Changing Climates and Extreme Weather for Minnesota

Climate change is impacting the design, prediction, and operation of HVAC systems for the built environment, and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. This presentation reviews climate predictions for the upper Midwest and how they will affect the HVAC industry. Topics such as changing design conditions, extreme weather impact, and increased electrification will be addressed

The Challenges and Implications for Energy Education

In March 2011, the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station in Japan was hit by twin natural disasters of a 9.0 earthquake and a tsunami more than 10 meters high. The combination forced a shut down of the reactor and severed externally provided power. Backup generators and batteries, which at first functioned normally, were swamped and disabled by the tsunami waters. The subsequent loss of reactor core cooling led to rising temperatures that ultimately resulted in a partial melting of the fuel rods and several hydrogen explosions (produced by a steam-zirconium reaction). Eventually, the situation was brought under control, but not before several forms of radioactivity were released, some intentionally and some not. The technical aspects of the events in Japan, the media coverage of them, and the public’s reaction to them, all raise challenges to the engineering education community. For several decade,s nuclear engineering education has declined in the U.S., with many predicting it to be a dying field. While recent years have seen an increase in students and program options, due to workforce issues and the potential of new U.S. plants being built, nuclear engineering is still a relatively minor player in the engineering education field. Additionally, whereas students in other fields are routinely exposed to topics such as solar and wind power during their general studies, coverage of nuclear power in even its broadest aspects is not provided to most engineering students. As indicated by Fukushima, there are currently many complex design challenges in nuclear power that need trained engineers from all fields to address them. In addition, as some reviews of the accident have pointed out, regardless of the future of nuclear energy, there is a need to maintain a skilled nuclear power workforce for the foreseeable future to address the safety of existing plants and spent fuel storage facilities, such as those that now sit at Fukushima. A separate and possibly more crucial role for engineering educators is seen when the media coverage and public reaction to Fukushima is analyzed. The public reaction demonstrated a general lack of scientific understanding and a wealth of mis- and pre-conceptions. When situations like this arise, the public must rely on other reliable sources, such as the media and various governmental agencies to fill in the gaps. Unfortunately, in the case of Fukushima, the various agencies involved provided conflicting reports, and the media proved to be only marginally more knowledgeable than the public. This lecture will go through a timeline of technical events during the Fukushima nuclear accident. Corresponding details on the information and disinformation released by various agencies and media outlets, as well as the public reaction to it, will be overlaid with this. As a post analysis, the way these issues continue to play out in the public and within the areas of energy education will be discussed

Dick and Carol Cronk interview for a Wright State University History Course

On February 21, 2011 Janell Tebbe interviewed Dick and Carol Cronk, a retired aerospace engineer and a preschool teacher respectively, for a class project dealing with oral histories and capturing the history of the Miami Valley. During the interview Dick and Carol discussed their backgrounds, their married life together, their work with other couples, and their efforts with Marriage Ministry

Equal Access and the Right to Marry

How should courts think about the right to marry? This is a question of principle, of course, but it has also become a matter of litigation strategy for advocates challenging different-sex marriage requirements across the country. We contend that courts and commentators have largely overlooked the strongest argument in support of a constitutional right to marry. In our view, the right to marry is best conceptualized as a matter of equal access to government support and recognition and the doctrinal vehicle that most closely matches the structure of the right can be found in the fundamental interest branch of equal protection law. Two other arguments have dominated litigation and adjudication so far, but both of them suffer from weaknesses. First, a liberty theory grounded in due process argues that everyone has a fundamental right to civil marriage. But civil marriage is a government program that states likely could abolish without constitutional difficulty. In that way, it differs from other family-related liberties such as the ability to procreate or engage in sexual intimacy. Second, an equality theory suggests that classifications on the basis of sexual orientation are constitutionally suspect. But that approach is unlikely to succeed in the Supreme Court or many state tribunals. Equal access, in contrast, requires states to justify laws that selectively interfere with civil marriage, regardless of any independent due process or classification-based equal protection violations. We show how this approach is grounded in precedent regarding intimate relationships, as well as in analogous law concerning voting and court access. Our proposal offers courts a workable way to evaluate the constitutionality of different-sex marriage requirements and a more satisfying conceptual basis for the right to marry generally. It also suggests a useful framework for thinking about recognition of other nontraditional family structures

