Faculty Scholarly Dissemination Grants

The Effect of Colorful and Familiar Cues on Wayfinding in Older Adults

Rebecca Davis — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 11:20:27 PDT

Older adults often have problems finding their way (place learning) in unfamiliar environments. We examined the contributions of specific properties of cues (landmarks): color, familiarly, and the number of cues - in place learning in community dwelling older adults. Using a virtual reality program that measures place learning performance, 133 subjects in 3 age groups (55-64, 65-74, and > 75) were asked to find a hidden target. The test required the subjects to learn and remember the location of the hidden platform only using the cues. Subjects were tested in four cue conditions repeatedly over three days. Each cue condition varied with respect to the color and familiarity of the cues. Place learning performance included latency (time it took to find the target) and distance traveled to the target. Other measures were included in the analysis, including age group, cognitive ability, and computer experience. Subjects found the hidden target the fastest (F(3,2922)=13.16, p

Treasurer's Report

Linda Davis — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 11:20:26 PDT

The presentation will consist of the typical Treasurer's Report for a non-profit 501 c (3) organization. I will present my first year and a half, which includes: starting a new bank account, beginning online banking for all officers, transferring approximately $200K in endowments from CDs to Money Market Accounts (not funds), upgrading our bookkeeping system to QuickBooks, and figuring out the past bookkeeping system. The information presented to the Board of Directors of the Association for Women Geoscientists and the Association for Women Geoscientists Foundation (two separate entities) will include a summary of all donations, donor types, interest earned, how our General Fund (not ear-marked) has fared, and a summary of all projects funded and a description of each project (historical and who has received the funding).

More Technology, Less Learning?

Gerald DeHondt et al. — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 11:20:24 PDT

Modern information technologies (presentation software, wireless laptop computers, cell phones, etc.) are purported to enhance student learning. Research to date provides an ambivalent and often conflicting set of outcomes about the effectiveness of such technologies in the context of the college classroom. Anecdotal evidence further complicates this matter by presenting viewpoints which often conflict with existing studies and prevailing best practices. Do modern technologies belong in the classroom and to what extent? The answers to these questions are neither direct nor simple. This paper integrates the results of published studies, anecdotal evidence, and theory, and considers the potential drawbacks of an over reliance on modern technologies to the learning process in higher education.

Writing Europe into the Narrative of the Nation: The 1972 EEC Referendum in Ireland

Andrew Devenney — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 11:20:23 PDT

In May 1972, Ireland held a referendum on whether or not to join the European Economic Community (EEC), a political and economic question the Irish nation had been grappling with since 1961. Conducted largely by and between elites within the political establishment, the campaign was a rather droll affair. Questions of bread-and-butter economics, intergovernmental lawmaking and administration, and the cut-and-thrust of Irish politics dominated the debate. In the end, a somewhat disengaged Irish public rejected the arguments of the anti-EEC campaigns and affirmed Irish membership in the EEC, with eighty-three percent voting yes. On 1 January 1973, Ireland officially became a member of the EEC. Despite the perfunctory nature of the referendum, the campaign marked a momentous turning point for Ireland on a number of levels, politically, economically, socially, diplomatically. However, the struggle was also an ideological struggle between political factions attempting to redefine Ireland's conception as a nation. Would Ireland become a cosmopolitan, forward-looking member of Europe, as Sean Lemass and Jack Lynch articulated, or would it embrace a more independent role unfettered by the chains of British and imperialist domination, as anti-EEC campaigners like Anthony Coughlan argued? In the end, pro-Europeans succeeded in writing Europe into a new narrative of the Irish nation, but their success was by no means a foregone conclusion. This paper will explore these ideological dimensions of the 1972 EEC referendum in Ireland and the ways in which this struggle has contributed to the continual reshaping of modern Irish understanding of the nation.

