The professions of science in America: their ambivalent history

Science started to become professionalized in the United States during the Jackson~an period. A principal aim of professionalization was to secure the goals and standards of research from interference by laymen by the institutionalization of scientific autonomy. Then and since, the scientific professions have sought to legitimate themselves by promising various quid pro quos to the society in exchange for the privilege of autonomy. The promises have included the claim that the study of science would foster morally disinterested habits of thinking and that the results of research would lead to practical., material benefit. Since the turn of the century, the claims of legitimation have in many respects been substantially validated, and the scientific professions have grown and prospered. But the very success of science, particularly after it became a favored ward of the federal government, combined with the arrangements of autonomy to provoke popular resentment and, in the era of Vietnam, rebellion. The turmoil revealed that the American scientific professions, at once respected and suspected, esoteric yet indispensable, were destined to live in tension with the larger society indefinitely

The sciences in America, circa 1880

For many years American science in the late 19th century was regarded as an intellectual backwater. This view derived from the assumption that the health of American science at the time was equivalent to the condition of pure science, especially pure physics. However, a closer look reveals that there was considerable vitality in American scientific research, especially in the earth and life sciences. This vitality is explainable in part by the natural scientific resources of the American continent but also in part by the energy given science from religious impulses, social reformism, and practicality. Furthermore, contrary to recent assumptions, the federal government was a significant patron of American science. The portrait of American science circa 1880 advanced in this article suggests that the nation's scientific enterprise was characterized by pluralism of institutional support and motive and that such pluralism has historically been the normal mode

Conversations with chemists: information seeking behavior of chemistry faculty in the electronic age.

This manuscript is a final draft of the article as submitted to the Haworth journal Science and Technology Libraries in December 2002. Due to editorial error, Haworth published an earlier draft of this paper instead of the final draft. They declined to rectify this error in the online version of the journal. The reader is advised that the author considers this version to be the definitive final draft that should have been published but was not. Scholars wishing to cite this work should preferably cite this final preprint, rather than the published article.Six faculty members in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Texas at Austin were interviewed one-on-one to gather information about their information-seeking behavior, favored resources, and opinions about the transition from a print to an electronic information environment. In most cases, these chemistry faculty members have eagerly embraced the enhanced access to chemical information made possible by the steady addition of electronic journals and networked database systems. The most-cited benefits include significant time-saving and convenience as well as access to more journals than ever. As a result, use of the physical library and its printed collections by faculty is declining. Chemistry faculty interviewed expressed a strong self-reliance in their information-seeking skills, and showed sophistication in their choice of tools.UT Librarie

Common People’s Sustainability: Connectivity within a Food System Rhizome

They say that sustainable development has been around for about 20 years and not very much progress has been achieved. However, this view may refer to difficulties in identifying sustainable developments in everyday business activities without particularly visible publicity. Currently, new serious activity towards sustainable food systems, starting from retailing, processing industries and farmers as well as other food system actors seem to strive to connect the supply chains for sustainable food. This paper makes use of the notion of ‘social rhizomes’ structured as different networks to identify sustainable developments in actors’ lived experience. Furthermore, the notion of connectivity, as the ability to activate heterogenous ideas, persons, materials and spaces for sustainability within a ’social rhizome’ is used to explain the progress towards sustainability within local, national and global food system. Empirically, the paper is based on two presentations given on the Finnish Organic Conference 2008. The presentations were analysed for the progress towards sustainability within social rhizomes structured as chanceworks, meshworks, strategic networks and socially overlaid networks. Results suggest, that connectivity between different networks leads to transformations between the networks towards more shared economic, environmental and socio-cultural benefits, which can be identified as common people’s sustainability

Afterword

Today many books appear regarding Vatican II. Yet, only very few of them manage to locate this crucial event in the life of the twentieth century Roman Catholic Church against the broad horizon of both its prehistory and its aftermath. This book does just that. In seven chapters, this volume offers a survey of the evolution of Post-Enlightenment Catholicism, in the period spanning from ca. 1830 to the present, tying together the renewals proposed by the first and the Second Vatican Councils. Each phase in this evolution is discussed from a double angle: on the hand from the viewpoint of theological developments and milieu’s, and on the other hand from an institutional and Church historical perspective, thus binding together these two perspectives and tracing the evolutions within Catholicism in all their pluriformity

Hidden value - towards an understanding of the full impact of engaging students in user-led research and innovation projects between universities and companies

‘Live’ projects have been the staple of degree programmes in design for as long as design education has existed. They represent the perfect vehicle through which students can test their evolving knowledge and skills. They provide an ideal constructivist platform through which problem-centred, authentic learning can be achieved and deliver immediate value to student learning. This study explores the value to the other stakeholders in such projects: the Company and the University. A suite of projects undertaken over a ten-year period between a leading Design School and one of the largest Fast Moving Consumer Goods companies in the world has been reviewed. Semi-structured interviews with Company employees and academics have been used to establish the impact of each project, and this data has been mapped against the original objective of each project in order to identify the hidden value of these collaborations. Through this exploration of a decade of University-Company collaborations, the authors identify levels of engagement that go beyond the ‘live project’. The paper illustrates the value of such projects for the ‘client’ organisation, and the academic community, as well as reflecting, briefly, on the student experience

Choosing a Thesis Advisor: Surprise and Success

One of the most daunting and yet important decisions in graduate school is the selection of your thesis advisor. Inviting an advisor into your graduate thesis process is like hiring a ship navigator who will help guide your graduate study through the sometimes choppy waters of data research and thesis writing and into the safe harbor of graduation and a good job. Although you remain the captain of your own career, your graduate advisor teaches you how to use the charts and equipment that will bring you to the completion of your graduate degree. The specific steps involved in choosing an advisor vary according to department and school; however, some aspects of this process are universal, no matter which college or university you attend. Many people compare this selection process to choosing a spouse, because the thesis advisor is someone who will be with you, directly or indirectly, throughout your professional life. As in finding and forging any successful professional relationship, identifying a compatible advisor is not an easy task, and few road maps exist that explain how to manage it. Consequently, most graduate students begin the process of choosing their thesis advisor without much background information. A lack of preparation can lead to disappointing results, whereas an informed approach can achieve a very satisfying outcome. In fact, a compatible advisor can function as your career navigator, someone you can consult for professional advice whenever your career takes an unexpected turn or presents a promising opportunity. In the end, the rewards that come with a reliable advisor who is right for you, your professional goals, and your field of study, are worth the investment of extra time and energy in a thorough search process. In the stories that follow, I offer you some insight into this sometimes unpredictable quest and share my decision-making process, as well as a few of the experiences I have had in my search for thesis advisors. I hope this chapter will prepare you to choose an advisor who will work well with you and see you through to the completion of your graduate degree

Faculty Excellence

Each year, the University of New Hampshire selects a small number of its outstanding faculty for special recognition of their achievements in teaching, scholarship and service. Awards for Excellence in Teaching are given in each college and school, and university-wide awards recognize public service, research, teaching and engagement. This booklet details the year\u27s award winners\u27 accomplishments in short profiles with photographs and text

Special Libraries, January 1956

Volume 47, Issue 1https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/sla_sl_1956/1000/thumbnail.jp