The intersection of race, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, trans identity, and mental health outcomes

The present study examined patterns in trans individuals’ multiple identities and mental health outcomes. Cluster 1 (socioeconomic and racial privilege; n = 239) was characterized by individuals who identified as trans women or cross-dressers, lesbian, bisexual, or questioning; had associates degrees; reported household incomes of $60,000 or more a year; and were non-Latino White. Cluster 2 (educational privilege; n = 191) was characterized by individuals who identified as trans men or genderqueer, gay, or queer; had a bachelor’s degree; reported household incomes of$10,000 or less a year; and were people of color. There was a pattern of individuals in Cluster 1 who identified with two privileged identities (identifying as White and having higher household incomes), whereas individuals in Cluster 2 identified only formal education as a privilege. Individuals in Cluster 2 reported statistically significant levels of anxiety. Implications of these results for future research and clinical practice are examined.Accepted manuscrip

The Effectiveness of a Learning Strategies Course on College Student-Athletes' Adjustment, Use of Learning Strategies, and Academic Performance

We examined the effectiveness of a learning strategies course in assisting at-risk male and female freshmen student athletes in improving their academic performances. Participants included 129 freshman student-athletes (Female=72 and Male= 57) from a large southern university. Eighty-six participants were enrolled in the student-athlete PSYC 1000 class, either in Fall 2003 or Fall 2004; 43 were student-athletes who entered the university during the same time but were not required to enroll in the course because their test scores and high school grades met or exceeded the university's academic requirements for open admission. The learning strategies course (PSYC 1000) is based on psychological and educational theories and models associated with learning, self-regulation, personal and career development, communication, stress and coping, and health. The overall goals of the course are to (1) assist students in developing effective strategies to be proficient learners, (2) increase their understanding of how people change and develop, and (3) apply this knowledge across academic programs and in all areas of their lives to make positive, self-enhancing changes. The course was based on the same syllabus and lesson plans that are used in other PSYC 1000 sections for students who are not athletes, however, the lesson plans are tailored to encompass the specific demands of the student-athlete experience. The at-risk student athletes reported im­provements across a wide range of study skills, such as comprehension, concentration and use of test-taking strategies, during their first semester of college when they were enrolled in the course. In comparison to regu­larly admitted student-athletes who did not take the course, the at-risk student athletes earned comparable grades during their first two semes­ters. Although neither academic nor noncognitive variables predicted the male student athletes' first and second semester GPA's, female athletes' ability to manage their time as well as their willingness to take responsi­bility for their learning was positively related to their academic perform­ances. Regarding their adjustment to college, the at-risk student athletes showed improvement in the personal/emotional area, but slight decreases with respect to academics and social relationships. Overall, these findings support learning strategies courses as an effectiveness mechanism for improving the academic performance of at-risk student athletes

The Argument for Same-Sex Marriage

Professors Tebbe and Widiss revisit the arguments they made in Equal Access and the Right to Marry and emphasize their belief that distinguishing between different-sex marriage and same-sex marriage is inappropriate. They lament the sustained emphasis on the equal-protection and substantive-due-process challenges in the Perry litigation and suggest that an equal-access approach is more likely to be successful on appeal. Professor Shannon Gilreath questions some of the fundamental premises for same-sex marriage. He challenges proponents to truly reflect on what there is to commend marriage to Gay people, and points to his own reversal on the question as evidence. Though he stands fully in opposition to critics of same-sex marriage who use the stance to veil attacks on equality generally, Gilreath argues that marriage can be seen as a further institutionalization of gays and lesbians that risks assimilationist erasure of Gay identity. Gilreath concludes by noting that to the extent that marriage is assumed to be normatively good, the Tebbe-Widiss equal access approach to same-sex marriage recognition may be the most successful; still, he invites those on all sides of the debate to vigorously challenge that assumption

