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The “Godzilla” Dust Plume: A Case Study Over San Juan, Puerto Rico, Lourdes Duren-Calo Apr 2025

The “Godzilla” Dust Plume: A Case Study Over San Juan, Puerto Rico, Lourdes Duren-Calo

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Student Publications

The 2020 “Godzilla” Saharan dust plume significantly degraded air quality and impacted atmospheric conditions across the Caribbean, including San Juan, Puerto Rico. By analyzing variations in shortwave and longwave radiation fluxes and aerosol optical properties, this research assessed how the dust plume influenced regional energy balance over San Juan. The results of this study provided insight on dust-induced local aerosol-radiation interactions to improve weather modeling and forecasting.

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A Case Study: Hurricane Irma’S Forecast Impact On Key West, Austin Portner Apr 2025

A Case Study: Hurricane Irma’S Forecast Impact On Key West, Austin Portner

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Student Publications

According to NOAA (2013) a hurricane is a type of storm called a tropical cyclone, which forms over tropical or subtropical waters. • A tropical cyclone is a rotating low-pressure weather system that has organized thunderstorms but no fronts. • Florida, located in the southeast United States, frequently experiences tropical cyclones (TC). • Hurricane Irma devastated Key West, Florida, before moving through the heart of the state as a category 4 storm.

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Investigating A Concentrated Tornado Outbreak In Southeastern Florida Preceding Hurricane Ian’S Direct Impact, Mia Aurora Dorval Apr 2025

Investigating A Concentrated Tornado Outbreak In Southeastern Florida Preceding Hurricane Ian’S Direct Impact, Mia Aurora Dorval

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Student Publications

Before Category 4 Hurricane Ian landed in Florida in 2022, a tornado outbreak produced South FL’s average annual amount of tornadoes in less than 24 hours. This study investigated characteristics of the event to identify what contributed to this phenomenon. Previous research indicated tropical cyclones taking a northeastern track place South Florida in a favorable sector for tornadic events (Hagemeyer, n.d., pp. 1-2). Additional research suggested diurnal implications between sea-land surface temperatures on the timing of tropical cyclone tornado outbreaks (Hagemeyer, 1997, p.405). Consequently, the variables evaluated established the origin of such events.

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Precipitable Water Vapor Trends By Layer Over Florida, Deztynee Ajah Bryan Apr 2025

Precipitable Water Vapor Trends By Layer Over Florida, Deztynee Ajah Bryan

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Student Publications

Precipitable Water Vapor (PWV) is the total amount of water vapor contained in a vertical column of the atmosphere. The PWV is an indicator of how much water is available for precipitation (Trenberth et al. 2005). Scientists have increasingly studied this parameter to provide insight on extreme precipitation events, atmospheric rivers, tropical cyclones, and climate feedbacks as PWV is a clear thermodynamic fingerprint of a warming climate (IPCC AR6 2021). This study explores PWV trends by layer over the Florida Peninsula over 83 years.

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Hail Associated With Severe Thunderstorms: Case Study Of An Event On April 26, 2023, In Brevard County, Fl, Brandon M. Oubre Apr 2025

Hail Associated With Severe Thunderstorms: Case Study Of An Event On April 26, 2023, In Brevard County, Fl, Brandon M. Oubre

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Student Publications

On April 26, 2023, a severe thunderstorm hit the city of Melbourne in Brevard County, Florida. This thunderstorm produced lots of hail and coated the county and its surrounding areas with hailstones. This study analyzed the conditions of a severe thunderstorm that produced a significant amount of hail in an area of the country that does not often get impacted by hail episodes. The methodology used was reanalysis data from the ECMWF ERA5 Climate Data Store. Observational data was also used, which included Skew-T’s, surface maps, radar imagery, and photo evidence of the event.

