Energy University: An Innovative Private-Sector Solution to Energy Education

Energy use is one of the most critical issues facing our world. The U.S. Energy Information Administration forecasts that the world’s energy consumption will double by 2050, with electricity use also doubling by 2030. Energy prices will grow accordingly, with oil reaching as much as $125 per barrel by some forecasts.1 We often focus on efficiency in transportation, which is an important goal, but industry and buildings consume nearly three times as much energy as transportation does. By focusing on clean, efficient energy we can reduce CO2 emissions and also meet the increased demand

Time-series studies at the Porcupine Abyssal Plain Sustained Observatory

RRS James Cook cruise 231 departed Southampton 1st May 2022, operated in the Whittard Canyon (2-3 May) and the Porcupine Abyssal Plain Sustained Observatory area (4-16th May), returning to Southampton 19th May 2022. The goal of the cruise was to continue time-series observations of the surface ocean, water column, and seafloor at the site, as first studied by NOC (then the Institute of Oceanographic Sciences) in 1985. Also, to service a mooring at Whittard Canyon. These activities are supported by CLASS and EU project iFADO. Additional goals were to deploy a BGC Argo float and investigate particle flux (ANTICS team onboard, with some AtlantECO support). The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic resulted in reduced staff onboard but all operations were completed before the weather changed on 16th May. The main aims were to recover data and infrastructure and deploy replacement moorings at PAP and in the Whittard Canyon, to continue time series sampling at PAP-SO. The Met Office Mobilis buoy was successfully recovered and a similar one was redeployed with a sensor frame at 30m. The sediment traps were successfully turned around at both PAP and the Whittard canyon, this time deploying an Anderson trap. A series of water column observation and sampling operations were successfully carried out with a CTD instrument package. The CTD deployments included pre-and post-deployment calibrations of PAP1 and PAP3 sensors. Surface to 600m observations were made with a new camera frame plus Marine Snow Catchers (the old and new ‘Yuki’ style were used). Other water column observations included underway CO2 SubCtech system and day/night zooplankton nets. The benthic time series was continued with a series of seafloor sediment core sampling, amphipod traps and trawling. A Met Office Biogeochemistry Argo float was deployed but had to be recovered when it developed a fault

RRS Discovery Cruise 103, 21 Jun - 10 Jul 2019. Water column and seafloor time-series studies at the Porcupine Abyssal Plain Sustained Observatory

RRS Discovery cruise 103 departed Southampton late afternoon on the 21 June. DY103 operated in the Porcupine Abyssal Plain Sustained Observatory area (48°50´N 016°30´W) from the evening of 24th June – 6th July (with a 3 day loss to science due to a medivac into Cork from midnight 25th June to 9pm Friday 28th). DY103 then returned to Southampton 10th July 2019, a day later than scheduled. The overarching goal of the cruise was to continue various time-series observations of the surface ocean, water column, and seafloor at the site, as first studied by NOC (then the Institute of Oceanographic Sciences) in 1985. The specific objectives of the cruise were to recovery and redeploy, or service, three mooring systems (PAP1, PAP3, Bathysnap), and conduct a range of water column and seafloor observation and sampling operations. This cruise was a contribution to the Climate Linked Atlantic Section Science (CLASS) project supported by the UK Natural Environment Research Council (grant number NE/R015953/1). The PAP 1 mooring, a Met Office (Balmoral ODAS) buoy and Autonomous Sensor Platform (ASP) suspended 30 m below the surface buoy, was successfully retrieved just prior to the medivac. It was fully serviced and redeployed on the 3rd July. The PAP 3 mooring, a sediment trap, microcat and current meter string, was successfully deployed and recovered, including colonisation substrata and larval traps for the on-going LO3CAted (Larval Occurrences in Open Ocean: Connectivity studies in NE Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea) project. The Bathysnap seafloor time-lapse camera mooring, and associated LO3CAted samplers from JC165, were also successfully recovered. However, this was only possible by a rescue mission with the HyBIS vehicle. The Bathysnap from DY077 was still not responding, despite an attempted HyBIS rescue mission, and this is now presumed lost. Two short-term (1-2 day) amphipod trap mooring deployments were also successfully carried out during the cruise. A series of water column observation and sampling operations were successfully carried out with a CTD instrument package and water bottle rosette, and vertically hauled zooplankton nets. The former including pre- and post-deployment calibrations of PAP 1 sensors. Seafloor sampling operations were successfully carried out with a Megacorer and otter trawl, yielding samples for a broad range of subsequent analyses (eDNA; prokaryotic and viral dynamics; biogeochemistry; microplastics; metazoan meiobenthos; macrobenthos; megabenthos; biochemistry and microbiome studies of selected megabenthic taxa). A programme of seafloor survey photography was also undertaken using the HyBIS vehicle, assessing the seafloor environment and associated fauna of the abyssal plain. A further sediment trap mooring (with ADCPs and microcats) was deployed in the Whittard Canyon, as an additional component of the CLASS project, on the return passage to Southampton

