Polymer chemistry education to increase student awareness of plastic pervasiveness and environmental impact

A polymer-pollution-focused laboratory sequence was written to teach general chemistry concepts in a course for pre-service elementary teachers. Students experienced the difficulties related to polymer pollution clean-up and made bio-based materials to see possible alternatives. In order to determine whether this laboratory sequence changed student understanding of the importance of polymers and their environmental impact, student opinions were gathered with pre/post-course sequence surveys, observations, post-laboratory surveys, and focus group interviews. These same data collection methods were also used to determine the likelihood that the pre-service elementary teachers would teach these polymer and environmental laboratories or their concepts in the future. This study provided pre-service teachers with the knowledge and curriculum to teach about polymers and their subsequent pollution and then determined the effectiveness of the course material

Left in the Dust: How Staff at River Heights Assisted Living Facility Adjusts to Change and COVID-19

“Left in the Dust: How Staff at River Heights Assisted Living Facility Adjusts to Change and COVID-19”, by Victoria Hill In this study, the Housekeeping and Caregiving Departments at River Heights Assisted Living Facility in Bellingham are being investigated. The initial research was aimed at understanding how the lax regulations of the Housekeeping Department affected its capacity to complete necessary job duties. Collected testimony pointed to the conclusion that specific individuals within the department proved to be problematic which resulted in the overall quality of work to stray from facility standards. Since the COVID-19 outbreak, the employees at this facility have had to adapt to the paradox of consistent changes which have unearthed gaps between departments. The secondary portion of the research addresses how in times of change and particularly with virus precautions, the care team (housekeeping and caregiving), is impacted in regard to the quality of provided care. This portion of research gives a demographic breakdown of the Caregiving Department, analyzes their job functions, and describes the current relationship between the two departments. Additionally, how these departments directly affect the residents at this facility. Qualitative ethnographic research methods are used to point out the uncertain future of the facility based on the shift in communication, lack of mutual respect, and limited resources that would allow for smoother transition in these times of change

Uncovering Inequalities: Addressing the (RE)Production of Power Relations within Financial Aid Processes utilizing Institutional Ethnography

The purpose of this research project is to critically map the University of Washington’s institutional practices concerning financial aid and related administrative policies and procedures related to the FAFSA application. This research was conducted by using institutional ethnography as a method to analyze the difficulty of carrying out organizational duties under complex federal, state and institutional policies. It also considers how the process of carrying out these duties creates tensions for staff, and how the unintended consequences of power relations are produced and reproduced between the process of staff carrying out their duties and students receiving aid. Information obtained from the observations and interviews, has the potential to usefully impact and change policies that have unintentionally replicated injustice or inequality for students enrolled in, or planning to attend, the university. Equally important, analyzing and mapping this information allows for the facilitation of a greater understanding of policies, by disseminating the information through a website and social media outlets, where the maps of financial aid processes can be easily located and utilized

Impacts of Chromophoric Dissolved Organic Material on Surface Ocean Heating in the Chukchi Sea

Recent observations show visible light attenuation in the Arctic Ocean to be greater than previously assumed. High attenuation observed during the period prior to ice melt and increased phytoplankton production, was attributed primarily to the high levels of absorption by chromophoric dissolved organic material ( CDOM) present in these waters. Preliminary evidence suggests this material is produced by ice algae in the early spring. Optical data from the Chukchi shelf system collected in the spring and summer of 2002, were used to model energy absorption in the mixed layer by both dissolved and particulate material. In the spring, absorption by CDOM was responsible for increasing the energy absorbed in the mixed layer by 40% over pure seawater. Thus CDOM absorption represents a significant factor in the heating budget of Arctic surface waters. The energy absorbed by CDOM has the potential to account for 48% of the springtime ice melt driven by water column heating. With continued warming, negative feedback due to loss of ice algae habitat could slow down heating effects in the spring. However, terrestrial input of CDOM to the Arctic is postulated to increase due to the release of organic carbon from thawing permafrost. Coupled with the loss of the highly reflective sea ice cover during the spring and summer, CDOM absorption may become increasingly influential in the heating budget of Arctic surface waters

Examining Arctic Melt Pond Dynamics via High Resolution Satellite Imagery

The Arctic Ocean is a rapidly changing environment, and a key observational system for monitoring climate change. The Arctic is going under a rapid transition from thicker, multi-year ice, to thinner first-year ice, that may have many potential consequences. As first year Arctic sea ice begins to retreat in the spring and early summer, melting snow and ice form ponds on the surface- “melt ponds”. These melt ponds increase light transmission to the water column, resulting in warming and increased primary production under the ice. Recent advances in high resolution satellite imagery now allow us to monitor the development and propagation of melt ponds from space. 14 Worldview images (privately owned) of first year ice in the Chukchi Sea with sub-meter scale spatial resolution were recorded from June and July 2018 and classified into 4 distinct classes- Un-ponded Ice, Dark Melt Pond, Light Melt Pond, and Open Water. Classification data were analyzed for melt pond abundance (pond fraction) and size. Pond growth can be described by either a linear or logistic growth function (r2 = 0.86). Additionally, previously recorded light transmission values can be used to create an under-ice light availability budget based on class distribution data. This allows for estimates of primary production and the prediction of below ice phytoplankton blooms. As the Arctic continues to experience an extreme regime shift, increased monitoring of melt ponds and other rapidly changing systems will be essentialhttps://digitalcommons.odu.edu/gradposters2021_sciences/1011/thumbnail.jp

Political Ambition: Where Are All the Women?

Why do so few women hold elected office on local government bodies? The answer to this question encompasses a combination of barriers to running for office. The research discussed in this article involved two surveys conducted in Wisconsin. The findings indicate that in addition to systemic barriers, such as time away from work, many women are hesitant to serve on local governing bodies for other reasons, including concerns related to confidence and potentially inaccurate perceptions. This cautiousness was not as evident in male potential candidates. Understanding the barriers women face may inform how Extension educators work to address skewed compositions of local governing bodies as part of capacity-building efforts

Decoding Water Law: Ten Areas of Texas Water Law Every Ag Lawyer Should Know

Texas water law is not a model of clarity. As a body of law, it is riddled with jargon, double-meaning, and esoteric context that can sometimes read and work like a Rube Goldberg device. Landowners not trained in the dark arts of Texas water rights and regulation are often (rightfully) frustrated with attempts to understand, exercise, market, and simply explain one of the most important property rights in Texas agriculture. Fear not. While not a categorical truth, much of Texas’ water law can be translated into a language that is helpful to those involved in Texas agriculture. The authors give no guarantee that this Article will be a precise decoder ring for growers, ranchers, lenders, brokers, and the like, but hopefully it will be useful to these important groups, nonetheless. This Article will include quick tips for ag practitioners dealing with water law issues in Texas. While each one of these topics could be a paper in itself, the topics will conclude with links/resources for addi- tional information