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Investigating Sea Breeze Climatology In Tampa, Florida Using Reanalysis Data, Caitlin Neuman Apr 2025

Investigating Sea Breeze Climatology In Tampa, Florida Using Reanalysis Data, Caitlin Neuman

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Student Publications

Tampa is a coastal city situated in the western central peninsula of Florida, this investigation is centered around Tampa International Airport (TPA) at coordinates 27.9 ͦN and 82.5 ͦW, with elevations ranging from 2 to 8 meters above sea level along the coast of Tampa Bay, gradually increasing inland. •El Niño and La Niña: Planetary climate patterns that influence the sea breeze. •Sea breeze: it is formed due to the temperature differences between the air over land and the ocean. •The goal was to investigate sea breeze climatology with the use of reanalysis data.

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Genetic Insight On Two Elasmobranch Species In Sri Lanka, Dylan Gore, Kenna Peters, Buddhi Pathirana, Annais Muschett-Bonilla, Christine Sarkis, Sahan Thilakaratna Apr 2025

Genetic Insight On Two Elasmobranch Species In Sri Lanka, Dylan Gore, Kenna Peters, Buddhi Pathirana, Annais Muschett-Bonilla, Christine Sarkis, Sahan Thilakaratna

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Student Publications

Sharks are keystone predators in marine ecosystems, andremoving them can cause environmental collapse1. But shark populations have fallen in recent years, especially in small countries. Sri Lanka is an island nation in the Indian Ocean, whose waters contain over 100 species of elasmobranchs (sharks and rays). Sri Lanka is also one of the top 20 shark fishing countries, though little is known about the status of most elasmobranch populations2. Our goal was to estimate genetic diversity and connectivity, an indicator of extinction risk, in two elasmobranch species from Sri Lanka. Tiger sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier) are common in the Indo-Pacific, but …

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Climate Change And The Biogeography Of A Critical Component Of Coral Reefs, Summer R. Smith Apr 2025

Climate Change And The Biogeography Of A Critical Component Of Coral Reefs, Summer R. Smith

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Student Publications

Coral reef ecosystems are facing shifts in community composition because of climate change. Species with higher environmental tolerances have greater survivability rates through temperature anomalies. Palythoa caribaeorum is an encrusting colonial anemone with the ability to overgrow and outcompete neighboring benthic species, such as corals and sponges. Species-distribution models (SDMs) are an effective way to predict suitable habitats based on occurrence data and environmental variables. This study aimed to plot and identify the distribution of P. caribaeorum along Florida’s coast and project its distribution in the year 2100 based on climatic models. I predict that P. caribaeorum will maintain its …

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Response Of Coral-Reef Fish To Fishing Pressure, Allyah Vega Apr 2025

Response Of Coral-Reef Fish To Fishing Pressure, Allyah Vega

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Student Publications

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are subsets of traditional fishing grounds that are typically closed to fishing, serving as a key component of fisheries management and sustainability programs worldwide. It is hypothesized that MPAs help sustain exploited stocks by one or both mechanisms: (1) larvae spawned in the MPAs recruit into the Adjacent Fished Reefs (AFRs), and (2) juveniles and adults migrate from MPAs into AFRs. Evidence shows that (1) while fish density is higher in MPAs than in AFRs during a specific sampling period, overall reef-wide fish density either increases or remains stable over time, and (2) large-bodied fish become …

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Mapping The Botanical Gardens: A Guide To Florida Tech’S Greenspace, Paolo A. Soto Apr 2025

Mapping The Botanical Gardens: A Guide To Florida Tech’S Greenspace, Paolo A. Soto

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Student Publications

The Joy & Gordon Patterson Botanical Gardens on the Florida Tech campus are an important asset to the university. The garden provides a large recreational area for students, faculty and the public. It is also home to numerous interesting native and imported plant species. This abundance of natural capital is advertised as a perk of studying at Florida Tech, additionally this 16-acre watershed provides campus with flood protection. Therefore, it is important for visitors to be able to locate the various notable features of the gardens. Additionally, spatial data will be essential in guiding efforts to restore or re-vamp areas …

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Jerome Bruner, Michelle E. Tully, Jonathan B. Santo Apr 2025

Jerome Bruner, Michelle E. Tully, Jonathan B. Santo

Essays in Developmental Psychology

Born October 1st, 1915 in New York City to Polish immigrants, Bruner spent the first years of his life blind from cataracts. At the age of three he underwent surgery, which repaired his sense of sight. When reflecting on his career in his later years, Bruner credited this experience as a catalyst for his belief in constructivism, wherein the mind gives structure and meaning to experiences rather than passively taking them in, as well as fostering a continuing interest in the new and unexplored.

