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Evidence Of A Decline In Fat Storage By Midcontinental Sandhill Cranes In Nebraska During Spring: A Preliminary Assessment, Gary L. Krapu, David A. Brandt, Deborah A. Buhl, Gary Lingle

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

When an ice storm killed an estimated 2,000 sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) in the Central Platte River Valley (CPRV) in Nebraska on 24 March 1996, we retrieved the fresh carcasses of 118 adults to test for a decline in the condition of spring-staging cranes from that date in 1978 and 1979. We first conducted a principle component analysis on 3 morphological variables (tarsus, exposed culmen, and wing chord [flattened]) and used the first principal component (PC1) as an index of body size. Then, to account for variation in body mass due to size, we regressed body mass on …

The Effects Of Prejudice Level And Social Influence Strategy On Powerful People’S Responding To Racial Out-Group Members, Theresa K. Vescio, Sarah J. Gervais, Swen Heidenreich, Mark Snyder

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

This research tested the hypothesis that the responding of high, but not low, prejudice White Americans would vary as a function of manipulations of powerful people’s attention to subordinate strengths that facilitate goal strivings versus weaknesses that block goals. To examine this possibility, White participants were assigned to leader roles and an interaction with a low power Black “employee” was staged. Consistent with predictions, findings revealed that high prejudice White participants who were attentive to subordinate strengths and goal strivings versus subordinate weaknesses and blocked goals, evaluated and treated a Black employee more positively. The responding of low prejudice participants …

Sociological Novels Reviewed In Sociology And Social Research, 1925-1958, Michael R. Hill

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

The Bibliographic Record reveals the novel as a distinctive and frequently used format for sociological inquiry and exposition. From 1925 to 1958, the pages of Sociology and Social Research identified and reviewed 140 examples of sociological novels. A bibliography of these novels is provided here, annotated with citations for the reviews in Sociology and Social Research. This “library” of sociological novels is a useful resource for research on American culture, student projects, and (not unimportantly) recreational reading that combines business with pleasure.

Under the editorship of Emory S. Bogardus, Sociology and Social Research routinely opened its pages to reviews …

Sociology And Poetry: An Introduction, Michael R. Hill

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Poetry is a sociological reality. It has an institutional location within society, plays an important part in everyday social interaction, and promises very real results as a site for conceiving and explicating alternative social constellations. Simultaneously, poetry is sometimes difficult to grasp by those of decidedly a prosaic bent, and this includes too many sociologists. As poetry shapes — and is in turn shaped by — the active use of language in our culture on the respective parts of authors, speakers, hearers, readers, etc., the relevance and meaning of poetry can escape the sociological imagination when sociologists frame the social …

Bio-Bibliography: Stephen James Meredith Brown (1881-1962), Michael R. Hill

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Stephen James Meredith Brown, S.J., was born in County Down, Ireland, on 24 September 1881. He was educated at Clongowes Wood College and was ordained as a Jesuit in 1914. Brown also pursued studies at Tullabeg, Jersey, Paris, and Hastings. Teaching posts included Clongowes and University College. At the latter, he launched the post-graduate school of librarianship, serving on the faculty for 24 years. Brown founded the Central Catholic Library in 1922 and was its motive force for some four decades. He is remembered today as a major bibliographer of Irish literature.

All Parents Are To Blame (Except This One): Global Versus Specific Attitudes Related To Parental Responsibility Laws, Eve M. Brank, Stephanie A. Hays, Victoria Weisz

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Increasing state legislation and media interest give the appearance of public support for parental responsibility laws; however, some national polls suggest otherwise. Based on disparate global and specific attitudes in other areas of the criminal justice literature, it was hypothesized that relatively weak global support for parental responsibility would be diminished even more if a specific juvenile was described. The current studies confirmed that participants were even less supportive of parental responsibility laws when a specific juvenile and his parents were described than they were when they answered questions about parents in general.

Classroom-Based Cognitive-Behavioral Intervention To Prevent Aggression: Efficacy And Social Validity, Ann P. Daunic, Stephen W. Smith, Eve M. Brank, Randall D. Penfield

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Classroom teachers need effective, efficient strategies to prevent and/or ameliorate destructive student behaviors and increase socially appropriate ones. During the past two decades, researchers have found that cognitive strategies can decrease student disruption/aggression and strengthen pro-social behavior. Following preliminary pilot work, we conducted a study to determine whether a classwide, social problem-solving curriculum affected measures of knowledge and behavior for 165 4th and 5th grade students at risk for behavior problems. We found significant positive treatment effects on knowledge of problem-solving concepts and teacher ratings of aggression. Outcomes differed across teachers/classrooms, and there was no evidence that booster lessons affected …

