Places of Civic Belonging Among Transnational Youth

This dissertation study investigated how immigrant youth attending two different high schools for late-arrival immigrants in New York City constructed civic belonging by attending to their everyday enactments of citizenship across the contexts of school, neighborhood and home. Civic belonging refers to the embodied social practices by which immigrant youth cultivate social trust and construct an emotional connection to particular communities and places. In conducting this research, I utilized a critical visual research methodology, as well as interviews and focus groups. Data was collected from 10 immigrant youth from Guinea, the Gambia, Senegal, Yemen, Bangladesh and the Dominican Republic. My findings were that participants constructed civic belonging in school by creating social trust that bridged cultural, religious, linguistic, and ethnic differences. In their neighborhoods, their civic belonging was restricted by a politics of belonging that created distrust and misrecognition of their cultural and religious identities. Finally, my participants constructed civic belonging in relation to their understandings of home. Family relationships mediated their civic belonging by reinforcing home country ties. This study has implications for how public schools can better educate immigrant youth as citizens who build solidarity with diverse others and work towards a common good. This is critical in today’s world that is more connected through the movement of people, and yet, where many nation-states seek to limit the rights of immigrants to belong within their borders

CoopeTárcoles, Costa Rica. Equator Initiative Case Study Series

The artisanal fishers of the community of Tárcoles, located in the Gulf of Nicoya on the Pacific coast of North America (Central America)-Costa Rica; faced declining fish stocks due to a combination of overharvesting by commercial shrimp boats and unsustainable local fishing practices. At the same time, development of the tourism sector along the coast threatened to restrict access to the shore and to marginalize their work. The local fishing cooperative Coope Tárcoles R.L. was founded in 1985 to confront these twin threats. At the forefront of these efforts has been the development of fishing bylaws that stress sustainable practices, enshrined in the community's 'Code of Responsible Fishing'. In partnership with CoopeSolidar R.L., the initiative launched a sustainable and community-based ecotourism venture in 2007 to provide an alternative source of income for local residents. In 2009, meanwhile, the group was successful in gaining approval of a community-managed marine area

Prediction Device to Reduce Falls in the Elderly

Complications arising from accidental falls are one of the leading causes of death among the elderly, with over 25,000 fatalities annually in the U.S.; a third of the elder population falls each year and a fifth of falls cause serious injury. We intended to mitigate these risks by producing a device capable of anticipating falls using biostatistical data. Deliverables for our design included: An integrated accelerometer and pulse monitor to assess changes in motion and the physiological state of the wearer, a programmed algorithm capable of processing this data, and a mount to attach components to the patient. Our constraints included a lack of microelectronic components, advanced electrical engineering skills, and access to the elderly for testing purposes. To build our device, we performed fact-finding at the Dominion Senior Living Center to observe potential users. Our findings emphasized the need to produce a small device with easily-integrated components and a WiFi shield to wirelessly transmit the data to network. We focused on trying to get usable readings from our device and improving functionality. While we achieved our deliverables, refinement would be needed to move into further stages of development. Further reducing device size, improving wireless capability, adding pulse oximetry, combining measured with static data, and gaining IRB approval would aid in this pursuit. Despite these limitations, this project represents the first step toward the development of a research-ready device and eventually a consumer model, serving the needs of an aging population and improving late quality of life.https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/capstone/1078/thumbnail.jp

Ignatian-Centered and Appreciative Advising: Supporting the Holistic Development of Students in 15-Minute Intervals

Abstract Ignatian pedagogy offers a powerful vision and methodology for learning and for life. The majority of work devoted to Ignatian pedagogy focuses on its integration into the traditional curriculum and classroom. However, as many educators are aware, learning, reflection, and self-discovery continue after and between courses and class meetings. Here the role of the faculty or staff advisor is essential, providing continuity and longer-term accompaniment for the student over the course of his or her educational career. This essay examines how Ignatian pedagogy builds upon and enhances secular theories of advising and how Ignatian pedagogy can inform advising relationships. Finally, we will offer practical strategies for implementing Ignatian Pedagogy and spirituality in advising relationships to promote student development