Identifying novel, non-lexical cues to meaning present in infant directed speech

Gwenden Dueker — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 11:20:21 PDT

Methods. Data for 26 adult-infant dyads was collected by providing adults with two different types of conversational prompts, sets of objects and cue-cards suggesting non-object topics of conversation and asking adults to use the prompts to interact with their infants. Adults' speech to infants was transcribed and coded. Analyses. Of 5921 total utterances, 76.2% were about objects. Declaratives were the most common (45%) type of utterance, 8.6% of utterances began with a gasp and the mean utterance length was 4.05. To account for the statistical dependence of utterances by the same adult, a Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) model was fit using the exchange correlation structure. Utterance type, initial gasp, utterance length, and their interactions were tested as predictors of Object status. Results. Utterances starting with an audible gasp had a significantly higher probability of being about an object than utterances that did not (?2 = 12.7, p

8 Reasons Why You Should Use Mobile Platforms in Your CS Courses

Hans Dulimarta — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 11:20:20 PDT

Mobile computing represents yet another significant paradigm shift in computing. On a very fundamental level, it is changing the way computing integrates into our daily lives, and also impacts what we should be teaching future computer scientists in our classrooms. In this paper establish our rationale for including mobile technology content in our CS courses. We then summarize our experiences to-date and provide a set of practical guidelines to help others incorporate mobile into their CS courses.

Dispersal of the Karner Blue Butterfly in a Hetrogeneous Landscape

James Dunn — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 11:20:18 PDT

Karner blue butterfly (KBB) is an endangered species in the Eastern and Great Lakes USA that occurs within patches of blue lupine that are placed throughout a matrix of unsuitable forest habitat and disturbed fields. The species is assumed to behave as a metapopulation, thus its survival may be dependent upon re-colonization of extinct patches by dispersal. In recent years, declines of KBB have likely increased due to both an increase in the isolation of patches and a decrease in patch size as a result of forest succession. We measured dispersal among isolated patches by mark-recapture over two years within a complex 2-km square area of mostly forested landscape with a few likely insignificant corridors in west Michigan, USA. Past studies indicate that median and mean dispersal flights are restricted to less than 200m and that mature forests act as a barrier to dispersal making extinction in forested landscapes highly probable. However, there is a paucity of data on KBB dispersal, especially within forested landscapes. We documented 233 cases of dispersal among patches through a matrix of closed canopy oak with 92% of the flights greater than 200m. Mean and median dispersal for males was 440m and 370m, and for females were 518m and 370m. Maximum dispersal distance measured was 1.8km for an individual male, with 17 butterflies dispersing more than 1km. The management assumption, that KBB rarely disperse farther than 200m and that a closed-forested landscape acts as a barrier to flight, is false.

Voltaire, Dictionaries, and the Questions sur l'Encyclopedie

David Eick — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 11:20:17 PDT

Today Voltaire (1694-1778) is best known for his masterpiece, "Candide", an exemplar of the genre he created, the "philosophical tale". For his contemporaries, however, Voltaire was the greatest poet and playwright of the century. Ironically, Voltaire considered "Candide" a mere trifle, while today no one except a few scholars knows his poetry, and his plays are no longer performed. In addition to philosophical tales, theatre, and poetry, during the last third of his long life Voltaire consistently worked in one other genre: dictionaries. He contributed to both the Dictionnaire de l'Academie francaise (1762 4th ed.) and the great Encyclopedie (1751-1772); his Dictionnaire philosophique, banned by the French Monarchy and placed on the Pope's Index of forbidden books, was a sensational best-seller; and his Questions sur l'Encyclopedie (1770-72) were in fact his longest work. My paper focuses on the Questions sur l'Encyclopedie, which are relatively little known. Indeed, no new edition in its own right has appeared in over two hundred years...until now. I propose to examine the new seven-volume edition in progress from Oxford University Press and the Voltaire Foundation. The question I put to the "Questions" as whether they may be considered Voltaire's magnum opus.

