Andy A. Peeks in a Senior Saxophone Recital

This is the program for the senior saxophone recital of Andy A. Peeks. Mr. Peeks was accompanied on the piano by Mrs. Cindy Fuller. This recital took place on March 31, 2000, in the McBeth Recital Hall in the Mabee Fine Arts Center

Python for chemists: a problem-orientated introduction to scientific programming

Programming is an essential skill in modern science, yet it is not routinely or systematically taught as part of most undergraduate science courses. Many students pick up an outside interest in programming, but those who do not may be left behind, and lose access to an essential part of the modern scientist’s toolbox. A compulsory programming module for all first-year science students is one possible solution, but such a general education may prove remote from specific disciplinary needs. The most useful skills for non-specialists using programming in their research or work are different from those needed by specialist computer scientists, with more emphasis on data generation, processing, exploration, analysis, and visualisation. Within the University of New South Wales School of Chemistry, we have designed a Python in Chemistry Honours module for final-year undergraduates and research students, designed to directly tackle these challenges and offer an alternative to, or complement, earlier structured programming training. There are three main learning activities supported by class discussions, workshops, and explicit incorporation of meta-cognition and communication within assessment. Self-paced online modules, self-selected with beginning and advanced modules to support diverse student programming backgrounds; Discipline-specific challenges as assignments; A capstone major project designed by the student usually to support their disciplinary research

A straightforward method to quantify the electron-delocalizing ability of pi-conjugated molecules

Electronic delocalization is essential to the properties of π-conjugated molecules. We introduce the inter-fragment delocalization index (IFDI) as an easy-to-use computational method for quantifying the electronic delocalization in π-conjugated oligomers and molecular wire models. We show that the IFDI is related to the torsion barriers of π-conjugated dimers, and to the single-molecule conductance of several π-conjugated fragments. The IFDI is a useful screening technique for comparing different π-conjugated subunits as components in organic electronics, since it can quantify the influence of substitution position, structure, and (anti)aromaticity on delocalization

International Service-Learning: Ethics in Cross-Cultural Partnerships

All study abroad courses require the development of productive cross-cultural relationships. Working with local service providers from diverse cultural backgrounds, such as tour guides, hotel managers, and bus drivers, can be demanding work. However, these commercial relationships are reasonably well defined in terms of consumers and vendors of services. On the other hand, the collaboration and shared goals necessary for engaging in direct service abroad require the development of meaningful partnerships that extend beyond commercial interactions. Ethical partnerships are complicated by unequal power dynamics, different cultural expectations of reciprocity, and culturally specific understandings of relationship duration. The goal of this study is to identify divergent expectations amongst students providing the service, local service coordinators, and recipients of the service. An open-ended interview guide was developed for students and collaborators in three short-term international service-learning courses. Students wrote responses regarding their perceptions of the need for the project and the impact on all participants. Similar questions were asked of local service coordinators and members of the community in face-to-face interviews. This provided insight into the variety of perceptions of needs and outcomes. We argue that the process of aligning of mutual and individual goals and perceptions is integral to ascertaining informed consent for the participation of students, partner organizations, and community members in ISL programs. Furthermore, in striving for informed consent, the development of ethical, sensitive, and reciprocal ISL partnerships can be promoted. While it was not possible to obtain data from all groups in all three courses, this exploratory, qualitative investigation offered meaningful opportunities to maintain and further develop equitable relationships and to clarify expectations for future collaborations and coursework. We found that students' perceptions of local needs are shaped by the mission of selected partner organizations and academic preparation. Pre-departure contact with partner organizations that are sensitive to the needs of local communities may provide for better informed student participation and the forming of complex, yet focused, understandings of how service projects address community needs. Partner organizations and their representatives indicated that their long-term goals and expectations included developing local recognition, opportunities for career advancement by building a resume with international notations, and social interactions with international guests. Interviews with the recipients of service have been limited because of language barriers

From Macrocycles to Quantum Rings: Does Aromaticity Have a Size Limit?

