Room-Temperature Alternative to the Arbuzov Reaction: The Reductive Deoxygenation of Acyl Phosphonates

The reductive deoxygenation of acyl phosphonates using a Wolff−Kishner-like sequence is described. This transformation allows direct access to alkyl phosphonates from acyl phosphonates at room temperature. The method can be combined with acyl phosphonate synthesis into a one pot, four-step procedure for the conversion of carboxylic acids into alkyl phosphonates. The methodology works well for a variety of aliphatic acids and shows a functional group tolerance similar to that of other hydrazone-forming reactions

An Ontology and Geospatial Knowledge Graph for Reasoning About Cascading Failures (Short Paper)

During a natural disaster such as flooding, the failure of a single asset in the complex and interconnected web of critical urban infrastructure can trigger a cascade of failures within and across multiple systems with potentially life-threatening consequences. To help emergency management effectively and efficiently assess such failures, we design the Utility Connection Ontology Design Pattern to represent utility services and model connections within and across those services. The pattern is encoded as an OWL ontology and instantiated with utility data in a geospatial knowledge graph. We demonstrate how it facilitates reasoning to identify cascading service failures due to flooding for producing maps and other summaries for situational awareness

In 2023 … We need more women to run for public office

In 2023, a record number of women will serve in the U.S. Congress (149, or 27.9%), as governors (12 of 50), and in state legislatures (32.3%). In 2022, Iowa had five women running for the U.S. House, two women running for governor, and elected its second female attorney general.This article is published as Kedrowski, Karen M. January 1, 2023. “In 2023, We Need More Women to Run for Public Office.” Column in Fearless, a newsletter of the Iowa Business Record. https://fearlessbr.com/in-2023-we-need-more-women-to-run-for-public-office/. Posted with permission

Walking the Gendered Tightrope

Walking the Gendered Tightrope analyzes the gendered expectations for women in high offices through the examples of British Prime Minister Theresa May and U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. Even at their highest positions, and while completing their greatest achievements, both May and Pelosi faced gendered critiques and intraparty challenges to their leadership. While other books have analyzed the barriers to higher office that women face, this book reveals how women in positions of power are still forced to balance feminine stereotypes with the perception of power as masculine in order to prove their legitimacy. By examining intraparty dynamics, this book offers a unique comparison between a majoritarian presidential and Westminster parliamentary system. While their parties promoted Pelosi and May to highlight their progressive values, both women faced continually gendered critiques about their abilities to lead their caucuses on difficult policy issues, such as the Affordable Care Act and two Trump impeachment votes for Nancy Pelosi, or finishing Brexit for Theresa May. Grounded in the legislative literature from the United States and Britain, as well as historical accounts and personal interviews, Walking the Gendered Tightrope contributes to the fields of gender and politics, legislative studies, American politics, and British politics

All In Campus Democracy Challenge 2020 Action Plan

This action plan was developed by Dr. Karen M. Kedrowski in conjunction with the Vote Everywhere Student Club. This action plan describes Iowa State’s goals for student voter engagement in the 2020 general election cycle and the strategies to achieve these goals. It follows the guidelines published in Strengthening American Democracy.1 This Action Plan was developed as part of Iowa State’s participation in the All In Campus Democracy Challenge, the Voter Friendly Campus Initiative, the Big XII Campus Democracy Challenge, and as an Andrew Goodman Foundation Partner.This article is published as Kedrowski, Karen M.,“All In Campus Democracy Challenge 2020 Action Plan”. ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, Andrew Goodman Foundation, the Voter Friendly Campus Initiative, and the Big XII Votes Challenge . May 31, 2020; https://allinchallenge.org/wp-content/uploads/Iowa-State-University-Action-Plan-2020.pdf. Posted with permission

Guest Column: A Look at First Ladies' Influence on the ERA 100 Years Later

At 10:05 a.m. on Oct. 20, 1978, then President Jimmy Carter entered the cabinet room of White House where he spent five minutes in a signing ceremony extending the deadline for ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment until June 30, 1982, presidential records show.This article is published as Kedrowski, Karen M. Guest Column “First Ladies and the Equal Rights Amendment.” East Wing Magazine. Oct 18,2023 https://www.eastwingmagazine.com/. Posted with permission

What Your PhD Advisors Can’t Tell You Because They Don’t Know: Landing a Job at a Student-Focused Institution

More than half of political science professors in the United States are employed in non-PhD granting departments.1 While some of these are research intensive (R1 or R2) institutions, many more are institutions where undergraduate education is the primary focus (hereafter “student-focused” institutions). For faculty members who prioritize teaching and want to closely mentor undergraduates, student-focused institutions provide meaningful and rewarding careers. At the same time, most PhD faculty have spent their graduate and professional careers in departments with doctoral programs at R1s and R2s. They may not provide very good advice for applying and interviewing for jobs at student-focused institutions because they have never worked at such an institution. I spent a quarter century at a regional, master’s institution in the South, where the regular teaching load was eight courses per year. I spent 20 years in administration, which included 16 years as department chair and dean. I participated in scores of searches and many issues came up repeatedly. This essay will provide concrete advice on how to prepare an application and interview at a student-focused institution from someone on the other side of the interview desk.This book chapter is published as Kedrowski, Karen M. 2022. What Your Ph.D. Advisors Can’t Tell You Because They Don’t Know: Landing a Job and Succeeding at a Student-Focused Institution. In Lorentz, Kevin et al., Strategies for Navigating Graduate School and Beyond. Washington, DC: APSA. 2022,Chapter 36;233-235. https://apsanet.org/publications/books-brochures/strategies-for-navigating-graduate-school-and-beyond/. Posted with permission

Women and Elective Office in Iowa

Women are a majority of Iowa’s population (50.5%) and a majority of its registered voters (50.9%), and they have a higher voter turnout than men (69.7%, compared to 67.3% for men).1 However, Iowa women remain under-represented among elected officials, although women have made considerable gains in recent years.This article is published as Kedrowski, Karen M. January 2023. “Women and Elective Office in Iowa.” Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics