Effective coastal boundary conditions for dispersive tsunami propagation

We aim to improve the techniques to predict tsunami wave heights along the coast. The modeling of tsunamis with the shallow water equations has been very successful, but is somewhat simplistic because wave dispersion is neglected. To bypass this shortcoming, we use the (linearized) variational Boussinesq model derived by Klopman et al. [J. Fluid Mech. 657, 36--63, 2010]. Another shortcoming is that the complicated interactions between incoming and reflected waves near the shore are usually simplified by a fixed wall boundary condition at a certain shallow depth contour. To alleviate this shortcoming, we explore and present in one spatial dimension a so-called effective boundary condition (EBC). From the deep ocean to the seaward boundary, i.e., the simulation area, we model wave propagation numerically. Given the measurements of the incoming wave at the seaward boundary, we model the wave dynamics towards the shoreline analytically, based on shallow water theory and the Wentzel-Kramer-Brillouin (WKB) approximation, as well as extensions to the dispersive, Boussinesq model. The reflected wave is then influxed back into the simulation area using the EBC. The coupling between the two areas, one done numerically and one analytically, via the EBC is handled using variational principles, to preserve the overall energy in both areas. We verify and validate our approach in a series of numerical test cases of increasing complexity, including a case akin to tsunami propagation to the coastline at Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia

“Brick & Mortar” Education and “Real World” Experience: Assessing HRM Alumni Perceptions of their Early Professional Development

In this research we examined the extent to which three distinct human resource management (HRM) undergraduate programs provide coverage of the 13 core content areas specified by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and explored the usefulness of various ways of learning including their undergraduate coursework, an internship, and previous work experience as related to early professional development. Based on perceptions of HRM alumni, the findings reveal that the three curricula provided significant differences in levels of proficiency in seven of the core areas and in perceived usefulness of the learning methods. Implications for HRM curriculum development and students’ professional development are discussed

Atmospheric water parameters in mid-latitude cyclones observed by microwave radiometry and compared to model calculations

Existing and experimental algorithms for various parameters of atmospheric water content such as integrated water vapor, cloud water, precipitation, are used to examine the distribution of these quantities in mid latitude cyclones. The data was obtained from signals given by the special sensor microwave/imager (SSM/I) and compared with data from the nimbus scanning multichannel microwave radiometer (SMMR) for North Atlantic cyclones. The potential of microwave remote sensing for enhancing knowledge of the horizontal structure of these storms and to aid the development and testing of the cloud and precipitation aspects of limited area numerical models of cyclonic storms is investigated

Michael J. Goodheart, MD

Dr. Michael Goodheart is an Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology in the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at the University of Iowa. In addition to clinical duties, Dr. Goodheart does research the focus of which is unraveling the role of the Wnt pathway in endometrial cancer

Marygrace Elson, MD, MME

Marygrace Elson, MD, MME, joins us as guest editor for this issue of Proceedings in Obstetrics and Gynecology, which is focused on topics related to education. Dr. Elson is the Vice-Chair for Education, Residency Program Director, and Clinical Professor, Dr. William C. Keettel Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Iowa

Mark K. Santillan, MD

Dr. Mark Santillan, MD, brings a great deal of energy to his position as Assistant Professor in the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Iowa. As an active physician in the high-risk obstetrics clinic, researcher into the causes of preeclampsia, and Clinical Research Director for the Maternal Fetal Tissue Bank, that level of energy is a must

Stephen K. Hunter, MD, PhD

Stephen Hunter is a Professor and Division Director of Maternal-Fetal Medicine in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Iowa. He’s an outstanding clinician, is the Associate Director of the Iowa Statewide Perinatal Care Program, and maintains a high-quality research program

The rat race of getting funded

In this creative writing piece, Dr. Thiel explores an alternate approach for the grant review process, ultimately concluding that the current pipeline is not inappropriately rigorous

Thomas Gellhaus, MD

Dr. Thomas Gellhaus, the recently appointed Division Director for General Obstetrics and Gynecology, brings to the Department a wealth of clinical experience and passions for teaching, advocacy, and providing care to patients in the developing world