ConspectusThe ring currents of aromatic and antiaromatic molecules are remarkable emergent phenomena. A ring current is a quantum-mechanical feature of the whole system, and its existence cannot be inferred from the properties of the individual components of the ring. Hückel's rule states that when an aromatic molecule with a circuit of [4n + 2] πelectrons is placed in a magnetic field, the field induces a ring current that creates a magnetic field opposing the external field inside the ring. In contrast, antiaromatic rings with 4n πelectrons exhibit ring currents in the opposite direction. This rule bears the name of Erich Hückel, and it grew from his molecular orbital theory, but modern formulations of Hückel's rule incorporate contributions from others, particularly William Doering and Ronald Breslow. It is often assumed that aromaticity is restricted to small molecular rings with up to about 22 πelectrons. This Account outlines the discovery of global ring currents in large macrocycles with circuits of up to 162 πelectrons. The largest aromatic rings yet investigated are cyclic porphyrin oligomers, which exhibit global ring currents after oxidation, reduction or optical excitation but not in the neutral ground state. The global aromaticity in these porphyrin nanorings leads to experimentally measurable aromatic stabilization energies in addition to magnetic effects that can be studied by NMR spectroscopy. Wheel-like templates can be bound inside these nanorings, providing excellent control over the molecular geometry and allowing the magnetic shielding to be probed inside the nanoring. The ring currents in these systems are well-reproduced by density functional theory (DFT), although the choice of DFT functional often turns out to be critical. Here we review recent contributions to this field and present a simple method for determining the ring current susceptibility (in nA/T) in any aromatic or antiaromatic ring from experimental NMR data by classical Biot-Savart calculations. We use this method to quantify the ring currents in a variety of aromatic rings. This survey confirms that Hückel's rule reliably predicts the direction of the ring current, and it reveals that the ring current susceptibility is surprisingly insensitive to the size of the ring. The investigation of aromaticity in even larger molecular rings is interesting because ring currents are also observed when mesoscopic metal rings are placed in a magnetic field at low temperatures. The striking similarity between the ring currents in molecules and mesoscopic metal rings arises because the effects have a common origin: a field-dependent phase shift in the electronic wave function. The main difference is that the magnetic flux through mesoscopic rings is much greater because of their larger areas, so their persistent currents are nonlinear and oscillatory with the applied field, whereas the flux through aromatic molecules is so small that their response is approximately linear in the applied field. We discuss how nonlinearity is expected to emerge in large molecular nanorings at high magnetic fields. The insights from this work are fundamentally important for understanding aromaticity and for bridging the gap between chemistry and mesoscopic physics, potentially leading to new functions in molecular electronics

Real-world connections to sustainability: Using authentic learning activities to introduce students to systems thinking through green chemistry

Systems thinking refers to approaches to learning that emphasise the interdependence of components in dynamic systems and how they interact and influence one another (Mahaffy et al., 2019). Applying systems thinking to green chemistry teaching and learning can create a molecular basis for sustainability (Mahaffy et al., 2019) that is able to enhance undergraduate chemistry students’ multidimensional understanding of complex sustainability challenges (Smith, 2011). However, efforts to introduce sustainable systems thinking – specifically within first-year introductory chemistry courses – are particularly challenging, and past approaches have produced mixed success (Mahaffy et al., 2019; An et al., 2021). Consequently, this indicates an opportune space within undergraduate chemistry education research to explore alternative and multidisciplinary approaches towards teaching green chemistry and sustainability (Wissinger et al., 2021). In this research, we present the preliminary results of a trimester-long intervention using authentic learning activities to introduce first-year chemistry students to systems thinking, through the application of green chemistry concepts. To determine the effectiveness of the intervention, we are using a mixed-methods research design to assess the impact of the learning activities on students’ development of systems thinking skills. Student motivations and attitudes towards the subject of chemistry will also be evaluated via validated survey instruments (Guay et al., 2000; Liu et al., 2017). The learning activities have been designed and developed successfully, though the delivery of the intervention is currently ongoing. Preliminary results indicate that students are excited to learn about how chemistry can be more sustainable, and that they are engaging with the learning activities. The aim of this research is to provide rigorous evidence for using systems thinking as a tool to teach students about green chemistry, ‘future-proofing’ chemistry in a way that is relevant, meaningful, and authentic for today’s chemistry students. Outcomes from our data analysis will help inform the development of new undergraduate chemistry education curricula that align with contemporary sustainable challenges. REFERENCES An, J., Loppnow, G.R., & Holme, T. A. (2021). Measuring the impact of incorporating systems thinking into general chemistry on affective components of student learning. Canadian Journal of Chemistry, 99(8), 698–705. Fisher, M.A. (2019). Systems thinking and educating the heads, hands, and hearts of chemistry majors. Journal of Chemical Education, 96(12), 2715–2719. Guay, F., Vallerand, R. J., & Blanchard, C. (2000). On the assessment of situational intrinsic and extrinsic motivation: The Situational Motivation Scale (SIMS). Motivation and emotion, 24(3), 175–213. Liu, Y., Ferrell, B., Barbera, J., & Lewis, J. E. (2017). Development and evaluation of a chemistry-specific version of the academic motivation scale (AMS-Chemistry). Chemistry Education Research and Practice, 18(1), 191–213. Mahaffy, P. G., Matlin, S. A., Holme, T. A., & MacKellar, J. (2019). Systems thinking for education about the molecular basis of sustainability. Nature Sustainability, 2(5), 362–370. Smith, T. (2011). Using critical systems thinking to foster an integrated approach to sustainability: A proposal for development practitioners. Environment, development and sustainability, 13, 1–17. Wissinger, J. E., Visa, A., Saha, B. B., Matlin, S. A., Mahaffy, P. G., Kümmerer, K., & Cornell, S. (2021). Integrating sustainability into learning in chemistry. Journal of Chemical Education, 98(4), 1061–1063

