Digital Commons Network^™

Using Astrobiology As A Platform To Study The Impact On The Mathematical Content Knowledge And Pedagogical Content Knowledge Of Elementary Education Majors, Meredith Kay Berthelson

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Early mathematical skills have long been hailed as a cornerstone and as the best predictor of later success in mathematics and literacy. This perception highlights the importance of elementary educator’s mathematical content knowledge (MCK) and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). This study explored a novel approach to motivating and facilitating preservice elementary educators’ engagement in an interdisciplinary context. Astrobiology is a growing interdisciplinary field with extraordinary educational potential. It has the potential to provide an exciting science framework structure to mathematics for preservice educators. Due to its interdisciplinary content, astrobiology offers preservice educators an opportunity to see math content through a …

Intelligent Personal Assistants In The Classroom: Impact On Student Engagement, Jason Patrick Neiffer

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Intelligent personal assists are as a software tool utilized by millions of consumers to interact with their smartphone, tablet, laptop or desktop computer, or smart speaker. As more mobile and computer operating systems offer the feature, more classrooms and ultimately students will have access to one of these tools, either on a school-purchased device or a personal device.

The aim of this study was to look at a specific implementation of Siri, an intelligent personal assistant platform, in upper elementary and middle school science classrooms. The researcher utilized the lense of student engagement to measure the impact of the implementation …

Universal Design For Learning In Online Credit Recovery: Do Course Features Impact Achievement?, Robert I. Squires

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This experimental study investigated whether the addition of course features based on the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework impacted achievement in an online English 1A credit recovery course offered by a state virtual school in the Western United States. An alternative format for completing course mastery assignments and eText support tools (ReadSpeaker and TextAid) were added to an existing version of the course. Writing prompts were also included in the alternative mastery assignments. Credit recovery students were randomly enrolled by school personnel into control and treatment sections of the English 1A courses using the enrollment mechanism of the school’s …

Determination Of Lipid Bilayer Affinities For Small Molecules Using Capillary Electrophoresis And Copolymer – Stabilized Lipid Bilayer Nanodiscs, William Michael Penny

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Electrokinetic chromatography is a variation of capillary electrophoresis that allows for the separation of nonionic analytes by selective interaction with an ionic pseudostationary phase dissolved in the background electrolyte. The utility of electrokinetic chromatography to characterize pseudostationary phases and pseudostationary phase–solute interactions has been recognized since its introduction. The objective of this dissertation was to use electrokinetic chromatography and copolymer stabilized lipid bilayer nanodiscs as a pseudostationary phase to characterize small molecule-lipid bilayer interactions.

Styrene-maleic acid copolymers were used to stabilize cylindrical sections of lipid bilayer in solution, forming nanodiscs. The nanodiscs are formed based on strong hydrophobic interactions between …

Greening Of The Arctic: Plot-Scale Analysis Of Interactions Between Climate, Vegetation, And Permafrost At Toolik Lake, Alaska (1995 - 2017), Brianna Rick

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Air temperatures across the Arctic have increased in recent decades, and through complex feedbacks, vegetation and permafrost (frozen ground) are actively responding as climate warming continues. This study investigates the trends and interactions of observed air, soil-surface temperature (SST), and active-layer thickness (ALT) at Toolik Lake on the Alaskan North Slope between 1995 and 2017, as well as vegetation change over time.

Time series between 1995 and 2017 at CALM site U12B, a 1 ha plot near Toolik Lake, reveal an increase (0.50 °C/decade) in mean summer (Jun-Aug) air temperatures and a decrease (­0.23 °C/decade) in mean summer SST. In …

Directional Non-Covalent Interactions: Exploring The Nuances Of Halogen Bonds And Hydrogen Bonds In Solution And The Solid-State, Nicholas Blouin Wageling

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Molecules interact in numerous ways. Halogen bonding is one of the most newly discovered and poorly understood non-covalent interactions. However, this attractive force may be a useful tool for chemists in various disciplines. The directional nature, and competitive strength of the interaction makes it a promising alternative to hydrogen bonding based molecules. Indeed, through crystal structures and solution phase anion titrations, this work has shown that a halogen bonding scaffold can outperform its hydrogen bonding analogue not only in overall interaction strength, but also in resistance to inactivation from polar solvents (an important feature in anion receptors, organocatalysts, and many …

The Development Of A Simplified Alkalinity Titration Analyzer, Reba Van Beusekom

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Alkalinity is the acid neutralizing capacity for water, meaning alkalinity measures how sensitive an aquatic system is to acidic inputs. Currently, there are various measuring systems for alkalinity available including chemical test kits, potentiometric techniques, and colorimetric methods. Commercially available products lack the ease of use combined with precision and accuracy desired for on-line process and environmental monitoring. The goal of this project is to develop a simplified alkalinity titration analyzer, called the easyTMT, to measure alkalinity with precision and accuracy comparable to the best conventional methods. The system, under development, uses the Tracer Monitored Titration (TMT) technique. TMT …

