Digital Commons Network^™

The Interactions Between An Orthodox Christian Worldview And Environmental Attitudes And Beliefs; For The Purpose Of Developing Better Instructional Practice In Support Of Environmental/Ecological Attitudes And Knowledge, Robert S. Keys

Dissertations

Students bring with them to the classroom a wide variety of beliefs and attitudes about the environment and its associated issues. One worldview belief structure prominently discussed in ecological discussions is the worldview of orthodox Christianity. This study uses both quantitative and qualitative measures to analyze the degree to which the orthodox Christian worldview of students influences their environmental attitudes and beliefs. Surveys were conducted with 281 undergraduate pre-service elementary teaching students enrolled in a science methods course to determine the degree to which orthodox Christian worldviews and ecological worldviews interact with one another. From this pool of students, 16 …

On Similarity Measures For Cluster Analysis, Ahmed Najeeb Khalaf Albatineh

Dissertations

This study discusses the relationship between measures of similarity which quantify the agreement between two clusterings of the same set of data. This study identifies a family [Special characters omitted.] of similarity measures which are of a special form and attain a maximum value of 1 and becomes identical when corrected for chance agreement. In particular, this study proves that the similarity measures of Rand (R), Hubert (H), and Czekanowski (CZ) are identical when corrected for chance agreement. It also proves that the measures of McConnaughey (MC) and Kulczynski (K) are identical when corrected for chance agreement. Moreover, if the …

Girls And Science: A Qualitative Study On Factors Related To Success And Failure In Science, Paula Denise Johnson

Dissertations

This qualitative study sought to determine how girls perceived factors that contribute to their success in science programs designed to maximize their achievement. The sample consisted of 20 students in 9th and 12th grades attending a school of choice. Respondents were interviewed using a structured interview protocol.

The National Council for Research on Women study (Thom, 2001) found that girls are more successful in math and science programs that incorporate acooperative, hands-on approach than in programs that stress competition and individual learning. This finding was supported by this study among 20 high school girls in a school whose mission is …

Inelastic X-Ray Scattering Studies In Lithium And Metal Ammonia Solutions, Ayman Hasan Said

Dissertations

In this work, inelastic x-ray scattering was used to measure the ionic collective excitations of a metal-ammonia system and the atomic form factor of lithium in a single crystal. For lithium and sodium ammonia systems, the measurements were carried out for different metal concentrations (lithium-ammonia with 2 0 , 16, and 13 mole percent metal [MPM] at T'=240K and sodium-ammonia with 18, 14, and 10 MPM at T=222K). These data were analyzed to determine the acoustic collective excitation dispersion relation and the linewidth. Deviations from the Bohm-Staver model for electron-ion coupling are discussed for the low electronic densities. For the …

Sustaining Innovation In Career And Technical Education, Brenda S. Clark

Dissertations

There has been little research done in education to determine what makes programs sustainable once the person who started the program has left or funding has decreased or disappeared. Innovative and successful programs are frequently started only to close or to reach a dead end. This study will seek to determine what components are necessary to sustain and grow a Career and Technical Education program. The primary audiences for the research study will be community college and university teacher preparation departments and career and technical education departments.

A survey was sent to Occupational Education Studies (OES) students and to OES …

Resonant And Non-Resonant Inelastic X-Ray Scattering Of Copper Phthalocyanine, Michelle Deleene Tuel-Benckendorf

Masters Theses

With the ever-changing demands of technology and the desire to use new materials to replace the old, researchers have the job to not only find alternative materials, but also understand their properties. There continues to be extensive research in the properties of organic semiconductors, for use in many microelectronic applications. There is very little known about the excitation properties of these materials. For my research, I have chosen to study the electronic excitations of copper phthalocyanine (CuPc), one specific organic semiconductor. To do this, we used resonant and non-resonant inelastic x-ray scattering to measure the evolution of excitations as a …

Metal Ion Imprinted Polymers For Biomolecular Recognition, Len A. Harris

Masters Theses

Protein recognition by HPLC, based on histidine residues, was achieved by incorporating a copper chelating ligand covalently bonded to a polystyrene/divinyl benzene substrate, into column packing. The metal ion was bonded to the substrate in two ways: randomly, where the copper was bound to the ligand after the substrate polymerization and imprinted, where the copper was bound to the ligand before the substrate polymerization. The effect of this templating was measured by protein separation parameters of the resulting HPLC chromatographs. The hypothesis of this thesis is the imprinted substrate will have a higher copper content, and with coppers affinity toward …