"A simple trust in bigness": Strategic Culture and the U.S. Navy's Reaction to the Dreadnought Revolution, 1903-1910

This thesis explores the impact of strategic culture on the United States Navy's reaction to the dreadnought and battlecruiser ship types introduced by the British Navy under Admiral Fisher. This essay concludes that the strategic culture of the U.S. Navy, shaped in large part by Alfred Thayer Mahan, was unable to adapt to the new environment suggested by Fisher's ships. While the U.S. Navy adopted dreadnoughts, its leaders and thinkers were unable to grasp the battlecruiser concept, and decided against building them

Northwest Energy Efficient Manufactured Housing Program Specification Development

The Hood River Passive Project was developed by Root Design Build of Hood River Oregon using the Passive House Planning Package (PHPP) to meet all of the requirements for certification under the European Passive House standards. The Passive House design approach has been gaining momentum among residential designers for custom homes and BEopt modeling indicates that these designs may actually exceed the goal of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Building America program to reduce home energy use by 30%-50% (compared to 2009 energy codes for new homes). This report documents the short term test results of the Shift House and compares the results of PHPP and BEopt modeling of the project

Laser-Accelerated proton beams as diagnostics for cultural heritage

This paper introduces the first use of laser-generated proton beams as diagnostic for materials of interest in the domain of Cultural Heritage. Using laser-accelerated protons, as generated by interaction of a high-power short-pulse laser with a solid target, we can produce proton-induced X-ray emission spectroscopies (PIXE). By correctly tuning the proton flux on the sample, we are able to perform the PIXE in a single shot without provoking more damage to the sample than conventional methodologies. We verify this by experimentally irradiating materials of interest in the Cultural Heritage with laser-accelerated protons and measuring the PIXE emission. The morphological and chemical analysis of the sample before and after irradiation are compared in order to assess the damage provoked to the artifact. Montecarlo simulations confirm that the temperature in the sample stays safely below the melting point. Compared to conventional diagnostic methodologies, laser-driven PIXE has the advantage of being potentially quicker and more efficien

"The Cavalry of the Fleet:" Organization, Doctrine, and Battlecruisers in the United States and the United Kingdom, 1904-22

This dissertation examines naval policymaking in the United States and Britain in the era of the First World War, from the elevation of Admiral John Fisher to the position of First Sea Lord in 1904 to the end of the Washington Conference in 1922. Specifically, it analyzes how each country's navy developed policy and doctrine, and the ways in which institutional culture, strategic priorities, and administrative structure shaped these processes. The project explores these issues through both navies' experience with battlecruisers, a then-new type of large warship with heavy guns, high speed, and light armor. While doing so, the project also sheds light on the comparatively neglected American battlecruiser program, showing how crucial the ships were to American conceptions of future naval wars. Battlecruisers provide an ideal background for comparing British and American naval policy. The Royal Navy introduced the type, beginning construction on the first Invincible-class battlecruisers in 1905. On the other hand, the United States was the last major naval power to accept battlecruisers, and only started building them in 1916. These disparate stories allow us to see how each navy identified strategic priorities, allocated resources, developed doctrine, designed warships, and changed doctrine and design in response to technological developments and wartime experience. As the dissertation shows, the United States and the United Kingdom took very different approaches towards managing and maintaining sea power. Some of this was due to each country's national culture and strategic situation, but the institutional culture and administrative structure of each service played a role as well. In Britain, the need to defend a far-flung empire was filtered through the Admiralty, which could be dominated by the theories and passions of a single man. Across the Atlantic, the U.S. Navy's Mahanian worldview was constantly modified by the service's "strategic elite" in the Naval War College and on the General Board. These differences were reflected in each country's battlecruiser program: by the early 1920s, the Royal Navy built theirs for fighting battleships in major fleet actions, while the American battlecruisers were intended for scouting and long-range independent operations.Doctor of Philosoph