Adapting Manualized Treatments: Treating Anxiety Disorders Among Native Americans, Tami Decoteau, Jessiline Anderson, Debra Anne Hope

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Although there is a small but growing body of literature examining the psychopathology of anxiety among Native Americans, no data are available regarding the efficacy of empirically supported treatments for anxiety disorders among Native Americans. Moreover, exceptional challenges arise i adapting mainstream approaches to Native Americans, such as language barriers, contrasting beliefs about the cause and treatment of emotional illness between mainstream and traditional Native American culture, problems with homework compliance, allowing extra time for rapport building, and the need for a spiritual component in the treatment of anxiety disorders. Native Americans also confront the challenges of rural living and …

Differentiating Phonotactic Probability And Neighborhood Density In Adult Word Learning, Holly L. Storkel, Jonna Armbrüster, Tiffany Hogan

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to differentiate effects of phonotactic probability, the likelihood of occurrence of a sound sequence, and neighborhood density, the number of words that sound similar to a given word, on adult word learning. A second purpose was to determine what aspect of word learning (viz., triggering learning, formation of an initial representation, or integration with existing representations) was influenced by each variable.
Method: Thirty-two adults were exposed to 16 nonwords paired with novel objects in a story context. The nonwords orthogonally varied in phonotactic probability and neighborhood density. Learning was measured following 1, 4, …

Spontaneous Facial Motility In Infancy: A 3d Kinematic Analysis, Jordan R. Green, Erin M. Wilson

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Early spontaneous orofacial movements have rarely been studied experimentally, though the motor experiences gained from these behaviors may influence the development of motor skills emerging for speech. This investigation quantitatively describes developmental changes in silent, spontaneous lip and jaw movements from 1 to 12 months of age using optically based 3D motion capture technology. Twenty-nine typically developing infants at five ages (1, 5, 7, 9, and 12 months) were studied cross-sectionally. Infants exhibited spontaneous facial movements at all ages studied. Several age-related changes were detected in lip and jaw kinematics: the occurrence of spontaneous movements increased, movement speed increased, the …

A Longitudinal Study Of The Effects Of Early Abuse On Later Victimization Among High-Risk Adolescents, Kimberly A. Tyler, Katherine A. Johnson

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Although previous research on adolescents finds a link between early abuse and later victimization, the majority of this research is cross-sectional and based on samples of currently homeless adolescents. Therefore, factors that predict the likelihood of victimization have not been systematically examined. As such, the current study longitudinally examines the effects of early abuse and poor parenting on victimization via running away, delinquency, and early sexual onset among a sample of over 700 currently housed high-risk adolescents. Results revealed that having experienced sexual and physical abuse, as well as lower levels of parental monitoring and closeness, significantly predicted running away …

They Filched Our Program! How To Turn That Into A Good Thing, Anne Wilson, Melissa Ludwa

Honors in Practice Online Archive

The Butler University Honors Program, like many other honors programs and colleges, is often the generator of “good ideas” on campus. We are considered an experimental classroom environment for piloting new courses, programming ideas, and/or introducing potential new areas of study. Both faculty and students recognize this characteristic of the program, and we are pleased to serve as a sort of laboratory for other campus initiatives. However, several key pieces of our Honors Program were recently folded into other aspects of our own university. While we know that imitation is the highest form of flattery, maintaining a distinct honors program …

Optimization Of Multilayer Wear-Resistant Thin Films Using Finite Element Analysis On Stiff And Compliant Substrates, R. K. Lakkaraju, Florin Bobaru, S. L. Rohde

Department of Engineering Mechanics: Faculty Publications

Extensive research has been carried out by researchers on the growth and characterization of multilayer protective coatings, but the design of these coatings still remains largely empirical. In this regard, recent progress has been made in developing a design approach for optimizing a multilayer coating structure before deposition, which would help save time and material. In pursuit of an optimal design, finite element analysis using a plane strain Hertzian contact model was developed to investigate the stress/ strain behavior within the layers of the system. The present study looks to find the optimal thicknesses of individual layers in a multilayer …

A Model For Predicting The Evolution Of Multiple Cracks On Multiple Length Scales In Viscoelastic Composites, David H. Allen, C. R. Searcy

Department of Engineering Mechanics: Faculty Publications

A model is presented herein for predicting the evolution of numerous cracks on multiple length scales, the objective of such a model being to develop the capability to predict failure of structural components to perform their intended tasks. Such a capability would then be useful as a predictive tool for designing structural components so as not to fail, but rather to succeed in performing their intended tasks. The model developed herein is somewhat involved, being based in continuum mechanics and thermodynamics, but is nevertheless expected to be cost effective (wherever sufficient accuracy permits) when compared to more costly experimental means …