Digital Divide In Computer Access And Use Between Poor And Non-Poor Youth, Mary Keegan Eamon

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The main objectives of this study were to examine the "digital divide" in home computer ownership and to evaluate differences in academic and non-academic computer use between poor and non-poor youth. Data from a national sample of 1,029, 10- through 14-year-old young adolescents were analyzed. Results show that poor youth were .36 times as likely to own a home computer, but equally as likely to use their home computer for academic purposes as were non-poor youth. Poor youth did not differ from non-poor youth in how often they used any computer for academic purposes, but were less likely to use …

Faculty Retirement Recognition Dinner 2004, Western Michigan University

Faculty Recognition

Faculty Retirement Recognition Dinner Program

May 26, 2004

Honored Guests:

• JoNina M. Abron
• Leonard J. Beuving
• Diane G. Boston
• Michael K. Buckner
• Wendy L. Cornish
• Joseph S. Ellin
• Kathi Fuller
• William B. Harrison, III
• Robert C. Hinkel
• Arthur W. Hoadley
• Keith E. Jones
• Elise B. Jorgens
• Robert A. Laing
• E. Thomas Lawson
• Edward J. Mayo
• Paul S. Mergen
• Mary E. Neu
• Gale E. Newell
• Richard W. Pippen
• Richard E. Plank
• Howard R. Poole, Jr.
• Curtis A. Rhodes
• Chester B. Rogers
• Kamlesh D. Sharma
• J. Thomas Sill
• Janet E. Stillwell
• Patricia B. Viard
• Molly W. Williams
• Carl A. Woloszyk
• Robert M. …

Physics Department News, May 2004, College Of Arts And Sciences

Physics Newsletter

Contents from Volume 3, Issue 1:

• A Note from the Editor
• From the Chair
• What’s New at the University
• Faculty Highlights
• Staff Highlights
• Faculty Research
• PhysTEC
• Alumni News
• New Grants
• Student News
• Annual Student Awards
• Recent Graduates
• Department Roster
• Feedback/Update Reply Form

The Honors Portfolio Project: Communicating Value In Honors, Aimee J. Jachym

Honors Theses

The Honors portfolio is presented as a tool that honors students can use to differentiate themselves in the marketplace. An honors portfolio conceptualizes and communicates the value in obtaining a well-founded honors education. It contains documents and evidence that support the student's holistic development through a diverse range of honors experience. The paper begins by discussing the background for the project by describing what the unique qualities of an honors education are, then explores the Haworth College of Business portfolio project and the problem of conceptualizing an honors education in this fashion. Next, the paper details a project completed for …

The Effects Of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (Pcbs) On Nerve Growth Factor (Ngf) In The Developing Frog, Xenopus Laevis, Cari Delong

Honors Theses

Polychlorinated biphenyls are ubiquitous, persistent environmental contaminants that cause a variety of adverse health effects wildlife and humans. PCBs are the major contaminant in the Kalamazoo River Superfund Site, in which the Environmental Institute is funded to study. Projects at the Environmental Institute are focused on developing molecular biotechnology tools that will improve environmental risk assessment. Previous acute studies involved the exposure of developing tadpoles, Xenopus laevis to PCBs through aquarium water in order to measure gene expression. Nerve growth factor (NGF) gene expression showed changes in these previous studies. NGF is a neurotrophic factor that regulates the growth and …

Use Of Evaluation Findings In Michigan’S 21St Century Community Learning Center Programs, Wendy L. Tackett

Dissertations

There is a lack of empirical evidence demonstrating the use of evaluation findings within grant programs such as the 21st Century Community Learning Centers programs (CCLCs). This study was designed using Michigan's federally-funded CCLCs to meet the following purposes: to explore the use of evaluation findings; to determine the relationship of the use of evaluation findings by local school administrators to the employment of an internal or external evaluator; to identify evaluator qualifications connected to evaluation use; and to determine whether there are relationships between the Program Evaluation Standards (Joint Committee on Standards for Educational Evaluation, 1994) utility domains and …

