfer, Joshua Grade

Fall Interdisciplinary Research Symposium

The oxidation of Co(OH)₂ at the anode of the H₂ producing electrolytic cell was investigated via cyclic voltammetry (CV) and chronocoulometry to develop an explicit description of the reaction mechanism. It was found that the behavior at the anode is very complex; by varying the switching potentials and number of cycles in the CV, the shapes of the voltammograms change. Chronocoulometry studies provide evidence of surface adsorption. From the CV studies, it was also discovered that Co(OH)₂ is oxidized to CoOOH at a potential close to the thermodynamically predicted value of -0.112 V vs Ag/AgCl (3M NaCl) …

Acid Induced Dna Binding Of Cooa, Rachael Devries, Brian R. Weaver

Fall Interdisciplinary Research Symposium

A bacterial heme protein, CooA, changes shape to bind DNA and activate transcription. Previous research indicated gas molecule (e.g. carbon monoxide) binding to CooA is essential to initiate protein shape change, but recent studies suggested the protein may be able to bind DNA without gas in acidic conditions. To investigate this, CooA was subjected to an acid range of 4-10 pH units and DNA binding was measured via a fluorescence anisotropy assay. From these studies, pH dependent DNA binding was observed, and optimal binding was achieved in the pH 4-6 range. Addition of gas did not improve DNA binding at …

Transformation Of Organic Pollutants Using Novel Nanomaterials, Abby Beavan

Fall Interdisciplinary Research Symposium

A novel photocatalytic nanomaterial composed of semiconductor-graphene oxide-metal films (SGM) has been developed for the detection and destruction of organic contaminants in both air and water matrices. The TiO₂-graphene-Ag films were prepared and dried under vacuum, and the catalytic performance was compared to TiO₂ films. Aqueous solutions of propylene glycol phenyl ether (PPh), one of the contaminants of the 2014 chemical spill in Elk Lake, Virginia, were used to test the catalytic performance of the SGM films. The solutions containing the films were exposed to light from a xenon (Xe) lamp, and a lamp with a filter …

Testing The D-Band Model For Propane Dehydrogenation On Sub-Nanometer Transition Metal Clusters, Stephen Place

Fall Interdisciplinary Research Symposium

The d-band model has been useful in understanding how adsorbate molecules form bonds and interact with a transition metal catalyst surface. Recent research has shown that it is possible to apply the model to nanocluster catalysts on a support structure, but the d-band model has not yet been tested for sub-nanometer clusters. For this research, four atom transition metal clusters are used as catalysts to study bond formation in the dehydrogenation reaction of propane (C­3H8) to propene (C­3H6). Testing whether the d-band model applies for these clusters is a step toward developing possible descriptors of their catalytic activity. Our ultimate …

Fungal Bioremediation Of Human Solid Waste, Alexander Mehreteab, John Stewart, Mark Johnson, Micheal Kevin Watters

Fall Interdisciplinary Research Symposium

The accumulation of solid human waste is a major problem for long-term space expeditions. Fungal bioremediation of solid waste could provide a solution to this problem. Filamentous fungi can be used to biodegrade human solid waste. We report here the comparison of a variety of wild-type filamentous fungi for their ability to rapidly degrade solid waste. Certain strains of wild-type filamentous fungi, such a Neurospora crassa and Gelanispora cerealis, yielded waste to fungal-mass conversion rates of over 60 percent in seven days. Several strains, includingNeurospora crassa, are edible and average about 50 percent amino acid content by …

Synthesis And Characterization Of An Unnatural Fluorescent Amino Acid, Yeongseo An, Blagojce Trimoski

Fall Interdisciplinary Research Symposium

The goal of this project is to chemically synthesize a fluorescent amino acid that will later be used to build a protein that glows in the dark. Glow-in-the-dark proteins are of great value to biologists because fluorescent microscopy can then be used to observe the protein’s spatial and temporal location within a living cell. The specific objective of this project is to synthesize a 4-(N,N-dimethylamino) phthalimide-based environment-sensitive fluorescent amino acid. This will be accomplished by synthesizing two separate building blocks, 4-N,N-dimethylaminophthalic anhydride and allyl N-α-Fmoc-N-β-L-diaminopropionate, coupling them together and finally removing a protecting group. Synthesis of the pure anhydride required …

Explorations In Real-Time Pcr, Claire C. Mammoser

Fall Interdisciplinary Research Symposium

Real-time PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) is a method by which a specific segment of DNA can be replicated and the results of this amplification viewed both in real time and quantitatively using fluorescence. We have used Real-Time PCR to test the identity and genetic composition of various food samples, and to quantify the amout of this DNA present in the food samples. Another goal of this project was to learn more about the process and instrumentation for PCR and its uses in research. Using and Rt-PCR SYBRgreen kit from BioRad, we tested commercially available corn-based snack foods for the presence …

Product Yield Determination Via An Integrated 13c Spectra, Riley N. Zimmer

Fall Interdisciplinary Research Symposium

The goal of this research was to further develop an experiment that will allow organic chemistry students to compare the ring-opening reaction behavior of propylene oxide using methanol as the nucleophile under both acidic and basic conditions. The composition of the product mixtures was determined using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) via an Inverse Gated 13C spectra. Naphthalene was used as an internal standard. Propylene oxide was refluxed in methanol under acidic conditions to produce a 50:50 ratio of the two possible products (1-methoxy-2-propanol and 2-methoxy-1-propanol) at a 68% yield. Basic conditions resulted in a 67% yield with a 99:1 product …

Defining And Adhering To Standards Of Professionalism In Residency, Jeffrey S. Berger, Amanda N. Hopkins, Gurwinder Gill

E-Learning Modules

This resource is a learning module developed for first-year residents to gain exposure to the tenets of professionalism, both in the general practice of medicine and within their own specialty. By completion of this module, each resident will have articulated his or her personal standards of professional behavior and have made a written commitment to strive for those standards in everyday clinical situations.

