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Social Science Division Meeting Minutes 08/20/2015, Social Science Division

Social Science Division

No abstract provided.

Rasmussen Received Inaugural James Farrell Re(Cognition) Award, University Relations

Campus News Archive

The award honors individuals who have made outstanding contributions towards advancing sustainability efforts in the Upper Midwest.

Enzyme Level N And O Isotope Effects Of Assimilatory And Dissimilatory Nitrate Reduction, Lija Treibergs

Master's Theses

Nitrate N and O isotope distributions in the environment can be used to elucidate salient biogeochemical N transformations. In order to do so, it is necessary to know the isotopic imprints characteristic of respective N transformations, and to understand the underlying mechanisms that determine these patterns. In order to provide mechanistic constraints on the isotopic imprints associated with nitrate consuming processes, we measured the enzymatic N and O isotope effects (¹⁵ε and ¹⁸ε) imparted on nitrate by three types of nitrate reductase enzymes, including (a) a prokaryotic respiratory nitrate reductase, Nar, from the heterotrophic denitrifier Paracoccus …

Protecting Ecosystems, Culture, And Human Rights In Chile Through Indigenous And Community-Conserved Territories And Areas, William G. Crowley

Capstone Collection

In environmental conservation circles around the world, the contributions of indigenous peoples and local communities to the sustainable maintenance of ecosystems and natural resources are being given increased attention. Whether for cultural, spiritual, economic, or other purposes, the use of traditional and local knowledge of habitat and resource management is slowly making its way into the modern environmental movement, and is being incorporated into the dominant conservation paradigms. These managed areas, known as Indigenous and Community-Conserved Territories and Areas, or ICCAs, are defined by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as “natural and/or modified ecosystems containing significant biodiversity …

Presenting Evolution In Public Schools; Is It Indisputable?, Paul Andrew Erdman

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed is, how do 10 public school teachers present the theory of evolution? The motivation of this capstone was my experience with teachers presenting evolution (all life having evolved from a simple single celled organism) to students as indisputable, and the seemingly lack of discussion about any problems with the theory or unanswered questions. A key influence was an older sibling, a mechanical engineer, who often provides scientific answers for me and provided many resources that challenge the so-called indisputability and possibilities of evolution. This study interviewed 10 public school teachers to identify how they present the …

Host Promiscuity In Symbiont Associations Can Influence Exotic Legume Establishment And Colonization Of Novel Ranges, Metha M. Klock, Luke G. Barrett, Peter H. Thrall, Kyle E. Harms

Faculty Publications, Environmental Studies

Aim
Invasive Acacia species have negatively impacted natural areas in multiple regions around the globe. Almost 400 Acacia species have been introduced outside their native ranges in Australia; approximately 6% have become invasive, 12% are naturalized, and 82% have no record of naturalization or invasion. This variation in invasiveness provides a comparative framework in which to examine mechanisms that either promote or constrain establishment and colonization of species in novel regions. Here, we experimentally examine the role that the legume–rhizobia symbiosis plays in the differential invasiveness of acacias introduced outside their native Australian ranges.
Location
Canberra, Australia.
Methods
We paired …

Compositional Differences In Simulated Root Exudates Elicit A Limited Functional And Compositional Response In Soil Microbial Communities, Michael S. Strickland, Rebecca L. Mcculley, Jim A. Nelson, Mark A. Bradford

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Inputs of low molecular weight carbon (LMW-C) to soil - primarily via root exudates- are expected to be a major driver of microbial activity and source of stable soil organic carbon. It is expected that variation in the type and composition of LMW-C entering soil will influence microbial community composition and function. If this is the case then short-term changes in LMW-C inputs may alter processes regulated by these communities. To determine if change in the composition of LMW-C inputs influences microbial community function and composition, we conducted a 90 day microcosm experiment whereby soils sourced from three different land …

Four Years Of Environmental Impact Statements: A Review Of Agency Administration Of Nepa, Mary Anne Sullivan

Akron Law Review

This article will focus on the environmental impact statement process of NEPA functions. It will analyze some of the structural weaknesses of the process, some of the interests private parties are using it to protect and, finally, whether or not it is bringing us closer to a realization of the lofty goals the Act sets forth in Section 4331.