Quantum Mechanics Investigation Of The Photophysical Properties Of Ruthenium(Ii)-Based Complexes Combined With The Development Of Their Force Field Parameters Using Molecular Mechanics And Molecular Dynamics Simulation, Sanaa Saad Alabbad

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The focus of this study is to develop a theoretical strategy that can help guide the design of novel organometallics with desirable photophysical properties for molecular engineering. This computational study includes proposed complexes and others for which experimental data are available. The agreement between the computational results and the experimental observations confirms the validity of our procedure and the level of theory we applied in this study. The ground singlet (S0) and excited triplet (T1) electronic states and corresponding optical spectra of a series of cationic complexes —[RuH(CO)L(PPh3)2]+ (L=2,2´-bipyridyl) (Rubpy), 4,4´-dicarboxylic-2,2´-bipyridyl (Rudcbpy), bis-4,4’-(N-methylamide)-2,2´-bipyridyl (Rudamidebpy), bis-4,4’-(methyl)-2,2´-bipyridyl (RudMebpy), [Ru(CO)2dcbpy(PPh3)2]2+ (Ru(2CO)dcbpy), [Ru(H)2dcbpy(PPh3)2] (Ru(2H)dcbpy), …

Transfer Of Graphing Skills From Math To Chemistry, Brittany Danielle Busby

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Most students begin their university studies with adequate mathematical skills to succeed in general chemistry. However, students have a demonstrated difficulty with the application of math in a chemistry context. The ability to apply skills to new contexts is known as transfer, and understanding and enhancing transfer of graphing skills into the context of chemistry is the primary purpose of this investigation. Graphing skills were selected as the area of emphasis because they provide a strong conceptual link between math and chemistry.

This is a two-phase, sequential, quasi-experimental, mixed-methods study. In the first phase of the study, the quantitative research …

Curated Chaos: A Rhetorical Study Of Axmen, Rebekah A. Mcdonald

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

In this study, the author uses mixed methods to analyze a three-dimensional place as a rhetorical artifact. The artifact, Axmen, is a family owned, for-profit retail store and a non-profit museum outside of Missoula, Montana. Using examples of the tangible and semiotic features found within the place, the author demonstrates and translates the rhetorical messages communicated there. These messages are then contrasted with the messages the owners and curators of Axmen want to communicate. The author argues that the current curation of museum artifacts and retail products is exclusive to white males, romanticizing blue collar work. This single-lens narrative of …

Quantifying Effects Of Using Thermally Thin Fuel Approximations On Modelling Fire Propagation In Woody Fuels, David Blasen, Jesse Johnson, William Jolly, Russell Parsons

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

In this paper, we quantify the effects of the thermally thin fuel approximations commonly made in numerical models that eliminate temperature gradients within a heated object. This assumption is known to affect the modeled ignition and burn behavior, but there is little research on its impact, particularly in larger fuels or in numerical models including moisture and chemical decomposition of fuels.

We begin by comparing modeled to observed ignition times and burn rates. To constrain variability in the material properties of wood and focus on variability caused by fuels assumed to be thermally thin, we conduct experiments using thermogravimetric analysis …

Of Ruptures And Raptures: Locating Ideology With Lidar Imagery, William Dale Schroeder

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Archaeological praxis necessarily requires at least one object (a piece of technology or something that functions as an object) to articulate and explain ideologies from the past. This is problematic because ideology is abstract and difficult to locate in the archaeological record in reified form. Archaeology’s preoccupation for over 100 years has been the systematic location, identification, and excavation of discrete artifacts; features, and sites; interpreting meanings from comparative studies and data sets; and putting the past in order all while documenting change over time. Historical archaeologist Mark P. Leone identified fences, the Plat of the ideal City of Zion, …

Just Open A Window: Understanding The Vulnerability To Summer Heat Of A Mountain Community In The Western United States, Missoula, Mt, Julie J. Tompkins

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

How do we conceptualize vulnerability or resiliency to a natural hazard when it has not historically been understood as such? This study focuses on Missoula, located in mountains of western Montana, which has steadily grown by 1-2% per year to almost 75,000 residents. The formerly temperate quality of its winters and summers has also been changing. Projections from the 2017 Montana Climate Assessment estimate the state will experience a 2-5°F increase in mean annual air temperature over the next two decades, prompting city and county officials to plan for scenarios not formerly in their consideration. Of further concern is the …

Leaving More Than Footprints: Impacts Of Tourism And Perceptions Of Change In Chilean Patagonia, Heidi Blair

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Visitation to protected areas is on the rise globally, and the Aysén region of Chilean Patagonia is part of that trend. Within Aysén, Cerro Castillo National Reserve is one of the protected areas that has seen the largest increase in visitation in recent years. Protected area tourism catalyzes changes in surrounding communities, and it is important to understand resident perceptions of these changes in order to inform management planning and to implement effective, equitable conservation policy. In this study, I use qualitative research methods to investigate local residents’ perceptions of social, economic, and ecological changes spurred by or related to …

