Digital Commons Network^™

Floral Resource Dynamics For Pollinators In A Central Iowa Tallgrass Prairie Restoration, Lily Conrad, Ben Hoksch, Mark C. Myers

Undergraduate Student Work

Recently, native and managed colonies of pollinators, including bees, butterflies, and other insects, have experienced a largescale declines. In an effort to restore habitat for pollinators, the United States Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) created the CP-42 Pollinator Habitat conservation practice under the Conservation Reserve Program. This program pays private landowners to restore habitat for pollinator species with ecological and economic importance. To qualify for the program, CP-42 seed mixes must include:

• A minimum of 9 pollinator-friendly flowering plants,

• A minimum of three species in bloom during each of three seasonal periods (April-June 15, June 15-July, …

New Insights Into The "Manna From Heaven" Hypothesis, Clare Laubenthal

Honors Program Theses

Titan’s atmosphere is unique in that its atmospheric chemistry is thought to be similar to that of the Earth’s atmosphere during the Archean Era, when bacterial life dominated the Earth¹. Tholins form as a result of the radiation of organic gases by ultraviolet light. These molecules are considered alike to the prebiotic hazes that formed in the atmosphere of Earth during the Archean Era and which allowed for the eventual development of microbial life² . This study investigated whether Earth soil bacteria can grow, using laboratory created tholin analogs, or aerosols, as a nutrient source. This study …

Analysis Of Vibrational Modes Of Chemically Modified Tone Wood, Madison Flesch

Honors Program Theses

It is generally accepted that every violin has different tone quality in terms of intonation and the depth of the harmonics produced. The best violins are made by experienced luthiers that craft each with precision to produce the best possible tonal quality. The quality of the finished violin is dependent upon both the specific shape and the vibrational response of the wood used in its construction. Because the hard wood used in violin construction is inhomogeneous, the composition and structure of material used is critical to the final product.¹ Luthiers would initially rely on their experience to feel the …

Stem Stories, December 2017, Ginger L'Heureux

STEM Stories

Program Spotlight - American Society of Biological and Agricultural Engineers (ASABE) Quarter-Scale Tractor Student Design Competition

Determination And Quantification Of Lead Content In Mammut Americanus Dentine Material By Anodic Stripping Voltammetry, Emma R. Shipley

Mastodon Tusk Project Posters

A 120,000-200,000 year old mastodon tusk of species Mammut americanus, recovered from Hampton, Iowa in 1933 (right) was tested for lead using a lead test from Home Depot.1 The lead test was returned positive, so Anodic Stripping Voltammetry (ASV) was undertaken to determine the concentration of lead in the dentine material of the tusk. The lead concentration is of interest because lead could affect both the health of the conservator and researchers and also inform about the diet of the mastodon. Tusk dentine material (left) functions similarly to human teeth, and studies have shown that 90% of lead in the …

Sem/Edx Chemical Composition Map Of Mastodon Tusk, Juliana Herran

Mastodon Tusk Project Posters

The goal of this project was to study one of the rarest objects in the collection of the UNI museum dating to the Aftonian or Yarmouth age (around 120,000 to 200,000 years old).

The tusk is 11 feet, 7.5 inches with a circumference at the proximal end of 2 feet, 2 inches.

There have been previous attempts of restoration of this tusk but there are not specific procedures on record that specify the materials or methods used during the restoration attempts with sufficient detail.

With the support of the Carver Grant awarded to the UNI museum, research teams containing students …

The Wright Message, 2017-2018, University Of Northern Iowa. Department Of Mathematics.

The Wright Message

Inside this issue:

-- New Faculty
--Faculty Spotlight
--Around Wright Hall
--Interview
--Alumni Spotlight
--Hari Shankar Lecture
--Wright Hall Centenary
--News from the CTLM
--Student Spotlights
--Mathematical Ideas Conference
--Donor Spotlight
--Retiring Faculty
--Classrooms Named in Honor of Faculty
--Contributions to an Account – Recognition
--Department Funds

Reading Nonfiction Science Literature With And Without Arts Integration Activities, Elizabeth Mccartney, Catherine Mochal, Victoria Boyd, Audrey C. Rule, Sarah E. Montgomery

Journal of STEM Arts, Crafts, and Constructions

This study explores the integration of the arts into the teaching of science nonfiction texts during literacy instruction. Sixty-one elementary students (15 second graders, 25 third graders, and 21 fifth graders) attending schools of differing socio-economic levels participated in this study. The study examined the effects of artsintegration on student content knowledge, engagement level, and attitudes toward learning regarding science nonfiction texts. Throughout the eight-week study, students experienced both the traditional no-arts control condition and the experimental arts-integration condition in two-week segments for different science topics. Both conditions employed literacy strategies to teach comprehension of science nonfiction texts. The resulting …

Middle Level Preservice Teachers Experience A Natural History Arts-Integrated Interdisciplinary Thematic Unit, Carolyn A. Weber, Audrey C. Rule

Journal of STEM Arts, Crafts, and Constructions

Curricular demands and best practices for middle school require interdisciplinary units. Arts integration can provide motivation and a new pathway to learning. This unit focused on inquiry into the natural history of artifacts and rocks recovered from the exposed subsoil of an area near Cedar Falls, Iowa that had been bulldozed as part of subdivision development. The described unit involved preservice teachers in exploration of all subject areas (language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies) with arts-integrated projects (agate watercolor painting, stone tool graphing, acrylic polymer clay agate keyring making, and stone tool drawings). The content area activities for social …

University Of Northern Iowa Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes, November 27, 2017, University Of Northern Iowa. Faculty Senate.