Managing Recreational Rivers, Ben A. Rich

Akron Law Review

This paper will discuss various approaches that have 'been or could be taken by government agencies in order to provide and protect rivers with recreational potential for use as public recreational facilities, in particular boating and canoeing, and consider them in the context of the state of Illinois, which has been faced with a tremendous increase in pressure for water based recreational facilities and anachronistic case and statute law of water and related land resources.

The fundamental issue in any situation involving use by the public of natural watercourses concerns the concept of navigability. Crucial and divergent sets of conclusions …

Simulating And Animating The Spatial Dynamics Of Interacting Species Living On A Torus, Boyan Kostadinov

Publications and Research

The goal of this talk is to present a student research project in computational population biology, which aims at creating a computer simulation and animation of the spatial dynamics of interactions between two kinds of species living on a torus-shaped universe. The habitat for spatial interactions is modeled by a 2D lattice with periodic boundary conditions, which wrap the rectangular grid into a torus. The spatial interactions between the species have two components: 1. Population dynamics modeled by the classical Nicholson-Bailey two-parameter family of models for coupled interactions between species, extended to incorporate space and 2. Two-parameter migration dynamics, modeled …

Integrating Human Culture, Community, And Sense Of Place Into An Existing High School Environmental Studies Curriculum, Kathy Allen Kline

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

This capstone addresses challenges faced by a first year high school teacher on an interdisciplinary team integrating social studies into an environmental studies curriculum. After exploring literature in biodiversity, biocultural diversity, and place-based education, the author determines that the existing curriculum can be enhanced to make stronger connections between people and the places already being studied, including the local community. To that end, this paper presents a sub-unit, developed using the Understanding by Design ® model, that seeks to integrate human culture, community, and sense of place into an environmental studies curriculum. The sub-unit includes six weeks of lessons to …

A Bibliometric Study Of The Library Philosophy And Practice (E-Journal) For The Period 2005-2014, Anjali Verma, Sharad Kumar Sonkar, Vibha Gupta

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The present study reveals the bibliometric study of the E-Journal, Library Philosophy and Practice from 2005 to 2014. The study covers the growth of literature and authorship patterns of the journal. Further, it analyzes various other bibliometrics aspects such as authors’ degree of collaboration, geographical productivity in scholarly publications, subject wise distribution of articles and ranking pattern etc. For this study 1177 no. of articles was taken up for the evaluation. Necessary bibliometric measures are applied to analyze different publication parameters. In all with an average 117 articles were published each year. Single authorship is leading authorship trend but also …

Chateaubriand And His Influence On The Early French Romantics' Perspective On Nature, Kyra Kalina Sanchez Clapper

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

This work analyzes Chateaubriand's writings on America and compares them to Rousseau's philosophical writings on nature. In doing so, Iargue that Chateaubriand showed an exception interest in nature without human intervention - unlike Rousseau, who had an anthropomorphic approach to nature. By emphasizing Chateaubriand's nonanthropomorphic approach to nature, this paper rejects the monolithic view of FrenchRomanticism and contributes a deeper understanding of this important trend eighteenth century onwards.In order to arrive at a global picture of Chateaubriand's idea of nature, the primary source I will analyze are Chateaubriand's Atala, Voyage en Amerique, and Memoires d'outre-tombe and Rousseau's Discours sur l'origine …

Farming In The Commons, Fishing In The Congress, And U.S. Aquaculture In The 21st Century, Aaron Welch

