The PEEC Experiment: Native Hawaiian and Native American Engineering Education

PART I: Context 1. Engineering for Native nations: Origins and goals of the Pre-Engineering Education Collaboratives (PEECs)PART II: Culture matters 2. Recognizing history: Indigeneity matters 3. Moving beyond cultural sensitivity: Developing culturally responsive programs for and with Native engineers 4. Invoking cultural relevance at tribal colleges: Grandmother’s way is important5. Discovering what works: STEM pedagogy and curriculum development for Native Americans6. Exploring indigenous science and engineering: Projects with indigenous rootsPART III: Providing support for Natives in Engineering7. Finding an Engineering identity: A Native American PEEC leader’s experience8. Outreaching to K-12 and tribal schools in PEEC9. Establishing who leads: Hawaiian-serving community colleges or tribal colleges as leaders10. Discovering how and how well Native-Hawaiian community colleges work with a mainstream university in Hawai‘i11. Assembling interconnected networks for advancement in engineering: Champions and community12. Increasing enrollment and graduation through teaching and learning strategies: Experiential learningPART IV: Transforming institutional politics13. Transforming through institutionalization and replicability of PEEC14. Obtaining permission to work on reservations: About IRB/RRB regulations15. Involving STEM teachers with tribal faculty in PEEC: Joining forces to serve undergraduatesPART V: Learning from experience16. Joining forces with unexpected PEEC-enhancing projects along the way: Unforeseen alliances in South Dakota 17. Promoting Native women: An underutilized resource 18. Succeeding with students: PEEC student stories19. Measuring outcomes20. Implementing through low-cost solutions21. Useful references22. Contributors23. Epiloguehttps://openprairie.sdstate.edu/cvlee_book/1000/thumbnail.jp

Generalization of Linearized Gouy-Chapman-Stern Model of Electric Double Layer for Nanostructured and Porous Electrodes: Deterministic and Stochastic Morphology

We generalize linearized Gouy-Chapman-Stern theory of electric double layer for nanostructured and morphologically disordered electrodes. Equation for capacitance is obtained using linear Gouy-Chapman (GC) or Debye-$\rm{\ddot{u}}$ckel equation for potential near complex electrode/electrolyte interface. The effect of surface morphology of an electrode on electric double layer (EDL) is obtained using "multiple scattering formalism" in surface curvature. The result for capacitance is expressed in terms of the ratio of Gouy screening length and the local principal radii of curvature of surface. We also include a contribution of compact layer, which is significant in overall prediction of capacitance. Our general results are analyzed in details for two special morphologies of electrodes, i.e. "nanoporous membrane" and "forest of nanopillars". Variations of local shapes and global size variations due to residual randomness in morphology are accounted as curvature fluctuations over a reference shape element. Particularly, the theory shows that the presence of geometrical fluctuations in porous systems causes enhanced dependence of capacitance on mean pore sizes and suppresses the magnitude of capacitance. Theory emphasizes a strong influence of overall morphology and its disorder on capacitance. Finally, our predictions are in reasonable agreement with recent experimental measurements on supercapacitive mesoporous systems

Kant, race, and natural history

This article presents a new argument concerning the relation between Kant’s theory of race and aspects of the critical philosophy. It argues that Kant’s treatment of the problem of the systematic unity of nature and knowledge in the Critique of Pure Reason and the Critique of the Power of Judgment can be traced back a methodological problem in the natural history of the period – that of the possibility of a natural system of nature. Kant’s transformation of the methodological problem from natural history into a set of philosophical (and specifically epistemological) problems proceeds by way of the working out of his own problem in natural history – the problem of the natural history of the human races – and specifically the problem of the unity in diversity of the human species, in response to which he develops a theory of race. This theory of race is, further, the first developed model of the use of teleological judgment in Kant’s work. The article thus argues that Kant’s philosophical position on the systematic unity of nature and of knowledge in the first and third Critiques, and his account and defense of teleological judgment, are developed out of problems first articulated in his solution to the problem of the unity in diversity of the human species – that is, in his theory of race. The article does not seek to establish that these aspects of the critical philosophy are therefore racialised. But it does demonstrate, against those who deny its salience to his philosophy, how the problem of the unity in diversity of the human species and Kant’s theory of race is significant for the development of aspects of the critical philosophy and thus contributes to their philosophical problematics

