Shattered Families: The Perilous Intersection of Immigration Enforcement and the Child Welfare System

Examines how systemic biases in government practices, lack of legal protections, and limited expertise on the part of child welfare services exacerbate the trauma of separation following parents' detention and deportation and prevent family reunification

Transposing from the laboratory to the classroom to generate authentic research experiences for undergraduates.

Large lecture classes and standardized laboratory exercises are characteristic of introductory biology courses. Previous research has found that these courses do not adequately convey the process of scientific research and the excitement of discovery. Here we propose a model that provides beginning biology students with an inquiry-based, active learning laboratory experience. The Dynamic Genome course replicates a modern research laboratory focused on eukaryotic transposable elements where beginning undergraduates learn key genetics concepts, experimental design, and molecular biological skills. Here we report on two key features of the course, a didactic module and the capstone original research project. The module is a modified version of a published experiment where students experience how virtual transposable elements from rice (Oryza sativa) are assayed for function in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana. As part of the module, students analyze the phenotypes and genotypes of transgenic plants to determine the requirements for transposition. After mastering the skills and concepts, students participate in an authentic research project where they use computational analysis and PCR to detect transposable element insertion site polymorphism in a panel of diverse maize strains. As a consequence of their engagement in this course, students report large gains in their ability to understand the nature of research and demonstrate that they can apply that knowledge to independent research projects

Luther\u27s Social Ethics in Contrast to Rome\u27s Asceticism

Luther brought back the pure doctrine of justification; that, above all, made him the Reformer of the Church. By carrying out the implications of this Scriptural truth in its relation to the rest of Roman theology Luther once and for all broke the power of the Roman papacy. Other reformers had failed and Luther succeeded in his Reformation because he struck at the root of the problem and undermined the foundations upon which Rome\u27s whole diabolical system of theology rested. Luther succeeded because he destroyed Rome\u27s sacerdotalism and sacramentalism