Digital Commons Network^™

College Of Arts & Sciences Newsletter Vol. 7 No. 2 Spring 2006, College Of Arts & Sciences

College of Arts and Sciences news

A Publication for Friends of the College of Arts & Sciences

The Western Michigan University Magazine, Spring 2006, Western Michigan University

Western Michigan University Magazine (1997-present)

• One man's treasure: Anthropologist Michael Nassaney has made a career of exploring history by uncovering everyday items previous generations have left behind. • The pressure to succeed: Two WMU engineers team up with Haworth Inc. to build a chair that offers pressure in all the right places. • Going the distance: Enrollment manager John Beacon leaves little to chance. He's making recruitment and retention the business of the entire WMU community. • College news • Campus places • Classnotes/Obituaries

Spatial Analysis Of Nitrate Contamination Of Groundwater In Dodge County, Wisconsin, Jacob Andrew Maas

Masters Theses

The purpose of this research was to identify the primary variables that lead to high nitrate levels in Dodge County, Wisconsin. Trend surface analysis was used to identify which land use/land cover and aquifer characteristics are responsible for increased nitrate levels. A kriging model with residuals from the trend surface analysis, were then applied to estimate the spatial distribution of nitrate levels in the entire study area. Cross-validation was conducted to assess the uncertainty of the kriging model in the analysis.

The result from the trend surface analysis showed that, soil depth to bedrock, agriculture, urban, barren and shrub land, …

The Globalization Of The Food Retail Sector In Southern Mexico, Alexandra Teachout

Masters Theses

The practices and policies of transnational corporations have now taken hold in the geo-economy, and the effects of globalization can be seen worldwide. Current research trends in economic geography focus on these policies and their transformations with regards to specific sectors. These theories predict and explain how transnational corporations should act, interact, and influence host countries. This foreign presence in host countries not only influences the corporate sector, but creates unique changes and challenges for producers and consumers. Consequently, the need to understand how the evolution of the global space affects the transformation of the local space, as well as …

Using Geographic Information Systems To Assess Risk For Elevated Blood Lead Levels In Children In Kalamazoo County, Michigan, Amatun Noor

Masters Theses

Lead-based paint is the major source of childhood lead poisoning for children under six in the United States and was commonly used in pre-1950 homes. The main objective of this study for Kalamazoo County, Michigan is to identify risk homes to for public health workers, and determine common socioeconomic factors from the US Census that can be used to identify relative risk across census tracts. A Geographic Information System (GIS) is applied to locate the risk homes of 485 children provided at the aggregate level by the Michigan Department of Community Health. Independent variables were derived from the U.S. 2000 …

New Estimators Of A Circular Median, Sauwanit Ratanaruamkarn

Dissertations

The specific properties of probability distributions on a circle require different definitions of several statistical concepts. For example, a median that can always be found for linear data not always exists on the circle. Several estimators of a circular median were proposed, lately by Otieno (2002), Otieno and Anderson - Cook (2003). Their work is, however, focused on the "preferred direction" which coincides with the median, mean and mode in the case of symmetric, unimodal distributions. This dissertation is focused on the estimators of a population median in a wider range of population distributions on a circle including distributions with …

The Relationship Between Landcover And Cloud-To-Ground Lightning Strikes In Kalamazoo, County, Michigan, Zachary J. Newton

Masters Theses

Lightning strike point data, collected by the National Lightning Detection Network™ in June, July, and August of 1993, was used in conjunction with geographic information systems (GIS) to examine the distribution of lightning strikes within and among landcover and geologic classes in Kalamazoo County, Michigan.