A Comparative Analysis of the Performance of Non-traditional Students in an ICT Program in an Irish Higher Education Institute

Short Abstract: This study examines the performance, over a three year period, of non-traditional students in Ireland who move from Further (or Continuing) Education into Higher Education when they join the second year of a three-year ordinary degree program in ICT at the Dublin Institute of Technology. Full Abstract: This study examines the performance of students from various Colleges of Further Education (CFE) when they join a three-year ordinary degree program in ICT at the Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT), a Higher Education Institution (HEI) in Ireland. Starting in the academic year 2012/13, the School of Electrical & Electronic Engineering at DIT has granted ca. 20 students each year, from various CFEs nationally, who meet specific entry requirements, advanced entry into the second year of its program, the Bachelor of Technology Degree in Networking Technologies. To date there have been three complete cycles, leading to three cohorts of these non-traditional students being among the graduates from the degree program. An analysis of final year examination results over this three year period indicates that former CFE students, who now comprise more than one third of the class, perform at least as well as students who have followed the more traditional route from the Irish Leaving Certificate into the first year of the program

Design and Optimization of a Molten Metal Loop Driven by an Electromagnetic Pump

Liquid Metal Fast Reactor (LMFR) utilizing liquid metal as a coolant is still being considered for future nuclear energy. In this concept, transporting liquid metal still poses many challenges in engineering design and material detection and accountability. In this senior design project, the team has been exploring a design and optimization of a molten metal loop driven by an electromagnetic pump. Here, a manometer type solution was deemed the best method to achieve meaningful results. Transparent Pyrex tubing was selected for the manometers, as the visual column difference would indicate pressure differences. Tin was selected for the working fluid, and an array of solutions were considered for the metering fluid. Mercury, bismuth, and lead were all considered, but ruled out for technical and safety reasons. It was determined that argon gas would work best as it is non-reactive at a high operating temperature and relatively safe. A pressurizer system was designed and built to combat forced cavitation in the loop due to argon. The loop was built with the ability to see the differential pressure as determined through a difference in tin column heights. If this is achieved, then the possible incorporation of a laser induced breakdown spectroscopy system will be incorporated to analyze the different compositions (contaminations) of the molten metal in the loop completing material safeguarding concept. A new port will be added to the loop for implementation of the quartz window in anticipation of future use of the system.https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/capstone/1135/thumbnail.jp

Supporting Instructors in Collaborating with Researchers using MOOClets

Most education and workplace learning takes place in classroom contexts far removed from laboratories or field sites with special arrangements for scientific research. But digital online resources provide a novel opportunity for large scale efforts to bridge the real world and laboratory settings which support data collection and randomized A/B experiments comparing different versions of content or interactions [2]. However, there are substantial technological and practical barriers in aligning instructors and researchers to use learning technologies like blended lessons/exercises & MOOCs as both a service for students and a realistic context to conduct research. This paper explains how the concept of a MOOClet can facilitate research-practitioner collaborations. MOOClets [3] are defined as modular components of a digital resource that can be implemented in technology to: (1) allow modification to create multiple versions, (2) allow experimental comparison and personalization of different versions, (3) reliably specify what data are collected. We suggest a framework in which instructors specify what kinds of changes to lessons, exercises, and emails they would be willing to adopt, and what data they will collect and make available. Researchers can then: (1) specify or design experiments that compare the effects of different versions on quantifiable outcomes. (2) Explore algorithms for maximizing particular outcomes by choosing alternative versions of a MOOClet based on the input variables available. We present a prototype survey tool for instructors intended to facilitate practitioner researcher matches and successful collaborations.Comment: 4 page

Rex Fuller Interview 2017

In a short interview, Rex Fuller describes his experiences in the university system both during his time as University President at WOU, and before at other universities