Examining the Nature of Technology Graduate Education

According to the Association of Technology, Management, and Applied Engineering (ATMAE), graduate-level studies in technology are designed to prepare technologists to focus on the applied challenges of society, industry, and government through integration- and implementation- oriented activities (2009). Although the association’s affiliated institutions and membership have been interested in research and graduate education for many years, increased discussion is needed concerning both the goals and delivery of graduate programs leading to master’s and doctoral degrees related to the field for the 21st century. Many of the academic participants in this organization, as well as others, work at universities that include a College of Technology (COT) or similar department-level entity associated with applied engineering, management, or industrial technology. Many of these organizations are currently examining their research and engagement efforts in light of the currently shrinking state and federal budgets and an increasing demand on the part of faculty and students for resources to conduct research. As such, these institutions are exploring ways to align strategic plans with university, state, and federal objectives. They are trying to engage industry in a manner that provides value to both parties. All of this is taking place in an environment where future funding streams and organizational infrastructures are uncertain. In order to promote confidence in the academic research agenda of technology-based programs, a clear vision for research and engagement efforts in technology disciplines is necessary. The authors advocate a definition of research activity and strategy that includes traditional funding sources for research, as well as a fresh look at how an engaged graduate program in a technology discipline would function. The strategic plans for both the university and the college where these authors are employed revolve around the following mission: serving the citizens of the state, the nation, and the world through discovery that expands the realm of knowledge; learning through dissemination and preservation of knowledge; and engagement through exchange of knowledge. A major goal of a technology department or college should be to further develop graduate education in fulfillment of this vision. Presently at the authors’ institution, the COT is going through a process of implementing individual master’s degrees in the academic areas of each technology department in the college while continuing to deliver the Ph.D. in Technology at the college level. Such work has caused the technology graduate faculty to (a) formulate the role of graduate education within the context of the larger university community, and (b) articulate how graduate education in technology may differ from that of the other colleges and schools in the academy. While the authors acknowledge that the depth and breadth of implementation of the suggested research activities in this article will vary among institutions, it is hoped that any technology-based department or college could generalize this approach to advance graduate education at its institution. The purpose of this paper is twofold. This work presents a general discussion of the theoretical foundation for graduate education in technology followed by specific applications of research activities within graduate education in technology. This paper represents the authors’ view of the role of graduate education in (a) advancing the knowledge base, (b) adapting a research paradigm, (c) preparing the future Technology faculty, (d) capitalizing on the research interests of the faculty, (e) addressing industry’s challenges in implementing and adapting technology, and (f) structuring graduate education in technology

RRS Discovery Cruise 130, 25 March - 14 April 2021, Time-series studies at the Porcupine Abyssal Plain Sustained Observatory

