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Faculty Senate Agenda, April 29, 2019, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• EPC Monthly Report - April 4, 2019
• University Policy on Dissent | Free Speech on Campus
• Koch Resolution
• Update on Greenhouse Gas Emissions
• Calendar Committee Annual Report
• Faculty Diversity, Development & Equity Committee Annual Report
• Committee on Committees Annual Report
• Honorary Degrees and Awards Annual Report
• Close nominations for President-Elect
• Faculty Senate President & President-Elect Coverage for 2019-2020
• College Caucus to Elect FSEC members

Quantifying The Value Teachers Place On Non-Monetary Factors When Evaluating Job Opportunities, Jeffrey Gunther

Teacher Education and Leadership Student Research

The way in which working conditions, personal characteristics, and school factors influence teacher recruitment and retention is an oft-studied topic in the field of education finance and policy. Through decades of research, it has become increasingly clear that teachers respond to a set of monetary and non-monetary factors when making decisions in the teacher labor market. What is less clear is the relative or absolute value teachers place on factors such as salary, student demographic factors, school conditions, and other working conditions such as class size, curricular autonomy, and principal support, to name a few. This project introduces the use …

Multiple Local Σ-Aromaticity Of Nonagermanide Clusters, Nikolay V. Tkachenko, Alexander I. Boldyrev

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Nonagermanide clusters are widely used in inorganic synthesis and are actively studied by experimentalists and theoreticians. However, chemical bonding of such versatile species is still not completely understood. In our work we deciphered a bonding pattern for various experimentally obtained nonagermanide species. We localized the electron density via the AdNDP algorithm for the model structures ([Ge₉]⁴⁻, [Ge₉{P(NH₂)₂}₃]⁻, Cu[Ge₉{P(NH₂)₂}₃] and Cu(NHC)[Ge₉{P(NH₂)₂}₃]) and obtained a simple and chemically intuitive bonding pattern which …

Comparing The Accuracy Of Modis Data Products For Vegetation Detection Between Two Environmentally Dissimilar Ecoregions: The Chocó-Darien Of South America And The Great Basin Of North America, J. Camillo Fagua, R. Douglas Ramsey

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

The daily images produced by the MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) sensor aboard the Terra and Aqua satellites have been widely used to monitor global vegetation. Using these data, the Earth Observing System operated by US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has developed a variety of MODIS products focused on the monitoring and evaluation of vegetation condition. These products have three possible sources of variation that can affect the sensitivity of vegetation detection: 1) orbital and mechanical differences between MODIS sensors aboard Aqua or Terra, 2) the preprocessing algorithms used to generate multitemporal cloud-free mosaics (MAIAC or original MODIS …

General Relativity As A Biconformal Gauge Theory, James Thomas Wheeler

All Physics Faculty Publications

We consider the conformal group of a space of dim n=p+q, with SO(p,q) metric. The quotient of this group by its homogeneous Weyl subgroup gives a principal fiber bundle with 2n-dim base manifold and Weyl fibers. The Cartan generalization to a curved 2n-dim geometry admits an action functional linear in the curvatures. Because symmetry is maintained between the translations and the special conformal transformations in the construction, these spaces are called biconformal; this same symmetry gives biconformal spaces overlapping structures with double field theories, including manifest T-duality. We establish that biconformal geometry is …

Interactions Of (My) 6 (M = Zn, Cd; Y = O, S, Se) Quantum Dots With N-Bases, Mariusz Michalczyk, Wiktor Zierkiewicz, Steve Scheiner

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications

(MY)₆ clusters, with M = Zn and Cd and Y = O, S, Se, form double-layer drum-like structures containing M–Y covalent bonds. The positive regions near the M atoms attract the N atom of both NH₃ and NMe₃ so as to form a noncovalent M···N bond. This bond is quite strong, with interaction energies exceeding 35 kcal/mol. The bond strength diminishes with reduced electronegativity of the Y atom (O > S > Se) and is stronger for M = Zn than for Cd. Trimethylation of the base enhances the bond strength. The interaction is dominated by the electrostatic component …

A Modeling Study Of The Responses Of Mesosphere And Lower Thermosphere Winds To Geomagnetic Storms At Middle Latitudes, Jingyuan Li, Wenbin Wang, Jianyong Lu, Jia Yue, Alan G. Burns, Tao Yuan, Xuetao Chen, Wenjun Dong

All Physics Faculty Publications

Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Electrodynamics General Circulation Model (TIMEGCM) simulations are diagnostically analyzed to investigate the causes of mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) wind changes at middle latitudes during the 17 April 2002 storm. In the early phase of the storm, middle‐latitude upper thermospheric wind changes are greater and occur earlier than MLT wind changes. The horizontal wind changes cause downward vertical wind changes, which are transmitted to the MLT region. Adiabatic heating and heat advection associated with downward vertical winds cause MLT temperature increases. The pressure gradient produced by these temperature changes and the Coriolis force then drive strong equatorward …

Usu Student Group Wins 3rd Place In National Stormwater Challenge, Utah Water Research Laboratory

News

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that a group of students from USU have won 3rd place in their annual Campus RainWorks Challenge. The group competed against 39 other teams from across the nation with their submission in the Demonstration Project category.

Marine Reserves Shape Seascapes On Scales Visible From Space, Elizabeth M. P. Madin, Alastair R. Harborne, Aaron M. T. Harmer, Osmar J. Luiz, Trisha Brooke Atwood, Brian J. Sullivan, Joshua S. Madin

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

Marine reserves can effectively restore harvested populations, and ‘mega-reserves’ increasingly protect large tracts of ocean. However, no method exists of monitoring ecological responses at this large scale. Herbivory is a key mechanism structuring ecosystems, and this consumer–resource interaction's strength on coral reefs can indicate ecosystem health. We screened 1372, and measured features of 214, reefs throughout Australia's Great Barrier Reef using high-resolution satellite imagery, combined with remote underwater videography and assays on a subset, to quantify the prevalence, size and potential causes of ‘grazing halos’. Halos are known to be seascape-scale footprints of herbivory and other ecological interactions. Here we …

Eva Nieminski Uwrl Outstanding Alumni Spotlight, Utah Water Research Laboratory

News

Each month the UWRL takes a moment to highlight a UWRL student, alumni, or staff, that has gone above and beyond in their research field and achievements. This month we are highlighting Eva Nieminski, a UWRL alumni known for her water quality research and extended service to the state of Utah.

140%: Helping Students With Reading Disabilities, Emily Joy Powell

Tutor's Column

Tutoring students with reading disabilities will take more than a simple knowledge of reading disabilities in general; it takes knowing how to ask specific questions and fighting against popular stereotypes to create a successful tutoring session. Studies show that one in five students have some type of reading disability. There are ways for tutors to make these students feel more comfortable and confident in their ability to write, however, these techniques must be practiced. While mastering these techniques can be profoundly beneficial for students with reading disabilities, they are valuable to apply in all tutoring sessions.

The Nifz Accessory Protein Has An Equivalent Function In Maturation Of Both Nitrogenase Mofe Protein P-Clusters, Emilio Jimenez-Vicente, Zhi-Yong Yang, Julia S. Martin Del Campo, Valarie L. Cash, Lance C. Seefeldt, Dennis R. Dean

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications

The Mo-dependent nitrogenase comprises two interacting components called the Fe protein and the MoFe protein. The MoFe protein is an α₂β₂ heterotetramer that harbors two types of complex metalloclusters, both of which are necessary for N₂reduction. One type is a 7Fe-9S-Mo-C-homocitrate species designated FeMo-cofactor, which provides the N₂-binding catalytic site, and the other is an 8Fe-7S species designated the P-cluster, involved in mediating intercomponent electron transfer to FeMo-cofactor. The MoFe protein's catalytic partner, Fe protein, is also required for both FeMo-cofactor formation and the conversion of an immature form of P-clusters to the …

Increased Variability Of Thailand's Chao Phraya River Peak Season Flow And Its Association With Enso Variability: Evidence From Tree Ring Δ18O, Chenxi Xu, Brendan M. Buckley, Parichart Promchote, S.-Y. Simon Wang, Nathsuda Pumijumnong, Wenling An, Masaki Sano, Takeshi Nakatsuka, Zhengtang Guo

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

We present a statistically robust reconstruction of Thailand's Chao Phraya River peak season streamflow (CPRPF) that spans the 202 years from 1804 to 2005 CE. Our reconstruction is based on tree ring δ¹⁸O series derived from three Pinus merkusii sites from Laos and Thailand. The regional δ¹⁸O index accounts for 57% of the observed variance of CPRPF. Spatial correlation and 21‐year running correlation analyses reveal that CPRPF is greatly influenced by regional precipitation variations associated with the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Periods of enhanced and reduced ENSO activity are associated with strong and weak ENSO‐streamflow correlation, …

Hydrated Sulfate Clusters So42–(H2o)N (N = 1–40): Charge Distribution Through Solvation Shells And Stabilization, Maksim Kulichenko, Nikita Fedik, Konstantin V. Bozhenko, Alexander I. Boldyrev

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Investigations of inorganic anion SO₄^2– interactions with water are crucial for understanding the chemistry of its aqueous solutions. It is known that the isolated SO₄^2– dianion is unstable, and three H₂O molecules are required for its stabilization. In the current work, we report our computational study of hydrated sulfate clusters SO₄^2–(H₂O)_n (n = 1–40) in order to understand the nature of stabilization of this important anion by water molecules. We showed that the most significant charge transfer from dianion SO₄^2– to H₂O takes …

Porting Symbolic Libraries From Maple To Python, James Lewis

Physics Capstone Projects

Utah State University has a database of tables of the known solutions of the Einstein Field Equation. This database is primarily recorded in the symbolic computing program Maple. This database needs to be translated into Python code so the information can be more accessible to the general public. This translation was successful for one table, which means that it is possible to translate the entire database.

On The Capability Of Metal-Halogen Groups To Participate In Halogen Bonds, Steve Scheiner

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications

A number of halogen (X) atoms were covalently attached to a metal (M) and the ability of the X atom to act as electron acceptor in a halogen bond to nucleophile NCH was assessed. Both Cl and Br were considered as halogen atom, with NH3 and CO as other ligands attached to the metal. Metals tested were Ti, Mn, and Zn in various combinations of oxidation state, coordination, and overall charge. In the majority of cases, the strong electron-releasing power of the metal imbues the halogen atom with a high negative partial charge and minimizes the development of a σ-hole. …

Veteran Educator Named Head Of Usu Engineering Education Department | College Of Engineering, Utah State University

College of Engineering News

An award-winning educator and veteran engineer has been named the head of the Department of Engineering Education at Utah State University.

On The Long Lasting “C‐Type” Structures In The Sodium Lidargram: The Lifetime Of Kelvin‐Helmholtz Billows In The Mesosphere And Lower Thermosphere Region, S. Mondal, S. Sarkhel, Jay Agarwal, D. Chakrabarty, R. Sekar, Tao Yuan, Xuguang Cai, Alan Z. Liu, Satonori Nozawa, Norihito Saito, Takuya D. Kawahara, Martin G. Mlynczak, James M. Russell Iii

All Physics Faculty Publications

In order to understand the characteristics of long‐lasting “C‐type” structure in the Sodium (Na) lidargram, six cases from different observational locations have been analyzed. The Na lidargram, collected from low‐, middle‐, and high‐latitude sites, show long lifetime of the C‐type structures which is believed to be the manifestation of Kelvin‐Helmholtz (KH) billows in the Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere (MLT) region. In order to explore the characteristics of the long‐lasting C‐type structures, the altitude profile of square of Brunt‐Väisälä frequency in the MLT region has been derived using the temperature profile collected from the Na lidar instruments and the SABER instrument …

The Gear Up Experience: What Leads To College?, Erik Dickamore

Student Research Symposium

Gear up is a 6-year federal grant whose purpose is to encourage and support underprivileged students to enroll in and succeed in higher education. Gear up was deployed in 11 school districts across the state 5 and 1/2 years ago. Ambiguity arises when trying to assess the Gear Up program as a whole because each student's experience within the program varies. My research focuses on using advanced statistical techniques ie. a latent profile analysis (LPA) to look at the holistic experience of Gear Up Students. Results highlight the link between different profiles of experiences within the Gear Up program and …

The Effects Of Radiation-Induced Defects On The Electrostatic Discharge Of Polymers, Kip Quilter, Alexandra Hughlett

Student Research Symposium

Test were done to see how radiation-induced defect states affect the electrostatic discharge (ESD) breakdown potential of a material. We selected five different highly disorder polymers (PEEK, PI, FEP, PP, LDEP) due to their different tolerances to radiation. By irradiating samples with 5kGy of penetrating beta radiation in vacuo, we created more localized trap states in the polymers; this is known to increase hopping conductivity. It has also been hypothesized that post-irradiation exposure to oxygen or water in air can repair these defects. ESD can be viewed as an extreme limit of conductivity and therefore is expected to decrease as …

An Exploration Of Kindergarten Students' Use Of Perspective And Computational Thinking, Joseph S. Kozlowski, Hannah Evans, Lise E. Welch

Student Research Symposium

Computational thinking (CT) is a research topic that has garnered increased interest, however investigation of CT amongst early childhood populations is sparse. Recent research suggests that coding toys present beneficial CT learning opportunities for young students. The purpose of this study is to explore 1) kindergarten students' first- and third-person perspectives as they interact with coding toys, and 2) the influence of these perspectives on kindergarten students' CT skills. Four kindergarten students, aged 4-5, participated in five, 30-minute tasks with a Code-a-Pillar robot. The video-recorded final task in this series of five tasks was the main data source for this …

Coding To Develop Early Mathematical And Computational Thinking In Kindergarten: A Case Study, Lise Welch, Joseph Kozlowski, Hannah Evans

Student Research Symposium

An emerging method of integrating science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in elementary settings is through the use of coding robot tasks. These coding robot tasks have the potential to enhance elementary students' mathematics learning and computational thinking (CT) skills. Research documenting how CT skills develop in young children is limited. The purpose of this case study is to examine one student's progression of mathematics and CT skills as they engage in tasks with a coding robot. This investigation documents the progression of a 5-year-old kindergarten student who attends a small, private elementary school. The student and a peer participated …

Effects Of Discussion Strategies And Learner Interactions On Performance In Online Mathematics Courses: An Application Of Learning Analytics, Ji-Eun Lee

Student Research Symposium

In higher education, a widely used online instructional method to enhance learners' engagement, presence, and achievement is asynchronous online discussions. Yet studies demonstrating their effectiveness, especially in high-failure rate courses like mathematics, remain elusive. The objectives of the study are to investigate 1) what online discussion strategies are associated with positive student performance, 2) to what extent do different structures designed into online discussions impact the kinds of learner interactions, and 3) what types of learner interactions are associated with positive student performance. In particular, by applying a set of text mining and data mining techniques (e.g., Classification and Regression …

Automaticity Of Place Value Processing In Dual Language Immersion Second Graders, Emily Speed

Student Research Symposium

Differences in levels of numerical system transparency in Mandarin Chinese and English may affect how children learn and process two-digit numbers. Mandarin has a very transparent system in which the spoken and written system map precisely onto the base-10 structure in a predictable and regular pattern. In contrast, English has an irregular number system; historical sound changes have created irregularities in number-naming through the -teen and decade numbers that make it difficult for young children to learn to count and process two-digit numbers. Typically, English-speaking children up to about age 9 or 10 use decomposed sequential processing, in which two-digit …

Climate Change At Utah Ski Resorts: Impacts, Perceptions, And Adaptation Strategies, Emily Wilkins, Tara Saley, Hadia Akbar, Rachel Hager

Student Research Symposium

Utah sees over four million skier visits per season, which has substantial economic impact across the state. However, climate change may affect the operability of these ski resorts, which could also impact local businesses and communities. With warming temperatures and changes in precipitation patterns, the future of Utah's ski resort industry may be uncertain. We conducted an interdisciplinary study to understand how past weather has changed at the resorts and what climate may be like in the future. We studied this using publically available weather data from PRISM, Daymet, and the National Snow and Ice Data Center, and climate change …

Quaternions, Octonions, And Electromagnetism, Ben Shaw

Student Research Symposium

An introduction to Quaternions and Octonions is given, and the Maxwell Equations are formulated in terms of each. The conventional, source-free relativistic theory of eight dimensional electromagnetism is introduced and examined. Similarly, the source-free Octonionic Maxwell Equations are developed, and it is shown that the seven dimensional electric and magnetic fields pure Octonions each admit plane wave solutions. An Octonionic Faraday tensor is constructed and compared with the conventional Faraday tensor, and it is shown that, in the source-free case, the conventional and Octonionic theories are equivalent.

Temperature-Dependent Conductivity Of Highly Insulating Polymers, Megan Loveland, Brian Wood

Student Research Symposium

Temperature-dependent electrical conductivity measurements of polymers are compared to predictions by thermally assisted hopping conductivity, commonly used to model electron transport between defect sites in highly disordered insulating materials (HDIM). Constant voltage is applied across samples using a parallel plate geometry under vacuum, with the resulting current measured using a high resolution electrometer to calculate extreme low level conductivity. Conductivity of thin film PEEK (polyether ether ketone) and LDPE (low density polyethylene) samples was measured at temperatures ranging from 270 to 350 K to determine temperature influence on conductivity. Long time scales are needed for polymers to reach electrostatic equilibrium …

Gravitational Anomalies & Elliptic Curves, Michael T. Schultz

Student Research Symposium

A gravitational anomaly is a special type of curvature that is important in string theory. Elliptic curves are very important and ubiquitous in mathematics - for example, it was a special property of some families of elliptic curves that was instrumental in proving the famous Fermat's Last Theorem. In the context of my research, an elliptic curve is a torus defined by a simple polynomial equation. My research shows that every suitably general one parameter family of elliptic curves (called an elliptic fibration with section) has both local and global gravitational anomalies. In my talk, I will explain these anomalies …

Dr. Jeff Horsburgh Announces Water Visualization Competition Winners, Utah Water Research Laboratory

News

Utah Water Research Lab Faculty Dr. Jeff Horsburgh, an Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Utah State University, recently issued a challenge to USU students called the Cyberinfrastructure for Intelligent Water Supply (CIWS) Data Visualization Challenge. Beginning in December of 2018, and ending March 1^st 2019, the goal was to have students develop a visualization of high resolution water use data. These visualizations were focused on creating displays that would be helpful for either water users or water providers.

Hemp Research Underway At Utah State University, Utah Water Research Laboratory

News

Scientists at Utah State University are studying cultivation practices to optimize the yield and quality of hemp for botanical medicines.