Historic Murphy's Landing Program Evaluation

Historic Murphy's Landing (HML) is a living history museum that offers school and childcare groups a variety of programs intended to help children learn about and experience life in the 1800s on the Minnesota River Valley. HML needed an evaluation to determine if they were meeting teacher's expectations and how they could improve the programs to aid student learning and create more positive experiences. The evaluation was based on observation, surveys, interviews and focus groups. The report includes evaluation methodology, results, and recommendations for change.Prepared in partnership with Historic Murphy's Landing & Three Rivers Park District by the Community Assistantship Program (CAP), administered by the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA) at the University of Minnesota

Visualizing Cochlear Specializations that Enhance Protection of Hearing Function in Bats

The cochlea is a fluid-filled coil of the inner ear that transforms sound waves into electrical signals for processing in the brain. The mammalian auditory system is most commonly studied using the mouse, Mus musculus, due to anatomical similarities of the cochlea between auditory generalists, such as mice and humans. Auditory specialists, such as bats, exhibit unique resistance to age-related hearing loss, or presbycusis. This adaptation enables bats to navigate while flying with echolocation throughout their lifetime. Studying comparative cochlea anatomy can aid in understanding specializations of the mammalian auditory system and hearing loss among species. There is a significant gap in available educational resources for comparative cochlea anatomy focusing on bats and mice. The purpose of this project was to develop an interactive educational resource for comparative cochlea anatomy of the big brown bat, Eptesicus fuscus and Mus musculus with a 3D overview animation depicting labeled cochlea models. Segmentations of histological and micro-CT data were modified and sculpted to build idealized anatomical models suitable for teaching purposes. A separate section of the interactive allows the user to explore comparative cochlear anatomy of bats and mice as related to hearing loss. The user interface and interactivity were coded to allow exploration of bat and mouse cochlea regions and intuitive navigation between sections about specific anatomical structures and bat hearing loss research. The results of this project provide a didactic and accessible visualization for auditory researchers, graduate students, and lay audiences to review basic cochlear anatomy, compare cochlear anatomy of bats and mice, and strengthen their understanding of human age-related and noise-induced hearing loss

Modelling pinniped abundance and distribution by combining counts at T terrestrial sites and in-water sightings

Pinnipeds are commonly monitored using aerial photographic surveys at land- or ice-based sites, where animals come ashore for resting, pupping, molting, and to avoid predators. Although these counts form the basis for monitoring population change over time, they do not provide information regarding where animals occur in the water, which is often of management and conservation interest. In this study, we developed a hierarchical model that links counts of pinnipeds at terrestrial sites to sightings-at-sea and estimates abundance, spatial distribution, and the proportion of time spent on land (attendance probability). The structure of the model also allows for the inclusion of predictors that may explain variation in ecological and observation processes. We applied the model to Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) in Glacier Bay, Alaska using counts of sea lions from aerial photographic surveys and opportunistic in-water sightings from vessel surveys. Glacier Bay provided an ideal test and application of the model because data are available on attendance probability based on long-term monitoring. We found that occurrence in the water was positively related to proximity to terrestrial sites, as would be expected for a species that engages in central-place foraging. The proportion of sea lions in attendance at terrestrial sites and overall abundance estimates were consistent with reports from the literature and monitoring programs. The model we describe has benefit and utility for park managers who wish to better understand the overlap between pinnipeds and visitors, and the framework that we present has potential for application across a variety of study systems and taxa

Meeting Students Where They Are: Introducing Service-Learning with Digital Media to Increase Self-Efficacy for Future Community Engagement

This study evaluated the efficacy of using digital media to introduce service-learning to undergraduate and graduate students.  Students, faculty, and community engagement staff created two videos that introduced students to either a one-time or a semester-long service-learning assignment. Service-learning courses were matched for degree level, and then half of the classes viewed a video when the service-learning project was assigned. The authors hypothesized that students who viewed digital media would have higher self-efficacy for community engagement and a more positive service-learning experience than students who did not view the digital media.  Results from the Community Service Self-Efficacy Scale and responses to questions about the service-learning experiences confirmed our hypotheses. Students who viewed the digital media had higher self-efficacy for engaging in their service-learning experiences initially, and these students also described a more engaged service-learning experience compared to students who did not view the digital media

Breaking Organizational Eggs to Make an Innovation Cake: One Library\u27s Experience with Reorganization

This poster describes a major service realignment that integrated Instructional Designers, Media Specialists, Librarians, and Digital Scholarship Specialists into a new unit oriented around providing cutting edge technologies and services to students, faculty and staff. Highlighted is the digital assignment lifecycle, which serves as the philosophical underpinning to the structure of the unit, as well as illustration of new makerspace oriented facilities

Weight stereotyping in young children: an early personality reasoning perspective in 3- to 6-year-olds

Weight stereotyping is the relative devaluation of an overweight body size (Sigelman, Miller, & Whitworth, 1986), which has been detected as early as 3 years of age (Cramer & Steinwert, 1998). Previous studies of weight stereotypes have not been informed by what we know about children‘s social reasoning processes (i.e., positivity and negativity biases), essentialist beliefs about weight (i.e., contagiousness, biological origins, stability, and changeability) or concurrently developing cognitive and social abilities (i.e., cognitive flexibility, theory of mind, and working memory). The current study examined weight stereotypes in 80 3- to 6- year-old children using a story-distracter-recall paradigm. Results indicate that with age, children are more accurate in labeling positive traits. Essentialist weight reasoning was not consistent across domains, but generally increased with age (from 6.15 to 8.7 on a 14–point scale). Cognitive abilities were related to weight essentialism; notably, increases in cognitive flexibility and working memory were associated with decreases in weight stability beliefs for older children. Implications for the role of weight stereotypes in behaviors (i.e., discrimination) and the formation of stereotype interventions are discussed

Supply Chain Greenhouse Gas Management Strategy for Ford Motor Company

The processing of raw materials and the manufacturing of components for the automotive supply chain results in significant life cycle energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. As a result, automobile manufacturers face potential financial risks from their supply chain operations in the form of energy price volatility and regulatory actions to curb climate change. To understand and address this challenge, Ford Motor Company (Ford) and the University of Michigan School of Natural Resources and Environment student team (team) developed a strategy for managing greenhouse gas emissions in the vehicle supply chain. Since December 2008, the team has supported the engagement of suppliers through the development and administration of a survey to collect allocated greenhouse gas data and environmental management practices information. The student team also advanced industry-wide participation through collaboration with the Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG) to standardize greenhouse gas reporting requests provided to suppliers. Additionally, the student team evaluated public reporting options, specifically by engaging Ford as tester of the new Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3) Accounting and Reporting Standard drafted by the World Resources Institute and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. The project findings illustrate a wide range in the sophistication of the greenhouse gas management practices of suppliers and demonstrate the need for a collaborative approach between suppliers and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to further emissions reduction efforts. The different components of the master’s project have informed short-, mid-, and long-term recommendations for the measurement, management, and reporting of supply chain greenhouse gas emissions by Ford. Specifically, the student team recommends that Ford (1) expand their data collection program, (2) refine and use the proposed Maturity Matrix tool to measure supplier performance, (3) collaborate with suppliers on the improvement of management efforts, and (4) continue to support and pursue an industry-wide approach to greenhouse gas management through involvement with AIAG.Master of ScienceNatural Resources and EnvironmentUniversity of Michiganhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/83506/1/FordCarbon_SNREMastersProject_FinalReport.pd