Recovering discipleship: evaluating the effectiveness of the Walk to Emmaus group reunion model

https://place.asburyseminary.edu/ecommonsatsdissertations/1800/thumbnail.jp

A Study of Federal Academic Earmarks and Research Funding in Relation to the Institutional Research Culture of Research University/High (RU/H) Institutions in Mississippi

Nationally, reductions in public funding for higher education, a stagnate economy, looming sequestration, and a divisive political culture present a complex and challenging dynamic for research universities in pursuit of external funding for their research programs and infrastructure needs. These universities and their research initiatives have relied on significant federal investment in research and development as a source of competitive research funding for more than half a century. Over the last thirty years, congressionally directed funding for research, referred to in the study presented here and throughout the literature as academic earmarks, emerged as an alternative means to achieve research funding for institutions of higher education exclusive of the traditional, peer-review award system. The state of Mississippi and its public universities have benefited significantly from this alternative research funding mechanism. Since the cessation of the practice in 2010, the research universities in the state have been forced to adapt to a new reality – one without congressionally directed funding. This qualitative study explored the influence of academic earmarking on the institutional research culture of the research extensive universities in Mississippi by describing the attitudes, opinions, and practices of those individuals who shape that culture. Interviews were conducted with government representatives, university research administration officials, and research active faculty at the four RU/H institutions in the state that have been involved with the procurement of external funding for research. Data collected in interviews were analyzed for themes. The data analysis identified ten common themes in the opinions, attitudes, and practices of study participants as they relate to the influence of federal funding and academic earmarks specifically on the institutional research culture and infrastructure at the RU/H universities in Mississippi. Further, this study identified participants’ views on the prevailing factors, benefits, and detrimental effects associated with the 2010 congressional moratorium on earmarks, as well as expected trends in federal research funding in the coming years. Study findings suggested that academic earmarks have influenced the institutional research culture of the research extensive universities in Mississippi

SSME lifetime prediction and verification, integrating environments, structures, materials: The challenge

The planned missions for the space shuttle dictated a unique and technology-extending rocket engine. The high specific impulse requirements in conjunction with a 55-mission lifetime, plus volume and weight constraints, produced unique structural design, manufacturing, and verification requirements. Operations from Earth to orbit produce severe dynamic environments, which couple with the extreme pressure and thermal environments associated with the high performance, creating large low cycle loads and high alternating stresses above endurance limit which result in high sensitivity to alternating stresses. Combining all of these effects resulted in the requirements for exotic materials, which are more susceptible to manufacturing problems, and the use of an all-welded structure. The challenge of integrating environments, dynamics, structures, and materials into a verified SSME structure is discussed. The verification program and developmental flight results are included. The first six shuttle flights had engine performance as predicted with no failures. The engine system has met the basic design challenges

Acceleration of Nucleophilic CH Activation by Strongly Basic Solvents

(IPI)Ru(II)(OH)_n(H_2O)_m, 2, where IPI is the NNN-pincer ligand, 2,6-diimidizoylpyridine, is shown to catalyze H/D exchange between hydrocarbons and strongly basic solvents at higher rates than in the case of the solvent alone. Significantly, catalysis by 2 is accelerated rather than inhibited by increasing solvent basicity. The evidence is consistent with the reaction proceeding by base modulated nucleophilic CH activation

A candidate LiBH4 for hydrogen storage: Crystal structures and reaction mechanisms of intermediate phases

First-principles calculation and x-ray diffraction simulation methods have been used to explore crystal structures and reaction mechanisms of the intermediate phases involved in dehydriding of LiBH4. LiBH4 was found to dehydride via two sequential steps: first dehydriding through LiBH, followed by the dehydriding of LiBH through LiB. The first step, which releases 13.1 wt. % hydrogen, was calculated to have an activation barrier of 2.33 eV per formula unit and was endothermic by 1.28 eV per formula unit, while the second step was endothermic by 0.23 eV per formula unit. On the other hand, if LiBH4 and LiBH each donated one electron, possibly to the catalyst doped on their surfaces, it was found that the barrier for the first step was reduced to 1.50 eV. This implies that the development of the catalyst to induce charge migration from the bulk to the surface is essential to make LiBH4 usable as a hydrogen storage material in a moderate temperature range, which is also important to stabilize the low-temperature structure of Pnma (no. 62) LiBH on dehydrogenation. Consequently, the high 13.1 wt. % hydrogen available from the dehydriding of LiBH4 and LiBH and their phase stability on Pnma when specific catalysts were used suggest that LiBH4 has good potential to be developed as the hydrogen storage medium capable of releasing the Department of Energy target of 6.5 wt. % for a hydrogen fuel cell car in a moderate temperature range

Student Suicide: A Negligence Issue in Higher Education

There are many academic and social challenges associated with the acclamation process for today’s college students. These pressures and challenges are contributing factors for the high suicide rate among college students. Although considered a high profile issue in higher education, suicide rates of 15-24 year-olds have increased 200% since 1960. Further, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2010) reports suicide as the third leading cause of death among college-aged students. While the number of college student suicides continues to escalate, the institution of higher education has unfortunately done little to study and reduce the number of these preventable deaths

Journal of African Christian Biography: v. 3, no. 3

A publication of the Dictionary of African Christian Biography with U.S. offices located at the Center for Global Christianity and Mission at Boston University. This issue focuses on: 1. Aberi K. Balya, Stefano Reuben Moshi, and John Mary Waliggo: Faithful African Christian Ancestors by Edison M. Kalengyo. Biographies by John Kateeba Tumwine and Louise Pirouet. 2. Wellington Mulwa and Harambee: Leading the Church in Partnership with Western Missionaries, a Biography by F. Lionel Young. 3. African Retrospect and Prospect: A Christian view from Kenya - Interview with Jesse Mugambi, with Jonathan Bonk, interviewer. 4. Recent Print and Digital Resources Related to Christianity in Africa

Marshall University Music Department Presents the 2010 Marshall University Chamber Choir Invitational, Dr. Angela Batey, Adjudicator/Guest Clinician, Dr. David Castleberry, Adjudicator, Dr. H.G. Young III, Adjudicator

https://mds.marshall.edu/music_perf/1443/thumbnail.jp