The Theraputic Relationship: Context and Means of Forgivness

Dorothea Epple — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 11:20:16 PDT

This presentation will focus on the client social work relationship as the context and the means by which change occurs; specifically forgiveness of self, others, and God. Forgiveness is important in repairing damage within interpersonal relationships and for individual physical and mental health. An individual's faith perspective can play an important role in the forgiveness process. The social workers sensitivity to the client's beliefs, faith, ritual, and community of belonging may have an impact on the client social worker relationship and the context and the means by which forgiveness occurs. This workshop will examine the beliefs of forgiveness in several religions and discuss case examples within the therapeutic process. The following is the outline for this paper and presentation: Abstract; Key Words; Introduction; review of the literature on forgiveness in several faith perspectives; review of the literature on self forgiveness; review of the literature on the complexities of forgiveness in the therapeutic process; discussion of disguised case examples reflecting forgiveness and the connection of faith or ritual in the therapeutic process. LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Understand Christian, Jewish, and other faith perspectives on the ideals of forgiveness Understand self forgiveness Understand the complexities of forgiveness for clients within the context and means of the therapeutic relationship Understand when forgiveness can place the victim in repeated harm from the perpetrator Understand what forgiveness is not Understand the social workers counter transference and the impact on the client regarding forgiveness Discuss case examples to provide insight into the change process involved with forgiveness in the therapeutic encounter

A Destructive Mother?: La Llorona [The Wailing Woman] as symbol of the Chicano barrio in Barrio on the Edge by Alejandro Morales

Mayra Fortes — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 11:20:15 PDT

Barrio on the Edge (1975) by Mexican American (Chicano) writer Alejandro Morales recovers one of the most ancient and popular legends of Mexican and Chicano Culture of the Southwest: The legend of the Wailing Woman. The novel portrays the Mexican barrio as a contradictory territory since it functions as both, a protective space from American discrimination and a destructive space that drags its inhabitants to their own destruction. Life in the barrio is presented through the lens of violence and stagnation, producing a series of horrific images that account for a decadent reality. My essay explores the relationship between The Wailing Woman and the barrio, the latter being a space governed by patriarchal authority. The fantasmagoric presence of The Wailing Woman in Barrio on the Edge is a symbol of the barrio as a creative/destructive maternal force that hinders its inhabitants to develop as individuals. This conflictive force emerges from the oposition between "this side [the barrio]/the other side [the United States]" which structures the identity of the barrio and the novel itself. The presence of The Wailing Woman in the novel questions the validity of patriarchal authority of the barrio and, at the same time, unveils the subaltern character of this space towards another patriarchal space: American society.

Hydrogenated Amorphous Carbon in the Interstellar Medium

Douglas Furton — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 11:20:13 PDT

Hydrogenated amorphous carbon (HAC), a form of solid carbon with a widely ranging hydrogen content, was once believed to be a ubiquitous, solid component of the interstellar medium. This conclusion was based largely on a similarity between the visible photoluminescence band emitted by HACs and the emission band known as Extended Red Emission (ERE) observed in many dusty astrophysical environments. HACs were also used in absorption and scattering models of interstellar dust to reproduce key absorption and scattering features in the infrared, visible and ultraviolet spectral regions. In recent years, however, other carbon and hydrogen-containing materials, such as Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, have been proposed to account for many of the observed phenomena previously attributed to HACs. In this talk, the evolution of our understanding of the roll HACs are expected to play in dusty astrophysical environments is reviewed.

Management Implications Based on Visitor Use Data from Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness

Carol Griffin — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 11:20:12 PDT

We collected data about users to the Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness in 2009-10. Users completed a voluntary self-registration at five main entrances to the wilderness. Wilderness issues include: wilderness is scarce in the region, the wilderness is small, it is near several metropolitan areas, use levels are high enough that solitude may be impaired, one boundary is a heavily-used USFS recreation area, dogs off-leash may affect the endangered piping plover, and the number of people who complete the trail register is very low compared to observed use levels. In some cases the USFS estimates of user demographics and patterns of use were consistent with the trail register, but in many cases there were significant differences in their predictions and recorded use levels. Management implications of this research include revising educational messages (personal contact, website, trailhead kiosk), modifying regulations, and increased enforcement in selected areas.