Open Access Dissertations

Fisheries and aquaculture policy in the United States exhibits a peculiar duality. Commercial fishing is functionally open-access, heavily subsidized, and regulated by a federal bureaucracy staffed in part by fishing industry representatives. Marine aquaculture, in contrast, is effectively forbidden. Today there are no functioning fish farms anywhere in the federal waters of the United States, largely due to a regulatory environment that discourages applications for aquaculture permits. This bifurcated policy does not seem to be dependent on any specific environmental or economic rationale. Instead, this policy appears to be the product of a series of individual assumptions and policy choices …

Performance Variation In Leptasterias Spp. Among Populations And Habitats, Caleb Shaw, Laura Melroy, Janet Bair, Sarah Cohen

STAR Program Research Presentations

Leptasterias spp. are six rayed sea stars that are found in rocky intertidal habitats ranging from the California coast to Alaska. In central California, Leptasterias spp. can be found in a variety of intertidal habitats in mixed populations. There are multiple clades that represent these populations and it is thought that they may vary behaviorally, including habitat preference. To investigate this individuals were collected from Pigeon Point, San Mateo, CA and characterized into two habitat categories according to where they were found: rocky habitat and pool habitat. To test for behavioral variation among habitats, righting response was used as a …

Climate Change Educational Initiative Created For Students, Sarah Gardner, Dave Albee

Press Releases

With concerns internationally about the potential impact of climate change globally and its perceived role with the ongoing drought in California, Dominican faculty have teamed to create “Climate Change Educational Initiative Fall 2015” which includes eight DUC events and the collaboration of 25 courses. A ninth event, coordinated by the Marin chapter of Organizing for Action, will be moderated by Dominican President Mary B. Marcy and feature U.S. Congressman Jared Huffman

Monitoring Abundance Of Carcinus Maenas Developmental Stages In Seadrift Lagoon, Andrea M. Fieber

STAR Program Research Presentations

Able to tolerate a wide range of habitats, temperatures, and salinities, Carcinus maenas thrives in much of its non-native range, out-competing native crabs for resources while diminishing food supplies for a variety of marine and estuarine organisms. In Seadrift Lagoon, a manmade inlet of Bolinas Lagoon in Marin County, California, green crabs comprise a significant portion of benthic fauna, and trapping efforts began in 2009 to eradicate them. We analyzed several years of trapping data to monitor demographic changes for this closed population, performed larvae and megalopae sampling with pot scrubbers, and counted eggs on ovigerous females captured in Seadrift …

Performance Variation In Leptasterias Spp. Among Populations And Habitats, Caleb Shaw, Sarah Cohen

STAR Program Research Presentations

Leptasterias spp. are six rayed sea stars that are found in rocky intertidal habitats ranging from the California coast to Alaska. In central California, Leptasterias spp. can be found in a variety of intertidal habitats in mixed populations. There are multiple clades that represent these populations and it is thought that they may vary behaviorally, including habitat preference. To investigate this individuals were collected from Pigeon Point, San Mateo, CA and characterized into two habitat categories according to where they were found: rocky habitat and pool habitat. To test for behavioral variation among habitats, righting response was used as a …

Tradeoffs Of Warm Adaptation In Aquatic Ectotherms: Live Fast, Die Young?, A. P. Porreca, E. Martinez, R. E. Colombo, Michael A. Menze

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

In the face of a changing climate, questions regarding sub-lethal effects of elevated habitat temperature on the physiology of ectotherms remain unanswered. In particular, long-term responses of ectotherms to the warming trend in tropical regions are unknown and significantly understudied due primarily to the difficulties in specimen and community traceability. In freshwater lakes employed as cooling reservoirs for power plants, increased physiological stress from high water temperature can lead to an increase in mortality, reduce growth, and potentially alter the community structure of fishes. Throughout this study, we employ this highly tractable system to assess how elevated thermal regimes can …

Uni Grad Student News, V13n1, August 2015, University Of Northern Iowa. Graduate College.