Using The History Of Research On Sickle-Cell Anemia To Affect Preservice Teachers’ Conceptions Of The Nature Of Science, Eric M. Howe

Dissertations

Preservice elementary teachers enrolled in an elective biology course participated in an eight-class unit of instruction based on the history of research in understanding the disease sickle-cell anemia. Students were introduced to the disease as a “mystery” for them to solve, and subsequently developed an understanding of the disease from several disciplines in biology (e.g., genetics, ecology, evolution, molecular biology). The unit involved open-ended problems in which students examined evidence and developed explanations in a manner analogous to the reasoning used by Anthony C. Allison and his colleagues during the early to middle part of the twentieth century.

Throughout the …

Studies Of Atomic And Molecular Dynamics Using Photoelectron Spectroscopy, Sophie E. Canton

Dissertations

Photoexcitation and photoionization studies of free atoms and molecules in the gas phase provide a unique view into various aspects of radiation-matter interactions that are used as basic building blocks in many branches of physics, such as Solid State, Plasma Physics, Photochemistry or Astrophysics. With the advent of third generation synchrotron light sources delivering high photon flux (>10¹⁵ photons/s) with unprecedented resolving power over a broad energy range, it has become possible to investigate in great detail not only the internal structure of the targets, but also the dynamics of the process. Born in the 1960s,photoelectron spectroscopy specifically …

Chemical And Isotopic Investigation Of Groundwater In Eastern United Arab Emirates (Uae), Ahmed Ali Abdalla Murad

Dissertations

UAE is located at the southeast of Arabian Peninsula. Two main aquifers occupy the study area: the Eastern Gravel Plain and Ophiolite aquifer. Increasing salinity of groundwater and depletion of aquifers are a major concern in the UAE. Previous studies suggest that groundwater, particularly in the Eastern Gravel Plain aquifer, is affected by seawater intrusion and evaporation. Isotopes of oxygen, hydrogen, carbon and chlorine, and chemical analyses were used to investigate this problem in detail. Samples of groundwater from the Eastern Gravel Plain aquifer have R³⁶Cl values in the range of 13.3 to 17.4 x10^-15 while those …

Comparative And Contributive Effects Of Process And Human Performance Improvement Strategies, Joseph R. Sasson

Dissertations

Organizational leaders know that the success of their organization depends on the organization's ability to either produce better products or produce equally good products at a lower cost to consumers. Interventions aimed at improving organizational performance stem from two primary perspectives. One perspective emphasizes changing system factors (e.g., equipment and processes) and the other perspective emphasizes changing human performance factors (e.g., performance specifications and behavioral consequences). The current study evaluated the comparative and contributive effects of process improvement techniques (Kock, 1999; Melan, 1992; Rummler & Brache, 1995) and human performance improvement techniques (Daniels, 1989; Gilbert, 1996; Rummler & Brache, 1995), …

Using Stiffeners For Improved Geometric Fidelity Of Flexible Elements, Ankit Kapoor

Masters Theses

Flexible hoses play an important role in safe operation of a transportation vehicle in automotive and aerospace field. Due to lack of accurate and efficient modeling techniques for such flexible elements with large deformation, most Computer Aided Engineering system do not address the problem in their solution methods.

In this thesis a method is presented to improve the geometric fidelity of flexible element models by using off-axis bi-linear stiffeners (spring) into a discrete linear beam model. Resulting deflection of a hose were compared with the digital scans of an actual deflection of the hose. Though the method is computationally expensive, …

A Study Of The Relationship Between Transformational Leadership And Organizational Culture, Mildred Patricia Howard

Dissertations

The research study examines teachers' perspectives on leadership and Organizational Culture in elementary schools within the state of Michigan. Teachers respond to more than 90 survey questions from the Leadership Practices Inventory and the Instructional Climate Inventory.

The purpose of the study is to determine the relationship that exists between Transformational Leadership and Organizational Culture. The study also considers school size as an interval variable. Statistical tests used to determine possible relationships include F-Tests, T-Test and Canonical Correlations.

