Master of Fine Arts

thesisIdentity is one way in which we claim ourselves and our role within society. It allows us to categorize and negotiate who we are within this world, simultaneously altering who we become. How attached and attuned to ourselves can we be when our identity is heavily shaped and informed by our culture and surroundings? Due to this lack of attachment to identity, artists and dancers are faced with the problem of losing their own voices within the art of performance and choreography. Losing one's 'artistic' voice takes away a key layer in the multidimensionality present in the art of performance and choreography. Through my research, I question if a better understanding of one's self-identity can cultivate a more trusted and impactful way of moving, performing, and creating. In my research, I question whether I can recognize one of the many aspects of our identity that feels more honest to myself. This recognition through dance can result in a new aesthetic and intention of moving and educating. This thesis will investigate the process of creating work and teaching from a place of self-recognition while using an understanding of one's identity, past history, and memories to create new potential possibilities within performance and the classroom

An examination of hydrography and sea level variability in the Gulf of Alaska

Thesis (M.S.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2015This thesis summarizes a detailed analysis of Seward sea level (SSL) in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) and hydrography at oceanographic station GAK1 along the oceanographic monitoring line outside of Resurrection Bay, Alaska. SSL variability was examined with respect to forcing by tides, sea level pressure (SLP), wind, the steric contribution due to water column variations in temperature and salinity, and several climatic indices. In addition, multi-decadal trends in sea level and hydrography were also examined. The period of analysis spans 1970 -2010. Tidal motion (periods < 1day), account for ~97% of the total sea level (SL) variance while SLP variations, induced by the inverted barometer effect, account for ~2% of the total variance. After removing these influences, along-shore wind stress and sea level are highly coherent for the 2 - 60 day subtidal period range and account for ~40 - 50% of the SSL variance over these timescales. The steric contribution, based on the geopotential height referenced to 200 m (GH200), is also coherent with SSL, but it only accounts for ~10% of the SSL variance at these timescales. The along-shore wind stress-SSL coherence varies seasonally and is greatest in winter when winds are strongest and smaller in summer when wind variability is reduced. The annual cycle in SSL is coherent and in-phase with GH200. The latter is primarily controlled by the annual cycle in GOA coastal freshwater discharge and its effect on coastal salinities. SSL variations are also significantly correlated with the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) and the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI). Over the 40-year record examined here SSL shows a decreasing trend due to continental rebound. There are also statistically significant linear long-term trends in temperature and salinity as measured at GAK1. These trends indicate that the upper 100 m is warming at ~0.20 oC decade-1 and at 0.15 oC decade-1 between 100 - 200 m. Surface salinities are decreasing at 0.15 decade-1, while salinities between 100 and 200 m are increasing by 0.025 decade-1. The surface salinity trends are consistent with an increase in coastal freshwater discharge due to increased glacial ablation and increased precipitation. In aggregate, these trends indicate that the GOA shelf has become more stratified over the past 40 years

A glorious feast for the eyes : the roles of iconography and sight in Chaucer\u27s The prioress\u27s tale and The second nun\u27s tale

This thesis investigates Chaucer\u27s use of iconography and sight in The Prioress\u27s Tale and The Second Nun\u27s Tale and how these elements symbiotically support and enhance the text so that the tales themselves become iconic. An overview of medieval religious practices and doctrines is followed by a discussion of The Prioress\u27s Tale, in which Chaucer\u27s direct reference to a Virgin icon is explored. Further, the analysis focuses on the way in which visual cues supplement the meaning of the written word. A discussion of The Second Nun\u27s Tale follows, exploring the relationship between sight and faith. The importance of sight as a unifying device is discussed as is the idea that sight and faith together work to engender finite, divine truth for the reader/listener. The conclusion forwards the notion that the tales are iconic because they draw the reader/listener toward the divine via an emphasis on icons and religious visual imagery

Does Involvement in Religion Help Prisoners Adjust to Prison? (FOCUS)

Research conducted by the National Council on Crime and Delinquency has uncovered an abundant variety of religious responses to incarceration. First, religious participation can help an inmate overcome the depression, guilt, and self-contempt that so often accompanies the prison sentence. Second, inmates may seek a way to avoid the constant threats faced in prison. In many ways, the prisoner's desire for religion is not very different from that of the free-world citizen in that he or she seeks religion to make life more livable

Reviews

John Stephenson (ed.), Teaching and Learning Online: Pedagogies for New Technologies, Kogan Page, London, 2001. ISBN: 0–7494–3511–9. Softback, xi + 228 pages. £19.99

Operating a Very Large-Section, Hybrid Principles of Marketing Class at a Public University: Lessons Learned over Ten Years

This case study describes the development and operation of a very large-section, hybrid Principles of Marketing Class. The authors describe the original structure of the class, major adaptations and decisions related to its development over time, and discuss four lessons learned through this process: (1) The non-traditional format needs a lot of explaining, (2) This will always be an experimental class, (3) Plan in advance and have contingency plans, (4) It is easier to share the work than it is to share the budget. They conclude by suggesting Principles of Marketing is a logical entry point for innovative technology

Saba: \u27The Unspoiled Queen\u27

Bruce Zagers became Commissioner of Tourism, Public Entity, Saba in 2017. Dr. Kelly Semrad interviews him about his role, and the development of a new tourism master plan for the island

Effect of transmission setting and mixed species infections on clinical measures of malaria in Malawi

&lt;p&gt;Background: In malaria endemic regions people are commonly infected with multiple species of malaria parasites but the clinical impact of these Plasmodium co-infections is unclear. Differences in transmission seasonality and transmission intensity between endemic regions have been suggested as important factors in determining the effect of multiple species co-infections.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Principal Findings: In order to investigate the impact of multiple-species infections on clinical measures of malaria we carried out a cross-sectional community survey in Malawi, in 2002. We collected clinical and parasitological data from 2918 participants aged &gt;6 months, and applied a questionnaire to measure malaria morbidity. We examined the effect of transmission seasonality and intensity on fever, history of fever, haemoglobin concentration ([Hb]) and parasite density, by comparing three regions: perennial transmission (PT), high intensity seasonal transmission (HIST) and low intensity seasonal transmission (LIST). These regions were defined using multi-level modelling of PCR prevalence data and spatial and geo-climatic measures. The three Plasmodium species (P. falciparum, P. malariae and P. ovale) were randomly distributed amongst all children but not adults in the LIST and PT regions. Mean parasite density in children was lower in the HIST compared with the other two regions. Mixed species infections had lower mean parasite density compared with single species infections in the PT region. Fever rates were similar between transmission regions and were unaffected by mixed species infections. A history of fever was associated with single species infections but only in the HIST region. Reduced mean [Hb] and increased anaemia was associated with perennial transmission compared to seasonal transmission. Children with mixed species infections had higher [Hb] in the HIST region.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Conclusions: Our study suggests that the interaction of Plasmodium co-infecting species can have protective effects against some clinical outcomes of malaria but that this is dependent on the seasonality and intensity of malaria transmission.&lt;/p&gt

Portfolio pointers: Preparing and presenting high quality teaching portfolios

This goal of this project was to develop a set of guidelines for creating teaching portfolios for the Tertiary Teaching Excellence Awards or for other purposes. It includes key pointers to “getting started”, collecting evidence, interrogating practice, editing, and protecting the unique “voice” of the nominee and their student body. The guidelines consist of general principles and practical examples from both successful academic developers and award recipients and some examples from award-winning portfolios to illustrate good practice