Quadrat analysis results showed that the lightning strike pattern did not follow a random distribution and exhibited a tendency for clustering when mapped with kernel density. A chi-square analysis showed there was a statistically significant relationship among landcovers, geology, and lightning strikes. Two t-tests were used to evaluate the data, one that corrected for location …

Analysis Of Factors Affecting Zebra Mussel (Dreissena Polymorpha) Abundance In Gull Lake, Michigan, Ryan P. Miller

Masters Theses

Zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) proliferation has become a serious problem in the Great Lakes Basin. This study uses bathymetry, vegetation distribution, and substratum data to assess their relationship with zebra mussel measurements in Gull Lake, Michigan. Different statistical tests were performed in order to investigate the relationship between the variables and to infer any significance among the variables in relation to zebra mussel abundance. Dreissena polymorpha data include 16 sites on Gull Lake, collected in July of 1999. Vegetation, substratum, and bathymetric datasets were obtained and analyzed by using Geographic Information Science (GIS) techniques.

Analysis of variance (ANOVA) …

Reading Horizons Vol. 46 No. 4

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Complete Reading Horizons volume 46 issue number 4.

The Impact Of Biculturalism On Language And Literacy Development: Teaching Chinese English Language Learners, Barbara C. Palmer, Chia-I Chen, Sara Chang, Judith T. Leclere

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

According to the 2000 United States Census, Americans age five and older who speak a language other than English at home grew 47 percent over the preceding decade. This group accounts for slightly less than one in five Americans (17.9%). Among the minority languages spoken in the United States, Asian-language speakers, including Chinese and other Asian and Pacific Islander languages, have increased by more than 75 percent. Futher, the proportion of Asian language speakers having difficulty speaking English has almost doubled (Klein, Bugarin, Beitranena, & McArthur, 2004). Today, Chinese students are one of the largest groups of English Language Learners …

When Policy Meets Practice: The Untested Effects Of Permanency Reforms In Child Welfare, Amy D'Andrade, Jill Duerr Berrick

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The Adoption and Safe Families Act (P.L. 105-89; ASFA) passed into federal law in 1997. ASFA emphasized child protection over family preservation, and introduced reforms intended to increase the likelihood and the speed with which children in the child welfare system attain a permanent home. This article details two provisions of the law, concurrent planning and reunification exception, and explores challenges in their implementation. These provisions have the potential to shift the nature of how child welfare services are delivered, and which families zill receive them. An examination of implementation in the state of California suggests there is a need …

Welfare To Web To Work: Internet Job Searching Among Former Welfare Clients In Florida, Steve Mcdonald, Robert E. Crew Jr.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This study provides the first empirical test of whether searching for jobs on the Internet can help people gain access to high quality jobs. Using new data from former welfare clients in Florida, we present results from a multivariate regression analysis of Internet job searching on wages and on a number of job benefits. On average, Internet job searchers receive better jobs than people who conducted more traditional job searches, net of numerous control variables. These findings suggest that welfare recipients have a great deal to gain from searching for their jobs on the Internet.

Western News, Jan. 12, 2006, Western Michigan University

Western News (1972-2018)

Story highlights: Dolan garners $20,000 NEA fellowship; Kent gets Fulbright to study in Latvia; Herb Scott poetry is inspiration for campus concert; Obituaries for Ada Berkey, Bobby Burpo; On Campus with Cindy Town.

2006 University Employee Service Recognition Program, Western Michigan University

25 Year Club

• 25 Year Club
• New Inductees
• Members
• Retirees
• Forty Years of Service
• Thirty-Five Years of Service
• Thirty Years of Service
• Twenty Years of Service
• Fifteen Years of Service
• Ten Years of Service

Prism #12, January 2006, Office Of The Provost

Prism: Western Michigan University's Newsletter for Academic Affairs

No abstract provided.

Fact Book 2006-07, Western Michigan University

Western Michigan University Fact Books

• General Information
• Enrollment Information
• Institutional Comparison
• Student Information
• Faculty Information
• Budgets and Resources

Faculty Senate Yearbook, 2006-07, Wmu Faculty Senate

WMU Faculty Senate Yearbooks

No abstract provided.

Western News, Dec. 1, 2005, Western Michigan University

Western News (1972-2018)

Story highlights: Center puts focus on electronic portfolios; Engineering management program lauded; Obituaries for Henry Beukema, Thomas Slaughter, Carol Voytas; On Campus with Kathleen Keckler.