UNI Grad Student News

Inside this issue:

-- Message from the Dean
-- Current Faculty Profile: Gabriela Olivares
-- Alumni Profile: Cassie Reilly-Boccia
-- Current Student Profile: Mike Nguyen
-- MBA Capstone Conference
-- Graduate Commencement Speakers
-- UNI Grad Student News
-- Graduate Assistants
-- 2015 Recipient of Outstanding Research Paper on Gender Award
-- Social Work Awards Event
--Graduate College Staff and Contact Information

Probing The Past 30-Year Phenology Trend Of Us Deciduous Forests, X. Yue, N. Unger, Xiaoyang Zhang, C.S. Vogel

GSCE Faculty Publications

Phenology is experiencing dramatic changes over deciduous forests in the USA. Estimates of trends in phenology on the continental scale are uncertain, however, with studies failing to agree on both the magnitude and spatial distribution of trends in spring and autumn. This is due to the sparsity of in situ records, uncertainties associated with remote sensing data, and the regional focus of many studies. It has been suggested that reported trends are a result of recent temperature changes, though multiple processes are thought to be involved and the nature of the temperature forcing remains unknown. To date, no study has …

Riparian Vegetation, Colorado River, And Climate: Five Decades Of Spatiotemporal Dynamics In The Grand Canyon With River Regulation, Joel B. Sankey, Barbara Ralston, Paul E. Grams, John C. Schmidt, Laura E. Cagney

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

Documentation of the interacting effects of river regulation and climate on riparian vegetation has typically been limited to small segments of rivers or focused on individual plant species. We examine spatiotemporal variability in riparian vegetation for the Colorado River in Grand Canyon relative to river regulation and climate, over the five decades since completion of the upstream Glen Canyon Dam in 1963. Long-term changes along this highly modified, large segment of the river provide insights for management of similar riparian ecosystems around the world. We analyze vegetation extent based on maps and imagery from eight dates between 1965 and 2009, …

Prisonland: Environment, Society, And Mass Incarceration On New York's Northern Frontier, 1845-1999, Clarence Jefferson Hall

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

My dissertation explores the social experience and environmental politics of mass incarceration in five communities in New York's Adirondack Park, with a focus on the period 1975-1999. Historians, sociologists, and criminologists have enhanced our understanding of criminal law and its impacts on lawbreakers, their families, and communities. By the same token, environmental historians have expanded our knowledge of the dynamic forces that contributed to the making of parks and recreational spaces across the United States. With rare exceptions, scholars in these fields have left unexplored one of the consequences of postindustrial decline, namely, the mass incarceration of predominantly urban, non-white …

Physiological Performance Of Warm-Adapted Marine Ectotherms : Thermal Limits Of Mitochondrial Energy Transduction Efficiency., Eloy Martinez, Eric Hendricks, Michael Menze, Joseph Torres

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Thermal regimes in aquatic systems have profound implications for the physiology of ectotherms. In particular, the effect of elevated temperatures on mitochondrial energy transduction (i.e. energy from carbon substrates to ATP) in tropical and subtropical teleosts may have profound consequences on organismal performance and population viability. Upper and lower whole-organism critical temperatures for teleosts suggest that subtropical and tropical species are not susceptible to the warming trends associated with climate change, but sub-lethal effects on energy transduction efficiency and population dynamics remain unclear. The goal of the present study was to compare the thermal sensitivity of processes associated with mitochondrial …

Delta Narratives: Saving The Historical And Cultural Heritage Of The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, Steve Boilard, Robert Benedetti, Margit Aramburu, Gregg Camfield, Philip Garone, Jennifer Helzer, Reuben Smith, William Swagerty, Marcia Eymann, Tod Ruhstaller, David Stuart, Leigh Johnsen, Dylan Mcdonald, Michael J. Wurtz, Blake Roberts, Margo Lentz-Meyer

College of the Pacific Faculty Reports

From August 2014 through July 2015, the Delta Narratives project, on contract to the Delta Protection Commission, addressed two questions. First, in what ways does the historical experience of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta contribute to an understanding of key themes in regional and American history? Second, how might Delta stories gain wider appreciation within the region, throughout Northern California, and among people in the rest of California and beyond?