The Argument for Same-Sex Marriage (Debate)

Perry v. Schwarzenegger, in which a federal district court held California\u27s ban on same-sex marriages unconstitutional, is set for expedited review in the Ninth Circuit; many argue that the case will ultimately be decided by the Supreme Court. The arguments for and against the constitutionality of such statutes are thus at a fever pitch. In an article published earlier this year, Professors Nelson Tebbe and Deborah Widiss argued that marriage rights are best conceived of as an issue of equal access, rather than one of equal protection or substantive due process. Nelson Tebbe & Deborah A. Widiss, Equal Access and the Right to Many, 158 U. PA. L. REV. 1375, 1377 (2010). In The Argument for Same-Sex Marriage, Professors Tebbe and Widiss revisit the arguments they made in Equal Access and the Right to Mary and emphasize their belief that distinguishing between different-sex marriage and same-sex marriage is inappropriate. They lament the sustained emphasis on the equal-protection and substantive-due-process challenges in the Perry litigation and suggest that an equal-access approach is more likely to be successful on appeal. Professor Shannon Gilreath questions some of the fundamental premises for same-sex marriage in Arguing Against Arguing for Marriage. He challenges proponents to truly reflect on what there is to commend marriage to Gay people, and points to his own reversal on the question as evidence. Though he stands fully in opposition to critics of same-sex marriage who use the stance to veil attacks on equality generally, Gilreath argues that marriage can be seen as a further institutionalization of gays and lesbians that risks assimilationist erasure of Gay identity. Gilreath concludes by noting that to the extent that marriage is assumed to be normatively good, the Tebbe-Widiss equal access approach to same-sex marriage recognition may be the most successful; still, he invites those on all sides of the debate to vigorously challenge that assumption

Performance Analysis of Solar Walls in Minnesota: Final Project Report

A study of unglazed transpired solar collectors (referred to as solar walls for this report), has been undertaken. Several installations in the Twin Cities, MN region have been identified, researched, and studied. A combination of weather stations, data logging systems, and building energy management systems were used to collect experimental data on four buildings. Performance calculations were then performed for these buildings and compared with various performance/modeling tools

Improving Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT) Performance with Placement Strategies: Final Report

This project was focused on the use and placement of vertical axis wind turbines (VAWTs). Studies were focused on areas not typically addressed in previous work; small wind at very low elevations (i.e. within the boundary layer). Numerical studies were made of how VAWTs function as well as the potential wind environments they may be placed in. A simplified numerical code, based on two-dimensional potential flow functions, was developed to model flow around buildings and other structures. The code allows a rapid determination of regions where flow may experience speed-up and where turbulence may result. Experimental facilities were designed and constructed that allowed scale model VAWTs to be tested in both a water channel and a low speed wind tunnel. Anemometer towers were also designed and constructed for measuring wind conditions at regional test sites. A large amount of experimental data was gathered from these facilities. The data covers performance measures of specific VAWT models, measured flow fields around VAWT models, measured wind flow fields at multiple test locations, and numerically predicted flow fields around structures (e.g. buildings and grain bins). The project observed that the wake region behind a VAWT can extend as far as four diameters and will be offset toward the side of rotation. This will affect how VAWTs can be packed together into arrays. For Savonius designs, an increase in performance can be obtained by placing a second VAWT appropriate in this wake region. However, the same result was not seen for helical designs. Overall, final recommendations on placement could not be made. Recent industry research indicates that some VAWTs perform better when placed in areas of higher turbulence. This project was unable to verify those results. A better understanding of how VAWTs perform at different levels of turbulent intensity will be needed before final placement recommendations can be made. A large number or outreach and dissemination activities were conducted to a range of audiences, including K-12, industry, the general public, as well as state and national political figures. Awareness of renewable energy and wind power in particular, was raised. Thirty-six students (undergraduate and graduate) participated actively in this project. The conducted research as well as interacted with public audiences in dissemination activities. Several recommendations have been made for continuing or future work. With the experimental infrastructure developed through this project, some of these topics are already being pursued. Other topics related to energy research could also be undertaken in the future