RRS Discovery cruise 130 departed Southampton 25th March 2021, operated in the Whittard Canyon (28th-29th March) and the Porcupine Abyssal Plain Sustained Observatory area (30th March – 11th April 2021), returning to Southampton 15th April 2021. The goal of the cruise was to continue time-series observations of the surface ocean, water column, and seafloor at the site, as first studied by NOC (then the Institute of Oceanographic Sciences) in 1985. Additional goals were to service a mooring at Whittard Canyon and start the EXPORTS programme by deployment of a UK (iFADO) and 2 USA (EXPORTS) gliders. The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic limited to operations to some extent with reduced staff on board but DY130 was a more complete cruise than DY116. The main aims were to recover data and infrastructure and deploy replacement moorings at PAP and in the Whittard Canyon, to continue time series sampling at PAP-SO and collaborate with the USA EXPORTS programme. The new Met Office Mobilis buoy was successfully recovered and it was redeployed with a sensor frame at 30m, restarting the time series of subsurface measurements. The sediment traps were successfully turned around at both PAP and the Whittard canyon. A series of water column observation and sampling operations were successfully carried out with a CTD instrument package. The CTD deployments included pre-and post-deployment calibrations of PAP1 and PAP3 sensors. The benthic time series was continued with a series of seafloor photographic surveys, sediment core sampling, amphipod traps and trawling. A series of zooplankton nets were collected en route at PAP-SO. Underway data were collected and a Met Office Biogeochemistry Argo float was deployed. We deployed two gliders for the NASA led USA EXPORTS and a UK glider (GOCART, iFADO projects). The 3 gliders surveyed nearby features to the north west, north east and south of PAP. All three gliders were validated at sea, with additional sampling from the CTD rosettes following EXPORTS protocols. The gliders were retrieved in May 2021 on the EXPORTS cruises. This cruise was a contribution to the Climate Linked Atlantic Section Science (CLASS) project supported by the UK Natural Environment Research Council (grant number NE/R015953/1)

An Exploration of Student Perceptions of the Financial Aid Appeal Process from the Perspectives of Quality Management and Financial Aid Issues

In this study, we report findings from a sample of students at a traditionally African American public institution in the South on a key retention issue – appealing denial of financial aid. We present background which suggests that the financial aid area is in a period of uncertainty where good information may be difficult for students to find. Our findings suggest that the students in our sample were relatively successful in their appeals but that they did not appear to fully realize the influence of college services in helping them to attain the results

Employee Perceptions of Individual and Organizational Commitment to the Green Movement and Their Perceived Impacts Between Male and Female Subjects

In this research, we find support for a proposed set of linkages among employee perceptions of organizational green orientation, individual green orientation, and impacts of the green movement on organizational performance among male and female subjects. We report significant MANOVA results indicating differences between male and female subjects, with female subjects showing a general pattern of higher alignment with the green movement. Moreover, our examination of relationships among the scales used in this study indicates that the patterns are not consistent for males and females. Females consistently report more and more positive relationships. We discuss differences, consider possible causes, and suggest future research

An Examination of Minority Students\u27 Perceptions of Blackboard Pre and Post the Hurricane Katrina

In recent years, there has been a rapid increase in use of what we term Web Enhanced Instruction (WEI) by colleges and universities. Recent work by Landry (2003) and Landry et al (2006) has reported the development and an initial examination of a modification of the Davis (1989) Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to measure students\u27 perceptions of various elements of a specific WEI, the Blackboard. In this research, we extend the Landry (2003) and Landry et al (2006) investigation to a minority university located in New Orleans. Our emphasis is upon examining linkages in the TAM for samples pre and post the Hurricane Katrina disaster

Commitment to the Green Movement by Organizations and Individuals, Impacts of Organizational Culture, and Perceptions of Impacts Upon Outcomes

In this research, we find support for a proposed set of linkages among individual andorganizational green orientation, organizational culture, employee perceptions oforganizational green orientation, Quality Management (QM) Maturity, and outcomes, interms of positive impacts of the green movement and organizational performance.Specifically, we find that in organizations which are oriented toward the green movementand which have organizational cultures which are supportive of the green movement,employees who believe that their organizations are aligned with the green movement aremore likely to also see the organization as higher in QM Maturity. In turn, outcomes interms of overall performance and positive impact of the green movement will also be higher

Employee Perceptions of Organizational Commitment to the Green Movement, Quality Management Maturity, and Outcomes

In this research, we find support for a proposed set of linkages among employee perceptions of organizational green orientation, Quality Management (QM) Maturity, and outcomes, in terms of positive impacts of the green movement and organizational performance. Specifically, we find that employees who believe that their organizations are aligned with the green movement are more likely to also see the organization as higher in QM Maturity. In turn, outcomes in terms of overall performance and positive impact of the green movement will also be higher