Findings suggest that additional studies may be warranted based on particular subscales of Transformational Leadership and also size as it relates to …

Modeling And Validation Of A Brake Hose, Jai Thomas

Masters Theses

Various computer aided design (CAD) softwares have the capability to depict rigid bodies in space accurately. However, the same is not true for the flexible components. This is because flexible components in an automobile are subject to large elastic deformations during the movement of the rigid components to which they are attached.

This research details the application of the principles of computation of the orientation of entities in a simplified coordinate system, vector mathematics, the file I/O features and structured C++ programming to view the rubber hose in CAD after modeling the hose using simulation software. Further validation of the …

Wmu Board Of Trustees Formal Session February 26/27, 2004, Wmu Board Of Trustees

WMU Board of Trustees Meetings

Minutes of the WMU Board of Trustees meeting include appendices:

• Resident Undergraduate Tuition Rates
• Authorization to Confer Degrees
• Personnel Report
• Grant Report
• Update-Biosciences Research and Commercialization Center (BRCC)
• Gift Report Bender
• Capital Campaign Report
• Appointment of External Auditor

Western News, Feb. 19, 2004, Western Michigan University

Western News (1972-2018)

Story highlights: Warfield heads President's diversity initiative; WMU ROTC is among nation's top 20 programs; Sims is first Bernhard Professor of Music; On Campus with Darshana Shah.

2003 University Assessment Fellows Public Seminar, Office Of The Provost

Assessment Grants

This is the program to the public presentations of the first Assessment Fellows of 2003-04:

• “Assessing the Quality of Library Services” Galen Rike, University Libraries •
• “Assessing Student Understanding of Mathematical Proofs” Tabitha Mingus, Mathematics
• “Assessing Student Preparedness for Field Experiences” Bryce Dickey, Family and Consumer Sciences
• “Assessing Life Long Learning Skills of Engineering Students” Betsy Aller, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering & Barbara Cockrell, University Libraries
• “Occupational Therapy Program Evaluation Database” Jaclyn West-Frasier, Occupational Therapy & Kieran Fogarty, MD, Occupational Therapy
• “Determination of a Rating Scale for the Visual Arts” Joyce Kubiski, School of Art

Western News, Jan. 8, 2004, Western Michigan University

Western News (1972-2018)

Story highlights: 2004 MLK Celebration activities; Wood is new collective bargaining director; Implemenation changes for Jan. 5 pay raise; On Campus with Dave Clemens.

Thinking About Science And Christian Orthodox Beliefs: A Survey Study Of Preservice Elementary Teachers, William W. Cobern, Cathleen C. Loving

Scientific Literacy and Cultural Studies Project

Since its origination with Andrew Dickson White, the Warfare Metaphor has been used to characterize the relationship between science and religion, specifically orthodox Christianity. Though thoroughly discredited by historians of science, the ideological descendants of Thomas Huxley, who spoke of science in quasi-religious terms, have kept the Warfare Metaphor alive. On the other hand, there are substantial numbers of Christians who at least appear to oppose science given their high-profile opposition to the general theory of evolution. The purpose of the research reported in this paper was to examine this specific question: does anti-science sentiment increase with increasing orthodox Christian …

2004 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

Western Michigan University Graduate Catalog 2004-2006, Western Michigan University

Western Michigan University Course Catalogs (1904-present)

Mission of the University

Admissions

Tuition and Fees

Registration, Records, Academic Regulations

Graduation Procedures and Requirements

Student Financial Assistance

Financial Aid and Scholarships

Student Rights and Responsibilities

University and Student Services

Graduate Programs and Courses, by Academic Unit

Glossary of Terms

University Officers

The Faculty

Index

Fact Book 2004-05, Western Michigan University

Western Michigan University Fact Books

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

Minutes Of The Faculty Senate Councils, 2004-05, Wmu Faculty Senate

Minutes of the WMU Faculty Senate Councils

No abstract provided.

Are Stock Prices Related To New York's Climatic Conditions?, Matthew M. Cullen

Honors Theses

The past five years has shown tremendous growth in a new wave and style of investing strategy. This new style, known as behavioral investing, attempts to analyze financial markets through the eye of a social scientist rather than a financial professional. Its followers try to see market movements as affected not necessarily by the business or economy but by the cognition and mood of buyers and seller. This paper analyzes the effect of climatic conditions on mood and the effect that has on market movements and volume. For the most part, it was found that there is no significant relationship …