Spring 2007 Convocation Speech

Spring 2007 Convocation speech given by Dr. Richard P. Olenick

Making "The Mechanical Universe"

‘‘The Mechanical Universe and Beyond’’ is an introductory college‐level physics telecourse, including calculus, made for broadcast television and classroom use. This article describes the inception and history of the project and the techniques and strategies that were used in producing it. A project to adapt the series for use in high schools is also discussed

Recent Decisions

ALIENS--Executive Suspension of Alien\u27s Deportable Status Final as Congressional Veto Mechanism violates Constitutional Doctrine of Separation of Powers Kevin P. Hishta --------------------------- Sovereign Immunity--Iranian Immunity from Pre-Judgment Attachments Terminated under International Emergency Economic Powers Act J. Clifton Cox --------------------------- Sovereign Immunity--Government Shipping Company of the People\u27s Republic of China is an Agency or Instrumentality for the Purposes of the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act of 1976 Shari D. Olenick ---------------------------- State Corporate Income Tax--Foreign Source Dividends Included in State Taxation Base Under Unitary Business Enterprise Test Stephen B. Hatcher ----------------------------- Trade Regulation--Use of Registered Mail by Federal Trade Commission to Subpoena Foreign Citizens Abroad Violates International Law Ann M. Bel

Transitioning from military medics to registered nurses

The nursing shortage in the USA is expected to reach 260,000 registered nurses (RNs) by 2025. The most profound shortages are expected in California and Florida, translating into 109,779 and 128,364 RN jobs, respectively. Despite a foreseen growth in nursing career opportunities nationwide, the supply of nurses will be insufficient to meet the corresponding demand. Capitalizing on prior education, experience, and skills of military clinical personnel to fill these jobs could significantly reduce the projected nursing shortage. Florida International University’s Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing and Health Sciences is circumventing barriers to recruit, retain, and graduate transitioning veteran medics and corpsmen as Bachelor of Science in Nursing prepared RNs who reintegrate into the civilian workforce. The Veteran Bachelor of Science in Nursing (VBSN) program is in the form of a cooperative agreement between Florida International University and the US Health Resources and Services Administration. The VBSN program’s main objective is to build upon the unique leadership skills, clinical education, and training of military medics and corpsmen to ensure successful completion of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing curriculum. VBSN students, as veterans themselves, have unique knowledge and exposure to the specific health issues and needs of the veteran population overall. They are poised and best prepared to effectively care for the US population, particularly the current 22 million US veterans and 1.6 million Florida veterans. Additionally, the VBSN program will alleviate the challenges, such as the lack of recognition of military skills, unemployment, the substandard income, and homelessness that many former service members face after separation from the military

Texas landowner perceptions regarding ecosystem services and cost-sharing land management programs

Abstract Publicly funded management programs can enhance important ecological services including watershed functions, wildlife habitat, and carbon sequestration. A mail survey was conducted in 2003 in the Western Edwards Aquifer area of Texas to assess landowner perceptions regarding the supply of ecological services from rangelands and their willingness to participate in various land management programs aimed at enhancing such services, which are receiving increasing public consideration. In general, landowners favorably viewed programs that would reduce woody plant (brush) cover in an effort to increase water yields or to improve wildlife habitat, but they disapproved of programs that would encourage the proliferation of woody plants in an attempt to increase atmospheric carbon sequestration. In addition, whether land management programs were voluntary or mandatory had a much greater influence on the level of landowner willingness to participate in programs than the availability of publicly funded cost-sharing. Three-fourths of respondents indicated they would be willing to enroll in cost-sharing brush management programs, and most viewed short-term (5-10 year) performance contracts as the most acceptable legal instrument for participating. To deal with ecosystem trade-offs resulting from woody plant management, we recommend that publicly funded programs aimed at enhancing ecosystem services through effective woody plant management should be flexible. In addition, we recommend the promotion of ecosystem level planning for such programs and cooperative management strategies for landowners participating in such program in order to maximize the effectiveness of associated public investments.