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Lifelong Learning, Rachel Wu Apr 2025

Lifelong Learning, Rachel Wu

Essays in Developmental Psychology

Lifelong learning is regarded as an important component in maintaining cognitive functioning in older age and has been at the center of many educational policies and psychological interventions. However, since this concept is broad and multi-faceted, some researchers argue that lifelong learning cannot be attributed a single, all-encompassing definition, but instead can hold different meanings in various contexts. For instance, some researchers perceive it as a process that inherently occurs throughout the course of one’s life.  This type of learning is said to be unique to each individual, because it is dependent on several factors, such as personal interests, environmental …

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Lifespan Development, Rachel Wu Apr 2025

Lifespan Development, Rachel Wu

Essays in Developmental Psychology

The human lifespan consists of several sequential stages: infancy, childhood, adolescence, young adulthood, middle-age, and older adulthood. Because salient changes typically occur at each stage, many researchers have tended to specialize in one area, such as child development or gerontology. However, it is also important to study development across the lifespan, not just within lifespan stages. Some researchers utilize a lifespan developmental approach by studying how early childhood experiences, such as exposure to toxins or good schooling, might lead to positive or negative effects in aging adulthood. Other researchers investigate early signs of later-diagnosed disorders, such as autism spectrum disorder …

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Parten's Play Experiment, C. Nathalie Yuen, Jonathan B. Santo Apr 2025

Parten's Play Experiment, C. Nathalie Yuen, Jonathan B. Santo

Essays in Developmental Psychology

Mildred Parten (1902-1970) observed 34 children playing in a preschool setting (Parten, 1933).  The children's ages ranged from 2 to 4.5 years old.  Parten observed the children for one minute each day to develop a greater understanding of play behaviors.  The observations focused on type of group, activity, and play.  The types of play were solitary, onlooker, parallel, associative, and cooperative.

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Physiological Changes In Old Age, Rachel Zachar, Lisa K. Lashley, Charles J. Golden Apr 2025

Physiological Changes In Old Age, Rachel Zachar, Lisa K. Lashley, Charles J. Golden

Essays in Developmental Psychology

Beginning in the third and fourth decades of life, subtle physiological changes start to occur with progressive decline as age increases. Some changes are visible such as wrinkling of the skin or whitening of hair, but the majority of physiological changes due to aging are internal. Many changes occur within the cardiovascular system. Boss and Seegmiller (1981) explain that with aging, cardiac output decreases as diastolic and systolic myocardial stiffness increases. These changes have been associated with increased blood pressure in older adults, leading to hypertension. This age-related change can be safely managed by antihypertensive therapy that is monitored regularly. …

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Self-Concept From A Developmental Perspective, C. Nathalie Yuen, Jonathan B. Santo Apr 2025

Self-Concept From A Developmental Perspective, C. Nathalie Yuen, Jonathan B. Santo

Essays in Developmental Psychology

Self-concept refers to individuals' perceptions of who they are (Marsh & Shavelson, 1985).  Conceptually distinct from self-esteem, self-concept addresses how individuals describe themselves in specific areas whereas self-esteem addresses how individuals generally feel (positively or negatively) about themselves.  Self-concept is multifaceted and consists of individuals' beliefs about themselves academically, socially, emotionally, and physically.  Self-concept refers to both how people think about themselves in general and in specific areas (Swann et al., 2007).

