Annual Report of the Iowa Academy of Science, 1987-88

Since 1975 when a history of the Iowa Academy of Science was written for the centennial of the founding of the Academy, an Annual Report has acted as a continuing record of the Academy’s activities. This report encompasses the year beginning July I, 1987 to June 30, 1988 and is based on minutes of committee meetings, Board minutes and recollections of the author. Each part represents a major activity of the Academy

Annual Report of the Iowa Academy of Science, 1984-85

This year, 1985, marks the 110th anniversary of the founding of the Iowa Academy of Science. In 1975, when the Academy celebrated its centennial, a history of the Academy was written. Since that time the Annual Report has served as a running history of the Academy. This year\u27s report encompasses the year beginning July 1, 1984 to June 30, 1985, and is based on committee reports, Board minutes and the recollections of the author

Annual Report of the Iowa Academy of Science, 1986-87

Since 1975 when a history of the Iowa Academy of Science was written for the centennial of the founding of the Academy, an Annual Report has acted as a continuing record of the Academy\u27s activities. This report encompasses the year beginning July 1, 1986 to June 30, 1987 and is based on committee meetings, Board minutes and the recollections of the author. Each part represents a major activity of the Academy

Annual Report of the Iowa Academy of Science, 1985-86

In 1975, when the Iowa Academy of Science celebrated its centennial year, a history of the Academy was written. In succeeding years the Annual Reports have acted as a continuation of that history. This report encompasses the year beginning July 1, 1985 to June 30, 1986 and is based on committee reports, Board minutes and the recollections of the author. Each part represents a major activity of the Academy operation

Annual Report of the Iowa Academy of Science, 1983-84

The year 1984 marks the 109th anniversary of the founding of the Academy in 1875. Since the review of the first 100 years published in the centennial issue of the Proceedings in March 1975, the Annual Report has been a running history of the organization. The previous reports were written by Robert W. Hanson, the Executive Director from 1967 to 1983. In keeping with this tradition, this author will review this year\u27s activities of the Academy. This year\u27s report encompasses the year beginning July 1, 1983 and ending June 30, 1984, and is based on Board minutes, committee reports and recollections of the author. Many of the details of the Academy\u27s activities have appeared in the I.A.S. Bulletin but will be restated in this report for addition to the Academy\u27s history

Has climate change taken prominence over biodiversity conservation?

The growing prominence of climate change has led to concerns that other important environmental issues, such as biodiversity loss, are being overshadowed. We investigate this assertion by examining trends in biodiversity and climate change coverage within the scientific and newspaper press, as well as the relative distribution of funding through the World Bank and the National Science Foundation, since the late 1980s. Our indicators substantiate some of these fears. To prevent biodiversity from becoming a declining priority, conservationists need to analyze the discourse surrounding climate change and determine how it has become the predominant environmental topic. In addition, given the common drivers of biodiversity loss and climate change, we argue that win–win solutions must be sought wherever possible. Conservationists need to be proactive and take this opportunity to use the mounting interest in climate change as a flagship to leverage more support and action to prevent further biodiversity loss

High-efficiency GaAs concentrator space cells

High efficiency Al sub x Ga sub 1-x As/GaAs heteroface solar concentrator cells have been developed for space applications. The cells, which were grown using metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), have been fabricated in both the p-n and n-p configurations. Magnesium and zinc are used as the p-type dopants, and Se is used as the n-type dopant. The space cells, which are designed for use in a Cassegrainian concentrator operating at 100 suns, AMO, have a circular illuminated area 4 mm in diameter on a 5 mm by 5 mm cell. These cells have exhibited flash-tested efficiencies as high as 23.6 percent at 28 C and 21.6 percent at 80 C

Editor\u27s Corner

From the Outgoing Managing Editor: The start of 1985 signals the transfer of the last vestiges of my former position as executive director of the Academy to Jim Macmillan, who now takes on the role of managing editor of Academy publications

Does education raise people's productivity or does it just signal their existing ability?

As has been widely documented, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to 'significant' learning loss. While many have called for catch-up measures, there are counterarguments based on the hypothesis that education itself is a waste of time and money (Caplan, 2018) which imply that such measures aren't necessary: as long as young people are ultimately awarded educational qualifcations (e.g. GCSE and A level grades) reflecting their ability then they will be able to progress in their lives regardless. At the heart of this debate is the fundamental question of whether education is a worthwhile investment from society's perspective, acting to drive economic growth by making individuals happier, healthier and more productive. Or whether it is merely an expensive way for individuals to signal their pre-existing productivity and, hence, to help education institutions and employers choose between applicants. This question has been the subject of research for many years, and in this briefing note we present the evidence from the most rigorous quantitative studies

The path increasingly travelled: Vocational entry qualifications, socioeconomic status and university outcomes

Many countries have introduced flexibility in their admissions equivalents for tertiary education, allowing students to apply with vocational rather than academic qualifications at upper secondary level. However, entrants with vocational qualifications are generally less likely to succeed at university. Students from disadvantaged backgrounds are also, on average, less likely to succeed: they are more likely to drop out, or graduate with a lower class degree, even when they have the same prior attainment scores and take the same university course. Rich individual-level data in England drawn from administrative records allow us to link outcomes at university with social background and attainment and qualification routes at school, going back to lower secondary level, before academic and vocational pathways diverge. We can thus use the English example to explore whether the relative lack of success of students from low socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds is in part because they are more likely to enter university with non-traditional qualifications that offer less effective preparation for study. Our results reveal a significant penalty associated with entering university with these vocational qualifications. Controlling for qualification type reduces the SES gradient in dropping out of university by 42%, and graduation with a lower class degree by 28%, although significant SES gradients in success still remain. There is a tension between allowing students from lower SES backgrounds to use vocational routes to enter university and these persistent gaps in university outcomes. Countries using both vocational and academic routes as pathways to university should be aware of this potential conflict