Texas landowner perceptions regarding ecosystem services and cost-sharing land management programs

Abstract Publicly funded management programs can enhance important ecological services including watershed functions, wildlife habitat, and carbon sequestration. A mail survey was conducted in 2003 in the Western Edwards Aquifer area of Texas to assess landowner perceptions regarding the supply of ecological services from rangelands and their willingness to participate in various land management programs aimed at enhancing such services, which are receiving increasing public consideration. In general, landowners favorably viewed programs that would reduce woody plant (brush) cover in an effort to increase water yields or to improve wildlife habitat, but they disapproved of programs that would encourage the proliferation of woody plants in an attempt to increase atmospheric carbon sequestration. In addition, whether land management programs were voluntary or mandatory had a much greater influence on the level of landowner willingness to participate in programs than the availability of publicly funded cost-sharing. Three-fourths of respondents indicated they would be willing to enroll in cost-sharing brush management programs, and most viewed short-term (5-10 year) performance contracts as the most acceptable legal instrument for participating. To deal with ecosystem trade-offs resulting from woody plant management, we recommend that publicly funded programs aimed at enhancing ecosystem services through effective woody plant management should be flexible. In addition, we recommend the promotion of ecosystem level planning for such programs and cooperative management strategies for landowners participating in such program in order to maximize the effectiveness of associated public investments.

A regional model of interprofessional education

This paper describes the innovative features of the first regional model of interprofessional education (IPE) in the US, developed by The Commonwealth Medical College, Scranton, PA, USA, as a new, independent, community-based medical school in northeastern Pennsylvania. Essential educational components include collaborative care seminars, interprofessional sessions, simulations, live web-based seminars and newly innovative virtual environment interactive exercises. All of these elements are being integrated into the curricula of 14 undergraduate and allied professional schools, and three graduate medical education programs located in the region. Activities incorporate simulation, standardized patients, student leadership, and faculty and student facilitation. As this new regional model of interprofessional education is fully implemented, its impact will be assessed using both quantitative and qualitative outcomes measurements. Appropriate ongoing modifications to the model will be made to ensure improvement and further applicability to collaborative learning

Determination of the Burning Characteristics of a Slick of Oil on Water

Research journal paper published in Spill Science and Technology Bulletin 2003The burning rate of a slick of oil on a water bed is characterized by three distinct processes, ignition, flame spread and burning rate. Although all three processes are important, ignition and burning rate are critical. The former, because it defines the potential to burn and the latter because of the inherent possibility of boilover. Burning rate is calculated by a simple expression derived from a onedimensional heat conduction equation. Heat feedback from the flame to the surface is assumed to be a constant fraction of the total energy released by the combustion reaction. The constant fraction (c) is named the burning efficiency and represents an important tool in assessing the potential of in-situ burning as a counter-measure to an oil-spill. By matching the characteristic thermal penetration length scale for the fuel/water system and an equivalent single layer system, a combined thermal diffusivity can be calculated and used to obtain an analytical solution for the burning rate. Theoretical expressions were correlated with crude oil and heating oil, for a number of pool diameters and initial fuel layer thickness. Experiments were also conducted with emulsified and weathered crude oil. The simple analytical expression describes well the effects of pool diameter and initial fuel layer thickness permitting a better observation of the effects of weathering, emulsification and net heat feedback to the fuel surface. Experiments showed that only a small fraction of the heat released by the flame is retained by the fuel layer and water bed (of the order of 1%). Ignition has been studied to provide a tool that will serve to assess a fuels ease to ignite under conditions that are representative of oil spills. Two different techniques are used, piloted ignition when the fuel is exposed to a radiant heat flux and flash point as measured by the ASTM D56 Tag Closed Cup Test. Two different crude oils were used for these experiments, ANS and Cook Inlet. Crude oils were tested in their natural state and at different levels of weathering, showing that piloted ignition and flash point are strong functions of weathering level

“Money's too tight (to mention)”:A review and psychological synthesis of living wage research

Traditional living wage research has been the purview of economists, but recently contributions from the field of work psychology have challenged existing perspectives, providing a different lens through which to consider this issue. By means of a narrative interdisciplinary review of 115 peer-reviewed journal articles published between 2000 and 2020, we chart the transitions in the field with attention shifting from macro-economic and econometric lens largely concerned with the costs of living wage policies, to a more person-centric lens focusing on the employee and their family. Synthesizing prior study, we outline five key themes: consequences for individuals, organizations, and societies; changes in operationalization; exploration of different contexts; study of social movements; and the history of the topic. We outline the importance of work psychology in developing the living wage debate through more inclusive definitions, and novel operationalization and measurement, thereby providing fresh insights into how and why living wages can have a positive impact. Critically, we outline the redundancy of simple study of wage rates without understanding the elements that make work decent. We raise key areas for further study, and this topic presents a significant opportunity for psychology to shift focus to impact upstream policy by providing new empirical evidence, and challenges to structural inequalities