On-Off Frequency-Shift Keying For Wideband Fading Channels, Mustafa Cenk Gursoy, H. Vincent Poor, Sergio Verdu

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Faculty Publications

M-ary on-off frequency-shift keying (OOFSK) is a digital modulation format in which M-ary FSK signaling is overlaid on on/off keying. This paper investigates the potential of this modulation format in the context of wideband fading channels. First, it is assumed that the receiver uses energy detection for the reception of OOFSK signals. Capacity expressions are obtained for the cases in which the receiver has perfect and imperfect fading side information. Power efficiency is investigated when the transmitter is subject to a peak-to-average power ratio (PAR) limitation or a peak power limitation. It is shown that under a PAR limitation, it …

Energy-Constrained Quality Optimization For Secure Image Transmission In Wireless Sensor Networks, Wei Wang, Dongming Peng, Honggang Wang, Hamid Sharif, Hsiao-Hwa Chen

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Faculty Publications

Resource allocation for multimedia selective encryption and energy efficient transmission has not been fully investigated in literature for wireless sensor networks (WSNs). In this article, we propose a new cross-layer approach to optimize selectively encrypted image transmission quality in WSNs with strict energy constraint. A new selective image encryption approach favorable for unequal error protection (UEP) is proposed, which reduces encryption overhead considerably by controlling the structure of image bitstreams. Also, a novel cross-layer UEP scheme based on cipher-plain-text diversity is studied. In this UEP scheme, resources are unequally and optimally allocated in the encrypted bitstream structure, including data position …

About The Authors, Volume 24 (2006)

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

About the editors and authors of volume 24 (2006) of To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development.

Preface, Volume 24 (2006), Sandra Chadwick Blossey

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Preface to volume 24 (2006) of To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development, by Sandra Chadwick Blossey of Rollins College.

Monster At The Foot Of The Bed: Surviving The Challenge Of Marketplace Forces On Higher Education, Raoul A. Arreola

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

The impact of technology on society has caused a paradigm shift in the basic support for higher education. Where higher education was traditionally supported as a function of government, the knowledge explosion and global economy resulting from the impact of computer and other technologies is moving the underlying support of higher education to the marketplace. There is evidence that traditional academic strategies and practices that were successful under the old paradigm may no longer be working. Twelve suggestions are offered for revolutionary changes that the academy must make in order to survive, even thrive, in the new paradigm.

A Different Way To Approach The Future: Using Chaos Theory To Improve Planning, Marc Cutright

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Strategic planning is a good idea that gets a bad name from dubious efforts carrying the title. Much of this rap comes from half-hearted exercises, but some of it comes from efforts that founder due to faulty or limited conceptions of how the future “works.” Chaos theory is an alternative approach and metaphor with potential to let us see the future and its dynamics in new ways. Cognizance of chaos’s nature and underlying structure might help us do planning in new, nonintuitive, and more successful ways.

Perceptions Of Faculty Developers About The Present And Future Of Faculty Development At Historically Black Colleges And Universities, Phyllis Worthy Dawkins, Andrea L. Beach, Stephen L. Rozman

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

The development of faculty at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) has been a challenge and commitment since their inception before and after the civil war. Historically, faculty have assumed many roles, but they primarily sought to address the needs of black students. The HBCU Faculty Development Network, founded in 1994, has been instrumental in providing a platform to showcase accomplishments and challenges in education at this unique group of colleges and universities. To address future needs, we surveyed the membership to explore current program goals and influences, practices, and new directions. The results are compared with data for the …

Preparing Faculty For Pedagogical Change: Helping Faculty Deal With Fear, Linda C. Hodges

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

How receptive faculty are to changing their pedagogical approach is a complex issue, but one factor that impedes change is the fear of taking a risk. Underlying this fear may be the fear of loss, fear of embarrassment, or fear of failure. Addressing these issues can empower faculty to be more innovative in their teaching. Drawing on research literature, personal teaching narratives, and my own work in faculty development, I discuss some of these underlying fears. I then offer concrete strategies for working with faculty to enable them to overcome these emotional barriers and embrace change.

