Intersubjective Sensibilities: Memory, Experience, and Meaning in Natural History Interpretation

This ethnographic account examines the perceptions of a group of outdoor educators or naturalists in a mid-western state park in regards to memory construction and how early memories impact their practice of interpretation. Findings show that early personal memories are not only fundamental to their eventual life as a naturalist but further; these memories motivate their work within the park. Of primary focus is highlighting the intersubjective continuity between the memories of naturalists and what they hope for others and the eventual goal of meaning making by way of affective memories. By describing and interpreting their perceptions of experience and memory we can examine how these processes are invested with significance and what role this plays in their subsequent practice. Since there is little ethnographic research concerning naturalists, this form of cultural analysis provides an important lens that permits an intimate account of naturalists’ own awareness as a way to understand their unique contributions as educators

A Look Into Process Optimization

The goal for this paper is to inform the reader on the optimization process in chemical engineering design. The reader will gain knowledge about the step-by-step process as well as terminology of the optimization journey. Optimization takes a great amount of work, and it can be a daunting task if one gets caught up in the minute details. However, I will show that looking at the big picture will drastically ease the process and make optimizing much simpler. A base case will first be presented. The base case should be modeled using a process simulator, and then an economic analysis should be performed. The objective function of the base case will then be compared to future optimizations. Next, changes may be presented to the case. Changes must then be simulated and analyzed. Finally, different processes throughout the facility must be optimized to present even more cases. The case that optimizes the objective function is the case that will be chosen as the best. In the final section of the paper, I will present an ethylbenzene plant optimization that was performed earlier. There were decisions that were made based on the performance of the process. I chose to buy a lower grade of benzene feed and used a new catalyst that was offered. Also, I decided to operate the reactor train at high temperature and pressure due to the high benzene conversion. These are my recommendations. The net present value (NPV) of the process is increased by approximately $50 million

Introducing Public Speaking Self-Concept (PSSC): A Novel, Qualitatively-derived Communication Anxiety and Competence Variable

Despite numerous quantitative assessments of teaching interventions that have helped mitigate public speaking anxiety (PSA), this common barrier to public speaking persists. In addition, quantitative measures may not be appropriate for all instructional goals, especially with students from across a variety of cultures. To enrich educators’ capacity to help diverse bodies of students overcome the challenges presented by PSA, this qualitative study asked students to “Please describe yourself as a public speaker” at the beginning and the end of a freshman-level, general education public speaking class. Thematic analysis identified a two-dimensional pattern within student responses (N = 51) (a feelings-based dimension and a beliefs-based dimension), indicating that students could hold both emotionally-based self-perceptions about their fear or confidence regarding the act of public speaking along with separate, skills-based perceptions about themselves as public speakers. Every student’s answer (N= 51) contained one or both types of descriptions, evidencing a novel construct the authors have dubbed public speaking self-concept (PSSC). By the end of the course, the thematic analysis revealed students’ heightened ability to report more nuanced descriptions of their self-concepts, which often included positive belief-based descriptions acknowledging their enhanced public speaking skills, even if they still reported fearful or anxious emotions surrounding speaking experiences. Helping instructors and students understand and accept natural nervous reactions often elicited by public speaking while reflecting on specific, skill-based beliefs can help decrease students’ fears and, in turn, could prove key to enhancing the impact of future PSA interventions

Using protein complexes to predict phenotypic effects of gene mutation

The best predictor of a protein's knockout phenotype is shown to be the knockout phenotype of other proteins that are present in a protein complex with it

Puhi in the Tree and Other Stories: Unlocking the Metaphor in Native and Indigenous Hawaiian Storytelling

Human beings live and tell stories for many reasons, and it is a way to not only understand one another but to give a time and place to events and experiences. Therefore, a narrational approach within the context of this research offers a frame of reference and a way to reflect during the entire process of gathering data and writing. This study examines the importance of storytelling among Native (Kānaka ‘Ōiwi) and Indigenous (Kānaka Maoli) women of Hawai ̒ i and their interconnectedness to land and spirituality through accessing [k]new knowledge. The main focus of this article is to illustrate the resiliency of stories as told by the Kānaka women who are connected to a time and a place of traditional and ecological knowledge. Findings indicate that despite forced cultural and political changes generationally, these women’s innate beliefs and interconnectedness to land and spirituality has begun to reshape as enduring patterns over time and space. This is evident by a resurgence in moʻolelo (storytelling), ho\u27 oponopono (Hawaiian peacemaking process), revitalized methods of traditional land irrigation, cultivation, and sustainability programs as testimony. In ancient Hawai ̒ i, both men and women equally participated in the activities of food production and cultivation, however, in contemporary Hawai ̒ i, it is mostly the Native and Indigenous women who have mobilized to revitalize these traditional practices

Beyond the Ice

Leadership is a management tool to direct effective achievement of goals. Historical investigation can provide a valuable lens for the study of leadership styles. To that end, this study examines the disparate approaches of Roald Amundsen and Robert Scott as they raced to be the first explorer to reach the South Pole. The objective of this study is to analyze the leadership techniques used in these expeditions, and to determine how they shaped the outcome of each. The process of tacit knowledge and experience coalesce and foster both leadership and action that is not only communication-oriented and value-driven, but also rooted in growth mindset and reflexivity. Both of these concepts proved to be imperative to the success of both Amundsen and Scott’s expeditions. Ultimately, the experiences, choices, and eventual fate of polar explorers Roald Amundsen and Robert Scott provide a unique view of the human endeavor that holds valuable lessons for leaders in a variety of professional settings