Estimating Global Ecosystem Isohydry/Anisohydry Using Active And Passive Microwave Satellite Data, Yan Li, Kaiyu Guan, Pierre Gentine, Alexandra G. Konings, Frederick C. Meinzer, John S. Kimball, Xiangtao Xu, William R. L. Anderegg, Nate G. Mcdowell, Jordi Martinez-Vilalta, David G. Long, Stephen P. Good

Numerical Terradynamic Simulation Group Publications

The concept of isohydry/anisohydry describes the degree to which plants regulate their water status, operating from isohydric with strict regulation to anisohydric with less regulation. Though some species level measures of isohydry/anisohydry exist at a few locations, ecosystem-scale information is still largely unavailable. In this study, we use diurnal observations from active (Ku-Band backscatter from QuikSCAT) and passive (X-band vegetation optical depth (VOD) from Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer on EOS Aqua) microwave satellite data to estimate global ecosystem isohydry/anisohydry. Here diurnal observations from both satellites approximate predawn and midday plant canopy water contents, which are used to estimate isohydry/anisohydry. The …

Restoring Watersheds And Building Watershed Communities, Lindsay Wancour

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

The central theme of my four portfolio pieces is restoring watersheds and building watershed communities. Each component of my portfolio approaches this theme differently. Using a broad approach allowed me to explore the various ways communities, watersheds, and restoration can intersect. My first portfolio piece analyzes cost-effectiveness of low-technology erosion control structures. These were used as part of a project to restore California Gulch, near Anaconda, MT. The second piece begins with a legislative history of exempt well policy in Montana. It goes on to study the collaborative processes used in developing an exempt well bill in the 2017 legislature, …

Atay V. County Of Maui, Stephanie A. George

Public Land & Resources Law Review

As genetically engineered plants become more common, questions frequently arise regarding how the plants are regulated and who can regulate them. The Ninth Circuit attempted to answer these questions through preemption doctrine. The court left the door open for states and localities to regulate genetically engineered crops that have been deregulated by the federal government. This decision will implicate the future cultivation of genetically engineered crops, and the food industry as a whole.

You Say Its Your Birthday... But Could You Prove It?, Cynthia Ford

Faculty Journal Articles & Other Writings

No abstract provided.

Montana Kaimin, November 1, 2017, Students Of The University Of Montana, Missoula

Montana Kaimin, 1898-present

Student newspaper of the University of Montana, Missoula.

City Of Helena V. Community Of Rimini, Molly M. Kelly

Public Land & Resources Law Review

After twenty years of adjudication, the Montana Supreme Court affirmed the City of Helena’s right to 13.75 cfs from Ten Mile Creek, the city’s primary water source. The Court found a statute allowing cities and municipalities to exercise water rights that have gone through extended periods of nonuse did not need a retroactive clause.

Candlelight, Steven Lang

CutBank

No abstract provided.

Fire Signs, Brooke Wonders

CutBank

No abstract provided.

Montanan, Fall 2017, University Of Montana--Missoula

Montanan Magazine, 1969-2024

This is the magazine of the University of Montana with news about the University for UM alumni as well as current faculty, students, staff, and administrators. This is volume 34, number 3.

Fish And Wildlife Management On Federal Lands: Debunking State Supremacy, Sandra B. Zellmer, Martin Nie, Christopher Barnes, Jonathan Haber, Julie Joly, Kenneth Pitt

Faculty Law Review Articles

This Article reviews the authority of federal and state governments to manage wildlife on federal lands. It first describes the most common assertions made by state governments regarding state powers over wildlife and then analyzes the relevant powers and limitations of the United States Constitution and federal land laws, regulations, and polices. Wildlife-specific provisions applicable within the National Park System, National Wildlife Refuge System, National Forest System, Bureau of Land Management, the special case of Alaska, and the National Wilderness Preservation System are covered, as is the Endangered Species Act. We reviewed an extensive collection of cases of conflict between …

Montana Kaimin, September 27, 2017, Students Of The University Of Montana, Missoula

Montana Kaimin, 1898-present

Student newspaper of the University of Montana, Missoula.

Form And Substance: The National Historic Preservation Act, Badger-Two Medicine, And Meaningful Consultation, Kathryn Sears Ore

Public Land & Resources Law Review

No abstract provided.

Restoring The Skagit River Delta: Habitat Restoration And Farmland Reclamation On Fir Island, Wesley James Furlong

Public Land & Resources Law Review

No abstract provided.

Montana Kaimin, September 20, 2017, Students Of The University Of Montana, Missoula

Montana Kaimin, 1898-present

Student newspaper of the University of Montana, Missoula.

Standing Rock Sioux Tribe V. U.S. Army Corps Of Engineers, Oliver Wood

Public Land & Resources Law Review

The United States District Court for the District of Columbia partially granted the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s motion for partial summary judgment against the Army Corps of Engineers after the Tribe alleged the violation of required environmental analysis. While the court held that the Army Corps of Engineers mostly complied with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act, the court found deficiencies within its environmental analysis; the remedy is forthcoming.

Montana Kaimin, September 6, 2017, Students Of The University Of Montana, Missoula

Montana Kaimin, 1898-present

Student newspaper of the University of Montana, Missoula.