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Brain Plasticity, Rachel Wu Apr 2025

Brain Plasticity, Rachel Wu

Essays in Developmental Psychology

For decades, it was assumed that people are born with a certain number of neurons in the brain, and these neurons slowly died off with age. However, scientific studies have shown that the infant brain goes through very dramatic changes in the first few months and years of life (including adding additional neurons), and the brain can recover (although perhaps not fully) after a traumatic brain injury or stroke. Very recently, it has even been shown that new neurons can grow in the healthy adult brain. Brain plasticity involves long-lasting changes due to generation of new neurons, as well as …

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Erikson's Psychosocial Theory, C. Nathalie Yuen, Jonathan B. Santo Apr 2025

Erikson's Psychosocial Theory, C. Nathalie Yuen, Jonathan B. Santo

Essays in Developmental Psychology

Erik Erikson's psychosocial theory is comprised of eight stages, ranging from birth through adulthood (Berk, 2014).  Central to each stage is a crisis where individuals work toward a positive or negative resolution.  Although a negative resolution of a stage does not guarantee negative resolutions for future stages, a negative resolution could influence the outcome of future stages.  Erikson is considered a neo-Freudian and used Freud's theory of personality as a foundation for his own. However, Erikson's theory is termed a psychosocial theory because the focus is on individuals' relationships with others.

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Learning Disabilities Summary, Michael L. Woodward, Lisa L. Persinger Apr 2025

Learning Disabilities Summary, Michael L. Woodward, Lisa L. Persinger

Essays in Developmental Psychology

Learning Disabilities are the most prevalent category of special education within the United States. Recent U.S. Department of Education statistics indicate over 2.3 million school-aged (ages 6-21) students are currently eligible for special education services under the category of a Specific Learning Disability. These students encompass 3.5% of the U.S. school-aged population, and nearly 40% of all students eligible for special education services.

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Leisure Activities, Rachel Wu Apr 2025

Leisure Activities, Rachel Wu

Essays in Developmental Psychology

Many studies in the past few decades have examined how participation in leisure activities, such as playing a musical instrument, gardening, and reading the newspaper, can positively influence the aging process. For instance, studies have found an association between leisure activities and a reduced risk of amnestic mild cognitive impairment, dementia, and/or Alzheimer’s disease. In addition to positive cognitive outcomes, leisure activities also have been associated with a variety of other benefits, such as improved quality of life, mental health, life satisfaction, self-reports of happiness, and overall well-being. This entry provides a brief overview of the definition of leisure activities, …

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Intelligence Testing, Holly Van Duzer, Donna Devaughn Kreskey Apr 2025

Intelligence Testing, Holly Van Duzer, Donna Devaughn Kreskey

Essays in Developmental Psychology

Intelligence tests are tools used by psychologists to objectively measure an individual’s cognitive ability and prior knowledge. The administration, scoring and interpretation of intelligence tests are conducted by trained professionals to ensure standardized administration and appropriate use of the resulting test scores. Intelligence testing measures an individual’s current intellectual functioning, to diagnose an intellectual disability, and to diagnose specific learning disabilities, among other reasons. However, societal concerns and controversies surround the acceptance and use of intelligence testing.

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Mary Salter Ainsworth, Carmina Vital, Donna Devaughn Kreskey Apr 2025

Mary Salter Ainsworth, Carmina Vital, Donna Devaughn Kreskey

Essays in Developmental Psychology

Mary Salter Ainsworth, (born December 1, 1913, Glendale, Ohio – died March 21, 1999, Charlottesville, Virginia), was an American Canadian developmental psychologist best known for her contributions to attachment theory, including the Strange Situation Procedure for assessing individual differences in attachment.

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Occupational Choice, Gregory John Vitale Apr 2025

Occupational Choice, Gregory John Vitale

Essays in Developmental Psychology

Occupational choice is a multi-determined decision with influences from psychological traits, socioeconomic status, and cultural background. In addition, what a person ultimately does for a living is influenced by what they are capable of, what they like doing, what society requires, and what they can make a living doing. In other words, it is the combination of skill, enjoyment, societal need, and monetary return. This combination, if attained in harmony, is what the Japanese call “ikigai,” or “a reason for being.” Most people grow up thinking this harmony exists for them in some capacity; however, most people must make sacrifices …

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Blended Families, Brizel Trinidad, Lisa K. Lashley, Charles J. Golden Apr 2025

Blended Families, Brizel Trinidad, Lisa K. Lashley, Charles J. Golden

Essays in Developmental Psychology

Blended families are more common than ever. Recent statistics show that more than half of marriages end in divorce, with the eventual merge of two new families. The families go through several stages to create their new family structure. Several models resemble the integration of family members into the newly defined family. In 2001, Braithwaite and his colleagues identified five developmental pathways or trajectories that blended families followed as they become a family: accelerated, prolonged, stagnating, declining, and high-amplitude turbulent.