Increasing Diversity in Engineering: Capacity Building Matters

In an effort to prepare more Native American engineers, counting the numbers who complete the educational task is important. More often overlooked, however, is that capacity building is another key measure of success, since reaching critical mass to obtain the numbers may take considerable time. In this paper, the co-authors are both the researchers and the research subjects. We are four engineers and scientists with advanced degrees with key roles in a multi-year collaborative pre-engineering education initiative between a tribal college and two mainline universities. From our perspectives at one of those two mainline universities, we each wrote an essay reflecting on pre-determined questions. We briefly present our qualifications and then assess capacity building related to the summer camp experiential learning aspect of the initiative. We qualitatively analyze the essays and present persistent themes, along with consensus and divergent opinions. Five common themes dominated the essays including the importance of: using experiential learning pedagogy, building lasting relationships, networking, including cross-disciplinary connectivity, and taking advantage of positive but unintended consequences. We provide a recommended bibliography for faculty, staff, graduate students, and undergraduate student interns to provide a shared base of knowledge to improve collaborative cohesion

Frege on the Generality of Logical Laws

Frege claims that the laws of logic are characterized by their “generality,” but it is hard to see how this could identify a special feature of those laws. I argue that we must understand this talk of generality in normative terms, but that what Frege says provides a normative demarcation of the logical laws only once we connect it with his thinking about truth and science. He means to be identifying the laws of logic as those that appear in every one of the scientific systems whose construction is the ultimate aim of science, and in which all truths have a place. Though an account of logic in terms of scientific systems might seem hopelessly antiquated, I argue that it is not: a basically Fregean account of the nature of logic still looks quite promising

Parametrized tests of post-Newtonian theory using Advanced LIGO and Einstein Telescope

General relativity has very specific predictions for the gravitational waveforms from inspiralling compact binaries obtained using the post-Newtonian (PN) approximation. We investigate the extent to which the measurement of the PN coefficients, possible with the second generation gravitationalwave detectors such as the Advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) and the third generation gravitational-wave detectors such as the Einstein Telescope (ET), could be used to test post-Newtonian theory and to put bounds on a subclass of parametrized-post-Einstein theories which differ from general relativity in a parametrized sense. We demonstrate this possibility by employing the best inspiralling waveform model for nonspinning compact binaries which is 3.5PN accurate in phase and 3PN in amplitude. Within the class of theories considered, Advanced LIGO can test the theory at 1.5PN and thus the leading tail term. Future observations of stellar mass black hole binaries by ET can test the consistency between the various PN coefficients in the gravitational-wave phasing over the mass range of 11-44 Msun. The choice of the lower frequency cut off is important for testing post-Newtonian theory using the ET. The bias in the test arising from the assumption of nonspinning binaries is indicated.Comment: 18 pages, 11 figures, Matches with the published versio

Forging Partnerships, Experiential Learning, and Community Impact: Capacity Building Matters

Capacity building can be an important step in working to help more Native American engineering students to earn degrees. Funding agencies often look first at numbers of students who succeed at matriculation. We make the case that a broader view of success in the early years of program development with tribal college pre-engineering partner schools may include capacity building. If continued funding of such initiatives is withheld because of quantitative assessment alone, coalitions with tribal colleges may not reach their true potential because capacity building is often crucial, and it takes time. In this paper, one co-author interviewed the other three co-authors, using a predetermined questionnaire. Thus, while all the authors are the researchers, three of the co-authors are the research subjects. All are PhD engineers and scientists. In the resulting essays, the interviewees expressed their opinions about capacity building in their roles in an NSF-sponsored pre-engineering alliance between two mainline universities and a tribally controlled college. Those interviewed describe their unique qualifications to assess capacity building in this instance. From the perspective of one of the mainline universities in the alliance, they address categories of capacity building at the following levels: the tribal college; the two participating mainline universities; the reservation hosting the summer camp; student and faculty participants; tribal, State, and Federal agencies; and STEM disciplines in general. We present common themes in all three essays that reportedly encouraged capacity building, including: (1) coalition-building, (2) engaging in experiential learning, and (3) emphasizing improving the quality of life on Pine Ridge Reservation. We present secondary themes and non-consensus opinions as additional support for the merits of qualitative assessment