To evaluate the effectiveness of this module, a brief survey was distributed to current and former residents who had completed the module. The survey presented a series of 10 statements and asked participants to report their level …

Open Access And Undergraduate Research, Marie Danforth, J.D. Rimann

Open Access Week

How can open access contribute to the success of undergraduate research? Join us for this presentation and learn how the Center for Undergraduate Research (CUR) supports undergraduates in their research endeavors, as well as how open access contributes to the success of their mission. In addition, this presentation will offer a first look at The Catalyst, an open access journal of undergraduate research that is being re-launched by a student-led editorial team with support from CUR’s leadership.

A Panel Discussion Of The Redefined Roles Of Dissertation Chairs/Members: Entering A New Benchmark System For The Doctoral Student; And Understanding The Institutional Review Board (Irb): A Joint Venture Process Between The Principal Investigator (Doctoral Student) And Co-Investigator (Faculty Advisor), David B. Ross

Faculty Presentations

No abstract provided.

Open Access Theses And Dissertations, Paula Mathis, Jeanne Stewart

Open Access Week

This presentation will focus on the workflows for managing theses and dissertations at Southern Miss. It will include a discussion of what students need to know, frequently asked questions, and the advantages of making your thesis or dissertation open. Students who are either currently completing or who will soon be beginning an Honors thesis, master’s thesis, or dissertation are strongly encouraged to attend.

Outreach To Campus Administrators On Open Access Initiatives, Ryne Leuzinger, Jacqui Grallo

SJSU Open Access Conference

As librarians work to develop and support open access (OA) initiatives, it is essential that they communicate effectively with administrators, from the head of the library to the president or chancellor of their university. Librarians often find themselves at the nexus of OA initiatives and are well-positioned to bring together the interests of various units on campus and advocate for a given initiative to campus administration. In this presentation, which will be applicable to a broad range of higher education institutions, we will discuss effective practices and key takeaways from an open access initiative at CSUMB that focused on textbook …

Open Access And The Logic Of Collective Action, John Wenzler

SJSU Open Access Conference

In the digital age, academic libraries confront the dilemma of collective action. In the era of print, each library stored, organized and provided access to a collection of scholarly resources for researchers at a local institution. On an integrated electronic network, all of these tasks become shared endeavors. One copy of a journal article housed on an Internet server provides faster and more convenient access to the scholarly community than 1,000 printed copies scattered across the country. Thus, the work of maintaining the article and making it discoverable can be done by one organization for the entire community instead of …

The California Open Educational Resources Council: From Curation To Adoption, Katherine D. Harris, Diego Bonilla

SJSU Open Access Conference

California’s three public higher education systems (University of California, California State University, the California Community College System) enroll nearly 3 million undergraduate students and employ almost 100 thousand faculty. In 2012, the California State Legislature directed the three systems to create an online library of open educational resources to encourage the use of free or affordable textbooks and other materials throughout California’s public higher education system. Composed of faculty representatives from each of the three systems, the California Open Educational Resources Council (CAOERC) was formed and charged in January, 2014, with collecting, peer-reviewing, helping to curate, publicizing, and cultivating the …

It Takes A University: Oer And The Portland State University Reducing Student Costs Initiative, Marilyn K. Moody

SJSU Open Access Conference

OER have a major role to play in student affordability efforts. Portland State University’s Reducing Student Costs Initiative is a broad-based effort to reduce student textbook and course materials costs. This presentation looks at the opportunities and challenges of involving stakeholders from across the campus in this initiative, including faculty, staff, students, administrators, donors, and external partners. OER related strategies of the Initiative, including plans for increasing OER use in courses and programs are described.

The Initiative’s work and implementation plans involving the adoption, use, and creation of OER include:

• Developing courses and programs that utilize OER, including online flexible …

Overcoming Resistance To Open Initiatives On Campus, Gerry Hanley

SJSU Open Access Conference

California State University's (CSU) Affordable Learning Solutions initiative has produced a number of system-wide strategies, technologies and campus-based programs that are driving down the cost of course materials for students while offering greater access to no-cost or low-cost academic content for instructional faculty. In this presentation, Dr. Hanley, Assistant Vice Chancellor at California State University, Chancellor's Office, will focus on the variety of free resources to support teaching and learning via the CSU’s Affordable Learning Solutions initiative. The different deployment strategies used by CSU campuses will be showcased and approaches to motivating faculty and administration will be discussed.

Optimizing Merlot For Optimal Ict Literacy, Lesley S. Farmer

SJSU Open Access Conference

Today's students need to locate, use and share information in myriad formats; they need to be ICT (information and communication technology) literacy. The CSU system has started an ICT Literacy Initiative to build out the MERLOT collection of ICT literacy learning objects, and to help faculty integrate ICT literacy into their curricula. This session explains ICT literacy, especially in terms of new standards. Attendees will find out how MERLOT supports ICT literacy, and how they can join and contribute to the ICT literacy community.