Phospho-regulation of the anillin-related scaffolding protein, Mid1

Dawn Hart — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 11:20:10 PDT

Cell division is a fundamental biological event that underlies the growth and development of all organisms. Because human and fission yeast (Schizosaccharomyces pombe) cells divide symmetrically through constriction of the actomyosin ring, fission yeast provides an ideal model system to reveal conserved cytokinesis properties. In fission yeast, an evolutionarily conserved protein, Mid1, plays a critical role in organizing the early steps of contractile ring formation and functions as a scaffold to bridge the cell cortex with the contractile ring. Cells lacking mid1 form off-centered, highly disorganized ring structures and exhibit severe cytokinesis defects. Coincident with its cortical accumulation, Mid1 becomes hyper-phosphorylated. Our previous research demonstrates that cyclin-dependent kinase, Cdc2, and the polo-like kinase, Plo1, directly phosphorylate Mid1. In addition to consensus phosphorylation motifs for Plo1 and Cdc2, Mid1 contains several RXXS motifs, which fits the phosphorylation consensus sequence for Sid2 kinase. Sid2 is the most downstream kinase in the SIN signaling cascade, which signals from the spindle pole body to trigger constriction of the contractile ring. To examine Mid1 phospho-regulation, phospho-site mutants were generated at the endogenous mid1 locus and examined for cell division defects. Interestingly, phospho-site mutants progressed through mitosis significantly faster than wild-type cells. Current studies focus on the consequence of treating phospho-site mutants with microtubule and actin destabilizing agents.

Authors In Depth: Literature for Writing Majors

Chris Haven — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 11:20:08 PDT

"Authors In Depth: Literature for Writing Majors" is a paper in the panel titled "Beyond Rhetoric and Composition: The Liberal Arts Writing Major." Responding to the recent scholarship about the development of writing majors across the United States, this panel argues that the most appropriate curriculum for undergraduates embraces multiple writing-related fields. This paper in particular examines the type of approach that is most beneficial in helping creative writing students understand how writing works in ways that they can import to their own projects. Reports will be given on the types of assignments given in a pilot section of the course taught in Fall 2010, with a discussion of outcomes and ways these outcomes can bridge gaps between other types of courses in the undergraduate Writing major.

Design and Delivery of a Social Work Policy Class: Social Presence in a Blended Environment

E. Jane Hayes — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 11:20:06 PDT

The Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework of Garrison & Vaughan (2008) was applied to the design of a blended learning social work policy class. The framework identified three elements of course design as a foundation for web based learning. The core elements were social presence, cognitive presence, and teaching presence To address the question as to whether the integration of technology into this policy course may decrease the amount and quality of social interaction, strategies were developed to foster social presence in course design. The course was delivered in a 16 week format. It was structured to meet every week, alternating an online group discussion board session with a F2F session. The content of the discussion board was designed by the instructor and required students to complete assigned readings and research the literature in response to a posted question. Students worked in groups, leading and facilitating the discussion. The subsequent F2F session was then designed to build on the theme of the discussion board, included content presented by the instructor as well as small group exercises to facilitate further exploration of the question. Voice announcements were integrated into the course to facilitate social interaction and communication. The hybrid social welfare policy class was delivered in winter 2010. A survey of pre-session student expectations and post-session experiences related to the amount and quality of social interaction and communication were compared for an interpretation of student experiences.

The Ailing Female Body as other: Trauma and Memory in Claudia Llosa's La Teta Asustada (2009)

Lynn Healy — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 11:20:04 PDT

In this paper I will consider the relationship between the body, memory, and violence as developed through Fausta, the protagonist in Claudia Llosa's La teta asustada (2009). I will examine the ways in which the body forms its own memories, as well as how it responds to memories of violence, as suggested by the theories of Julia Kristeva and Judith Butler. Secondly, I will explore the power of song and voice, which emanate from the body and have a well-documented role in Andean oral memory, history and cultures, in the processes of healing and remembering. Lastly, I will demonstrate how the film itself exists within a framework of violence such that although Llosa suggests the possibility for the conditions for healing, she exerts a form of symbolic violence over and against the plot and the protagonist Fausta that undermines the body and the ability of the feminine to come to terms with past traumas. In spite of the fact that the film asks that we remember both the history of colonialism and the guerrilla violence enacted by the Sendero Luminoso in Peru, Llosa traps Fausta within a specifically masculine framework such that she is only able to heal and to cope with her memories through the careful guidance and subtle manipulation of the powerful figures in her life, namely, her uncle, her employer, and the gardner.