An Electronic Advice Column To Foster Teaching Culture Change, Donna M. Qualters, Thomas C. Sheahan, Jacqueline A. Isaacs

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

First-year engineering students receive most of their teaching from instructors outside of engineering. As a result, these instructors are typically not a teaching community with a shared commitment to engineering student learning. Retention of engineering students is strongly tied to the quality of teaching, thus addressing collective teaching quality is important. This chapter describes the development of a carefully crafted, electronically distributed advice column on teaching developed by an interdisciplinary editorial team, written under the pseudonym Jonas Chalk. Surveys of Chalk Talk readers indicate that this is an effective means to promote teaching culture change.

Practicing What We Preach: Transforming The Ta Orientation, Patricia Armstrong, Peter Felten, Jeffrey Johnston, Allison Pingree

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Brookfield (1995), Schön (1983), and others articulate the necessity and complexity of being critically reflective in our work. Indeed, the value of critical reflection is inherent to educational development as a field in that we frequently encourage such thinking in our consultations with instructors. But practicing what we preach can be difficult. This chapter reflects on an experiment in the transformation of a teaching assistant orientation, a central event of our teaching center. We not only describe and assess the process of revising this orientation, but we also reflect on the implicatiom of this case for broader programming issues in …

Faculty Competency By Design: A Model For Institutional Transformation, Helen M. Clarke, Philip E. Bishop

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

For a decade, Valencia Community College has striven for a faculty development program with direct impact on student learning. The college succeeded by designing faculty learning with the same logic we apply to student learning. Valencia’s program for new tenure-track faculty focuses on significant faculty learning outcomes, a learning-centered pedagogy, high standards of scholarship, and continuous program assessment. The college’s Teaching/Learning Academy and a coordinated tenure process have cultivated new learning leaders and created a fresh partnership among deans and faculty members. This developing process of new-hire faculty development has been pivotal to Valencia’s learning-centered transformation.

Bibliography, Volume 24 (2006)

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Bibliography for volume 24 (2006) of To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development.

Proximate And Landscape Factors Influence Grassland Bird Distributions, Mary Ann Cunningham, Douglas H. Johnson

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

Ecologists increasingly recognize that birds can respond to features well beyond their normal areas of activity, but little is known about the relative importance of landscapes and proximate factors or about the scales of landscapes that influence bird distributions. We examined the influences of tree cover at both proximate and landscape scales on grassland birds, a group of birds of high conservation concern, in the Sheyenne National Grassland in North Dakota, USA. The Grassland contains a diverse array of grassland and woodland habitats. We surveyed breeding birds on 2015 100 m long transect segments during 2002 and 2003. We modeled …

Gastrointestinal Morphology Of Female White-Tailed And Mule Deer: Effects Of Fire, Reproduction, And Feeding Type, Teresa J. Zimmerman, Jonathan A. Jenks, David M. Leslie Jr.

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

We assessed variation in length, width, density, and surface enlargement factor of papillae; rumen and intestinal digesta weight; intestinal length; and intestinal tissue weight of reproductive and nonreproductive female white-tailed (Odocoileus virginianus) and mule deer (O. hemionus) using similar burned and unburned habitat. Deer were collected from study areas in Custer and Pennington counties, South Dakota, in and adjacent to a wildfire burn. Length of papillae and enlargement factor of papillae surface of white-tailed deer and mule deer were greater in burned than unburned habitat, and dry weight of rumen digesta of white-tailed deer was greater …

Remote Sensing Techniques To Assess Active Fire Characteristics And Post-Fire Effects, Leigh B. Lentile, Zachary A. Holden, Alistair M.S. Smith, Michael J. Falkowski, Andrew T. Hudak, Penelope Morgan, Sarah A. Lewis, Paul E. Gessler, Nate C. Benson

United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Space and airborne sensors have been used to map area burned, assess characteristics of active fires, and characterize post-fire ecological effects. Confusion about fire intensity, fire severity, burn severity, and related terms can result in the potential misuse of the inferred information by land managers and remote sensing practitioners who require unambiguous remote sensing products for fire management. The objective of the present paper is to provide a comprehensive review of current and potential remote sensing methods used to assess fire behavior and effects and ecological responses to fire. We clarify the terminology to facilitate development and interpretation of comprehensible …

Incorporating Reading Comprehension Tools Into An Anatomy And Physiology Curriculum, Stephanie Monahan

Graduate Research Papers

During the 2003-2004 school year, Hempstead High School in Dubuque, Iowa was one of several schools in the state selected to pilot the Iowa Professional Development Model. The purpose of the Iowa Professional Development Model is to develop a link between professional development and increasing student achievement. A main component of the model plan is the implementation of research-based activities in the professional development plan of a school. Hempstead chose to focus all professional development time on how to produce independent readers/learners by incorporating reading strategies into all curricular areas. Over the course of two school years, a professional by …