Scholars on the project team documented ways the history of the Delta illustrates trends in land management and reclamation, technological shifts in transportation and agriculture, the impact of ethnicity and labor …

Identification And Abundance Of Jellyfish In The San Francisco Estuary, Carrie Fong

STAR Program Research Presentations

In 2010 the delta smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus), became protected under the California Endangered Species Act. Endemic to the San Francisco Estuary, their numbers have been declining since the mid 1990s. Many factors have contributed to their low numbers, such as alterations to their habitat, predation, water diversions, and prey abundance. Several invasive species of jellyfish may be sources of competition for the native delta smelt because they both eat the same food source of copepods. From July 2010 to December 2012, samples of zooplankton, including jellyfish, were taken from 9 different stations in the high and low salinity …

Food Security In Alaska: Assisting The Alaska Food Policy Council To Meet Their Strategic Plan Goals Through The Use Of Gis Mapping Technology, Melissa N. Wilson

Student Projects for Graduate Degrees

The Alaska Food Policy Council (AFPC) was established to examine how the Alaska food system functions, and to provide ideas and recommendations for improving access to healthy, affordable, culturally appropriate foods for all the state’s citizens. At the start of this project, AFPC did not have a resource tool that allows for the mapping of gaps, projects, initiatives, and strengths of the Alaska food system. Thus, this project focused on developing such a tool to assist AFPC with meeting their strategic plan goals, i.e., promoting the affordability, safety, accessibility and infrastructure of the Alaska food system. Secondary analysis of data …

A Topographic And Lithologic Analysis Of The Kittatinny Ridge And Their Implications For Appalachian Erosional History, David Carl Sharpe

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The eastern-most ridge of the Appalachian Mountains, Kittatinny Ridge, extends from New York State south to West Virginia. The ridge is composed of erosion-resistant quartzite conglomerate throughout (Shawangunk Formation, Tuscarora Formation) underlain by sandstone, siltstone, slate and shale (Martinsburg Formation, Juniata Formation). The relatively consistent lithology of the Kittatinny Ridge makes it ideal for analyzing how variations in climate, glacial history and other topographic influences have impacted long-term erosion along the ridge. This project analyzed the lithologic consistency and topography of the Kittatinny Ridge at different locations and what geomorphological implications the results might have. Rock samples of the Shawangunk …

Exploration Of The Current State And Directions Of Dynamic Ridesharing, Joseph J. Di Gianni

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Dynamic ridesharing (DRS) is an emerging transportation service based on the traditional concept of shared rides. DRS makes use of web-based real-time technologies to match drivers with riders. Enabling technologies include software platforms that operate on mobile communication devices and contain location-aware capabilities including Global Positioning Systems (Agatz, Erera, Savelsberg, & Wang, 2012). The platforms are designed to provide ride-matching services via smartphone applications differing from early systems that used non-real time services such as internet forums, or telecommunications, where responses were not immediate.

The study of DRS is important when considering its role as an emerging transportation demand management …

A Greener Dominican?: The Journey Of A University Perched On The Threshold Of Sustainability, Lauren Guittard

Senior Theses

We live in a culture in which we find ourselves disconnected with the natural world and yet suffering from the mounting implications of the impact that our actions as developing industry-based societies have had on the ecological systems of the planet. Institutions of Higher Education, such as colleges and universities, educate most of the people who develop and manage institutions in society. As centers for learning and the dissemination of knowledge, institutions of higher learning have an obligation to promote a culture of sustainability within their communities.This paper that explores concepts of sustainability in relation to higher education with particular …