Nero Fiddles while Rome Burns: Partisan Politics and Gun Control

John Hewitt — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 11:20:03 PDT

The current incarnation of the debate over guns and gun control is a relatively recent phenomenon; however, the seeds for this debate were sown centuries earlier. For many observers, the partisan line drawn on this issue seems perfectly logical and inevitable representing just another front on the ideological battlefield between liberals and conservatives. Yet, few observers and even fewer participants in the debate seem to critically examine the origins of this particular battlefront and the manner in which these lines were drawn. Moreover, the partisan rancor has come to overshadow a simple fact: both sides of the debate wish to mitigate the social harms caused by the improper or illegal uses of firearms. Political bickering hampers not only the examination of the debate itself, but also the search for solutions to the problems both sides agree exist. It has only been within the last 40-50 years that mainstream liberals have railed against the "public safety menace" that firearms allegedly pose while mainstream conservatives tout the twin ideas of "Constitutional rights" and that firearms represent some idealized "American heritage." Our research indicates that American gun control efforts have historically been racially motivated; the primary difference between the last half-century of these efforts and those of previous eras is a fundamental unfamiliarity with, and thus fear of firearms, coupled with an unacknowledged racial bias. With this information we believe more effective educational and safety programs can be designed and implemented to address some of the social harms associated with firearms.

Foundations and Media: Bringing the System On-Stream

William Hosterman — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 11:20:02 PDT

As media culture has become more pervasive in society, many foundations programs have recognized the importance of addressing influences from the likes of movies, advertisements and the Internet in their classes. This is both a rich and problematic undertaking because students are often so immersed in media that they are blind to its impact, but when they are able to deconstruct it and explore its use and effect, they can utilize it with greater purpose and meaning. The goal, therefore, must be to connect the role of the media to practices in fine art, while also appreciating the modern influences that students are receiving. The focus of this panel will be to address strategies for incorporating aspects of media culture into a curriculum traditionally concerned with teaching fundamental skill. The essential question then becomes: How do instructors within foundations programs address the subject of media without sacrificing instruction of important technical skills, such as observational drawing, composition, color and 3-D design? The panel will consist of four participants from various foundations programs around the country. I intend to organize the panel to represent a variety of viewpoints and offer multiple strategies for addressing media in foundations classes. Our aim will be to establish a lively dialogue on the subject so the audience will be exposed to multiple perspectives. The panelists will be encouraged to incorporate handouts and possibly participate in a blog post before and/or after the presentation.

Can Hegel and Hitchcock Come Together: Theorizing Sustainable Interdisciplinarity"

Azfar Hussain — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 11:20:00 PDT

Drawing on such contemporary continental philosophers as Alain Badiou and Slavoj Zizek, ones who make connections between Hegel and Hitchcock, I theorize interdisciplinarity as a conscious, overdetermined "worldly" practice. I argue that such a practice arises out of--among other things--the need to make connections among otherwise scattered and disparate phenomena, while finally I move in the direction of focusing on the pedagogical implications and applications of a "sustainable" and engaged interdisciplinarity--one that, as I further argue, is likely to help us understand how unequal power-relations continue to inform and inflect the practices of our everyday life.

Knowledge Based Urban Development: Lessons from Australian Policies for the American Midwest

Richard Jelier — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 11:19:59 PDT

Australia presents a compelling framework for success and best practices in the knowledge economy and knowledge-based urban development (KBUD). The paper explicates the most important components of Australian cities' race to the top. Successful knowledge based economic development strategies are attributed to the commingling of policies - sound urban planning, coordinated state and local leadership and an overall commitment to sustainable development. Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Canberra are not only among the most livable in the world, but also attractive cities for foreign investment and poised to lead the knowledge economy revolution. For the majority of U.S. cities to compete in the "Race to the Top," state, local and federal leaders must adopt new models and change existing patterns of development. This research makes explicit comparisons between the Australian States and the Midwest both in strategic approaches to economic development. Research methods include direct field research in Australia with dozens of semi-structured interviews of state and local planners, primary source data including all of the major structure plans, sustainability plans, regional plans and knowledge economy indicators.