Documents - Faculty Senate

Meeting minutes from the Faculty Senate of the University of Northern Iowa.

2s1. Re-Framing Master Narratives Of Dis/Ability Through An Emotion Lens: Sophia Cruz’S Ld Story At Her Intersections, David Hernandez-Saca

Education Summit

Learning disabilities (LD) researchers have produced a knowledge base about the academic side of LD. A gap exists concerning the experiences of individuals with LD, particularly their feeling-meaning-making about having LD. Based on a three-year qualitative study using critical ethnographic methods, I center Sophia Cruz's experiences with LD and the label. Sophia experienced the hegemony of smartness and disability micro-aggressions and voiced the idea that LD is a complex multifaceted construct. I discuss implications for the LD field. In addition, I provide tools for participants to improve their ability to work with historically marginalized team members and populations such as …

Stem Stories, October 2017, #2, Ginger L'Heureux

STEM Stories

Student Profile - Akanksha Sahni

Alpha-Arylphorin Is A Mitogen In The Heliothis Virescens Midgut Cell Secretome Upon Cry1ac Intoxication, Jerreme Jackson, Anais Castagnola, Omaththage P. Perera, Cris Oppert, Shigetoshi Eda, Juan Luis Jurat-Fuentes

Faculty Publications

Insecticidal crystal (Cry) proteins produced by the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) target cells in the midgut epithelium of susceptible larvae. While the mode of action of Cry toxins has been extensively investigated, the midgut response to Cry intoxication and its regulation are not well characterized. In this work, we describe the secreted proteome (secretome) of primary mature midgut cell cultures from Heliothis virescens larvae after exposure to Cry1Ac toxin compared to control buffer treatment. The Cry1Ac-induced secretome caused higher proliferation and differentiation and an overall reduction in total cell mortality over time in primary H. virescens midgut stem cell cultures …

Uni Schedule Of Classes, Fall 2017, University Of Northern Iowa

UNI Schedule of Classes

A listing and schedule of the courses being taught as well as policies and procedures concerning attending classes at the University of Northern Iowa.

Mcnair Scholars Program At Uni Newsletter, Fall 2017, Mcnair Scholars Program (University Of Northern Iowa)

McNair Scholars Program at UNI Newsletter

Inside This Issue:
--A message from the Director….
--Congratulations!
--Future Plans
--Welcome
--McNair Scholars Student Highlights….
--Welcome New McNair Scholars….

Tallgrass Prairie Center News, Autumn 2017, University Of Northern Iowa. Tallgrass Prairie Center.

Tallgrass Prairie Center Newsletter

Inside This Issue:
--Into the Weeds: The Pollinator Habitat Evaluation Project
--New Equipment for Field, Lab, and Classroom at the Tallgrass Prairie Center
--Coming Soon: Four Sensational Seminars
--Enhancing Roadsides With Milkweeds and Other Prairie Species: Can We Do it Cost-effectively?
--New Brochures Address Common Questions about Roadside Vegetation

Prairie Enhancement Of Non-Native Cool-Season Grass Stands, Justin Meissen

Tallgrass Prairie Publications and Reports

Diversifying non-native grass stands by seeding and mowing may be a simple and cost-effective practice that roadside managers can add to their existing portfolio of native vegetation management tools. To assess whether prairie species can be successfully seeded into stands of non-native cool season grasses using only establishment mowing, we conducted a field experiment in three Iowa roadsides. Our objectives in this study were to 1) quantify native seedling emergence in cool-season grass stands seeded with prairie species, and 2) evaluate the effect of mowing on native seedling establishment and established roadside vegetation.

Communiqué: College Of Humanities, Arts & Sciences Alumni Magazine, Volume 6, Fall 2017, University Of Northern Iowa. College Of Humanities, Arts, And Sciences.

Communiqué: College of Humanities, Arts & Sciences Alumni Magazine

Contents:
-- Message from the Dean
-- CHAS Briefs
-- Class Notes
-- Into the Woods
-- Wilson Lecture Turns 20
-- Environmental Ethics
-- Hearst Lectureship
-- Proud & Torn
-- Carver Grant Awarded
-- Physics 3 + 2 Program
-- Alum Speaks to UN
-- Clinic Director Named
-- Cornucopia
-- Woman in Innovation
-- Susan & Paul Rider

Uprising, Issue 4, [Fall 2017], University Of Northern Iowa. Northern Iowa Student Government.