Detecting And Mapping The Michigan Vegetation Tension Zone Using Ecological Indicators, Janice Marie Fulford

Masters Theses

Ecotones are areas of transition between adjacent ecosystems that exist at various geographic scales, and are useful in measuring climatic changes. Ecotones are defined by their length and breadth and the ability to detect and map an ecotone from a specific period in time would be useful in measuring current and future change.

The study focused on a 1880's vegetation ecotone in the center of Michigan's Lower Peninsula. This was achieved by deriving ecological variables from the U.S. public land survey's tree species data. These variables were then used to ascertain the length of the ecotone by finding the boundary …

A Model Of The Natural Spread Of The Invasive Insect Species Emerald Ash Borer In The Lower Peninsula Of Michigan, Jennifer L. Weller

Masters Theses

More than 8 million ash trees in southeast Michigan have been killed by an infestation of the invasive insect species emerald ash borer (EAB). Since its identification in July 2002, EAB has been found in Ontario (Canada), Ohio, Indiana, and across Michigan. To date, EAB research has concentrated on the entomological classification and no systematic prediction of the pest's diffusion has been made.

This research presents a predictive model for the spread of EAB across the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. Limited data on ash tree population distribution, ·. infestation distribution, and the dispersal rate of the emerald ash borer required …

Hispanic Political Power: A Case Study Of Southwest Michigan, Jason Glatz

Masters Theses

This thesis examines the relationship between rising Hispanic immigration and its influence on voting patterns. It examines thirteen Southwestern Michigan counties and compares averaged Republican voting percentages from past elections for the U.S. House of Representatives with the 2000 election. Previous research has established that Hispanics, with the exception of Cubans, predominantly vote for Democratic candidates. If this relationship is true for Southwest Michigan, areas with increasing Hispanic populations should display diminishing Republican voting percentages.

A normal Republican vote was computed for 284 minor civil divisions from the period immediately preceding significant Hispanic immigration and was compared to the 2000 …

Geraldine Heng, Empire Of Magic: Medieval Romance And The Politics Of Cultural Fantasy. Columbia University Press, 2003, Kathy Lavezzo

Medieval Feminist Forum: A Journal of Gender and Sexuality

No abstract provided.

Social History, Women's History, And The British Archive System, Katherine L. French

Medieval Feminist Forum: A Journal of Gender and Sexuality

No abstract provided.

Western News, Nov. 10, 2005, Western Michigan University

Western News (1972-2018)

Story highlights: President Bailey to fund transformational ideas; Care packages brighten day for Broncos on active duty; Gift from Ruth and Robert Fink funds horn studio; On Campus with David Kotecki.

Inquiry, November 2005, Office Of Vice President For Research

Research and Discovery News

• Customer service initiative
• Congratulations - Dr. William Cobern
• New process for industrial contracts
• Grant submissions
• Research to commercialization seminar
• Grant awards
• Announcements
• Joining the CTA has benefits for WMU researchers

Geosciences Newsletter - 2005, Department Of Geosciences

Geological and Environmental Sciences News

Vol. 2, No. 1

• Mohamed Sultan, Chairperson
• Faculty News
• Emeriti News
• Department News
• Graduate Student News
• Awards & Graduations
• Alumni News
• Professional Meetings
• Outstanding Alumni Academy
• New Faces in the Geosciences

Western News, Oct. 13, 2005, Western Michigan University

Western News (1972-2018)

Story highlights: Meader gift creates unique research center; WMU is second on Intel's list of wireless campuses; Graduate students launch online research journal; On Campus with Marcia Thompson.

Prism #10, October 2005, Office Of The Provost

Prism: Western Michigan University's Newsletter for Academic Affairs

No abstract provided.

College Of Arts & Sciences Newsletter: Fall 2005, College Of Arts & Sciences

College of Arts and Sciences news

No abstract provided.

Western News, Sept. 15, 2005, Western Michigan University

Western News (1972-2018)

Story highlights: GEAR UP program could net more than $20 million; WMU community focuses on Katrina-relief efforts; Kynaston honored for teaching excellence; On Campus with Chris Carlson.