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Personal Control And Domains, Gregory John Vitale, Lisa K. Lashley, Charles J. Golden Apr 2025

Personal Control And Domains, Gregory John Vitale, Lisa K. Lashley, Charles J. Golden

Essays in Developmental Psychology

Through early experiences, people develop a growing sense of what they can control. One of the first ways researchers began to examine control was to define the degree to which an individual believes control is self-determined (i.e., internal locus of control) or not (i.e., external locus of control). An internal locus of control has traditionally been considered the “favored” profile, being associated with low levels of depression and other common psychopathology. A more modern view of locus of control suggests that a balance between both internal and external loci of control may foster the most adaptive outlook, and that it …

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Cohabitation, Shanna K. Williams, Lisa K. Lashley, Charles J. Golden Apr 2025

Cohabitation, Shanna K. Williams, Lisa K. Lashley, Charles J. Golden

Essays in Developmental Psychology

Cohabitation is defined as the act of an unmarried romantic couple (of any sexual orientation) residing together under one roof. The concept of cohabitation is not new and the rates with which it is occurring have been growing throughout the United States over the past several decades. The idea to live as unmarried romantic partners first became popular in Scandinavian countries where, for a variety of reasons, cohabitation remains an accepted and even valued option.

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Robbers Cave Study Summary, Michael L. Woodward, Lisa L. Persinger Apr 2025

Robbers Cave Study Summary, Michael L. Woodward, Lisa L. Persinger

Essays in Developmental Psychology

In 1949, a group of social psychologists led by Muzafer Sherif began a series of experiments looking into the origin of group conflict and prejudice within groups of 1112 year old boys. Social psychologists had previously focused research on patterns of discrimination, conflict, and prejudice. However, few empirical investigations had been devoted to examining how these divisive thoughts and behaviors develop, and why. The goal of the project was to naturally create prejudice within controlled environments where no prejudice had existed before. The study also examined methods for eliminating prejudice once it had been created.

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Learning (Communication), Talia Waltzer, Heidi Kloos Apr 2025

Learning (Communication), Talia Waltzer, Heidi Kloos

Essays in Developmental Psychology

Children are impressive learners. For instance, after a few years of exposure, they can utter sentences that resemble mature phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics. They do so without formal instruction, and they do so seemingly effortlessly. What are the mechanisms by which children can accomplish such a feat? In this entry, we sketch out different perspectives on learning, focusing on language learning as an example.

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Death Anxiety, Shanna K. Williams, Lisa K. Lashley, Charles J. Golden Apr 2025

Death Anxiety, Shanna K. Williams, Lisa K. Lashley, Charles J. Golden

Essays in Developmental Psychology

Just as humans are sentient creatures, aware of their beingness in this world, they are also cognizant of their eventual and inevitable death. With this knowledge comes the natural dread and anxiety associated with being aware that on any given day one will cease to exist. Indeed, one of the fundamental existential conflicts, or causes for existential angst, is the tension caused when an individual is aware of their inevitable death while also yearning for their continued life. Just as anxiety is a natural emotion, so too, is the anxiety surrounding death and its associated existential conflict.  In this context, …

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Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Overview, Harry Voulgarakis, Jessica Scher Lisa Apr 2025

Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Overview, Harry Voulgarakis, Jessica Scher Lisa

Essays in Developmental Psychology

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by pervasive deficits in social communication and interaction, alongside patterns of restricted, repetitive, stereotyped behaviors and interests (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). The causes, as well as neurobiological and genetic bases for ASD is still unknown, yet there is developing research in these areas.  Although diagnosis does not necessarily need to be made in early childhood, it is important to establish a developmental history consistent with such symptoms, in order to distinguish such deficits from those associated with trauma or other adverse impacts later in life. Beyond the main diagnostic criteria, there …

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