Uprising

Contents:

Viva la Bonita --- 6
Metro Records --- 11
Self Service --- 16
The Misfits --- 22
Power Surge --- 36
Going Back to Your Roots --- 44

The Medical Student Manifesto, Ye Kyung Song

Spect-actor: A Journal of Pedagogy & Theatre of the Oppressed

Under neoliberal education systems, medical students are unable to critically engage and develop a critical consciousness because they are forced to master standardized test-taking skills and memorize medical minutiae. As insider-outsiders, medical humanists and bioethicists can shed light on the culture and power dynamics inherent in medical education. Furthermore, the medical humanities could teach medical students to critically reflect on their own human values, and to become ethical and humanistic physicians in the face of the hierarchical culture of biomedicine and neoliberal university administrations. Medical educators, through critical pedagogy, can liberate the medical student and create the potential for changing …

Stem Stories, September 2017, #1, Ginger L'Heureux

STEM Stories

Program Spotlight - Integrating Crosscutting Concepts in Iowa Science Classrooms (ICCISC) project

Uni Grad Student News, V16n1, September 2017, University Of Northern Iowa. Graduate College.

UNI Grad Student News

Inside this Issue:

--Message from the Dean
--New Staff
--May 2017 Commencement
--Altrusa Scholarship Recipients
--New Graduate Student Orientation
--Thinking About Graduate School
--Graduate Student Social Mixer
--Student Accolades

Biennial Faculty Activities Report To The Board Of Regents, State Of Iowa, 2017, University Of Northern Iowa, University Of Iowa, Iowa State University

Institutional Effectiveness & Planning Documents

Report of faculty activity broken down by rank and compared to the other Regents institutions.

University Of Northern Iowa Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes, August 28, 2017, University Of Northern Iowa. Faculty Senate.

Documents - Faculty Senate

Meeting minutes from the Faculty Senate of the University of Northern Iowa.

Evidence Of Youthful Aging: Chronic Stress And The Association With Dna Damage, Jason M. Fly, M. Catherine Desoto

McNair Scholars Program Summer Research Symposium

Abstract: Persistent elevated basal levels of the hormone cortisol are an indication of chronic stress. Maladaptive response to stress, or chronic psychological stress, is thought to play a crucial role in the biological mechanisms involved in mental disorders, disease, and accelerated aging. In 2011, a critical connection was reported between elevated cortisol and the oxidative damage to DNA associated with aging and disease in a study of elderly participants (ages 63-83) via 24-hour urinary samples (Joergensen, et. al., 2011). This connection, if verified, has implications for how stress may accelerate the aging process and the onset of cancer, diabetes, and …

Tracing Ancient Healing Practices Through The Hibiscus, Lyn Tackett

McNair Scholars Program Summer Research Symposium

Abstract: By studying traditional healing practices, we can provide new information that may help solve archaeological mysteries as well as offer new perspectives to modern medicine. For example, Hibiscus tea has long been in use throughout Africa and Asia, yet little research has been done into the origins of this medicine and whether early cultures traded that information. Trichomes and plant morphology of three species of Hibiscus native to Africa, China and India ( Hibiscus sabdariffa, Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, and Hibiscus syriacus) were studied using microscopy. The results were compared to known medicinal claims and ancient documents including trade maps and …

Mcnair Scholars Summer Research Symposium [Program] 2017, Mcnair Scholars Program (University Of Northern Iowa).

McNair Scholars Summer Symposium Programs

No abstract provided.

Plant Size And Competitive Dynamics Along Nutrient Gradients, Deborah E. Goldberg, Jason P. Martina, Kenneth J. Elgersma, William S. Currie

Faculty Work

Resource competition theory in plants has focused largely on resource acquisition traits that are independent of size, such as traits of individual leaves or roots or proportional allocation to different functions. However, plants also differ in maximum potential size, which could outweigh differences in module-level traits. We used a community ecosystem model called mondrian to investigate whether larger size inevitably increases competitive ability and how size interacts with nitrogen supply. Contrary to the conventional wisdom that bigger is better, we found that invader success and competitive ability are unimodal functions of maximum potential size, such that plants that are too …

Spirituality And Contemporary Higher Education, Michael D. Waggoner

Faculty Publications

Though religion played a central role in the founding of U.S. higher education, over the centuries, its influence was diluted by competing secular emphases. In recent decades, religion has seen a resurgence in academic and co-curricular attention on campuses. In addition, a spirituality not based on religion has gained increasing attention. The aim of this article is to provide an overview of the phenomenon of spirituality in contemporary higher education. The author discusses the recent appearance of spiritualty on campus, relates what research says about the potential benefits of and challenges in addressing spirituality in higher education, and examines some …

Rod Library Newsletter: Notes For The Stalled, V10n1, August 2017, University Of Northern Iowa. Rod Library.

Rod Library newsletter: Notes for the Stalled

Contents:

--Library Services Desk
--Creatures of Pointillism
--Bash in the Stacks
--One Search Expanded