2009-2010
Recipients
| Adjunct Faculty Vitality | Collaborative Awards |
| Excellence Awards | Faculty Vitality Grants |
| New Faculty Grants | |
Adjunct Faculty Vitality Grants
Travel to Present at the SIAM Conference on Discrete Mathematics
Spring 2010
Mahmud Akelbek, Mathematics
Adjunct Professor Akelbek requested funding for travel to present a paper at SIAM Conference on Discrete Mathematics (DM10), June 14-17, 2010, in Austin, Texas. He will present a paper titled “On the Upper Bound on the Modulus of Subdominant Eigenvalue of Stochastic Matrix”. This is a joint work with Dr. Fital-Akelbek. The purpose of this conference is to highlight the major theoretical advances in the field, the development of new tools for discrete mathematics, and the most significant of the new applications of discrete mathematics to problems arising in industry and business. The conference also seeks to bring together participants from the many different environments where discrete mathematics is developed and applied.
Optimal Pension Reform Under Demographic Shocks and Endogenous Retirement
Spring 2010
Shantanu Bagchi, Economics
In Adjunct Professor Bagchi's paper he analyzes optimal public pension reform in the U.S. under the future demographic projections. He accounts for households’ retirement responses to demographic and fiscal shocks, and also for the redistributive role of social security in a population with labor efficiency heterogeneity. He finds that if the current social security program in the U.S. is justified on the grounds of income redistribution, then it may not be optimal to change it much under the future demographic projections. Even though the demographic shocks lead to a general worsening of households' internal rates of return from social security, more efficient households suffer a sharper decline as they experience larger delays in retirement and pay taxes for longer. Moreover, private saving responds positively to the demographic shocks, which increases the aggregate capital stock and the wage rate, and also causes the total tax revenues to increase. These two facts together imply that the demographic shocks have a relatively small impact on the poorer households who benefit from social security, as well as on the general financing of the program. Therefore, the optimal pension reform policy requires relatively small changes in the tax rate. He also finds that optimal pension reform in the U.S. may imply a reduction in social security benefits, and keeping benefits unchanged under future demographic shocks may be optimal only if the shocks are significantly larger than the current projections of the Social Security Administration (SSA).
Service-Learning in Ecuador Summer 2010
Spring 2010
Jared Eames, Emergency Care & Rescue
This is a two-part project that will provide service to a group of rural communities in central Ecuador. The first and primary goal of this project is to provide education to Ecuadorian communities on the dangers of smoke inhalation and how to avoid it. Smoke inhalation is a serious problem in Ecuador because many households still use open fires to cook and heat their homes. This campaign will be designed and presented by a group of WSU nursing students under the direction of Sharen Brady and Jared Eames (both are fluent in Spanish) to rural communities in the area of Vinces, a small town in the state of Los Rios in central Ecuador. The project will include the production of pamphlets and flyers as well as lectures with interactive games and activities.
Presentation at the RMMLA 2010 Conference
Spring 2010
Electra Fielding, Foreign Languages
Adjunct Professor Fielding has worked in the department of Foreign Languages and Literatures at Weber State University since Fall 1999 teaching Spanish courses, both lower and upper division. She is also a graduate student at the University of Utah, pursuing a Doctoral degree in Early Modern Spanish literature. Due to the nature of her studies, it is beneficial for her, not to mention indispensable, to attend and be in contact with other scholars, in order to exchange ideas, perspectives and network with scholars from other departments and universities. Attending and participating in literary conferences also strengthens her curriculum, as this shows that she is an active scholar in her field of studies. One of the major and most significant language conferences offered in the Western area of the United States is the conference offered yearly by the Rocky Mountain Modern Language Association (RMMLA). This year the RMMLA conference will take place in Albuquerque, New Mexico (13-16th October). Her paper, "Pecuniary Journeys and Spiritual Regressions: Allegorical Elements in Lazarillo de Tormes" has been accepted to be presented. In this paper she proposes a reading of Lazarillo de Tormes as an allegorical journey that culminates in financial gain rather than spiritual growth. She will also demonstrate the presence of allegorical elements in Lazarillo de Tormes, among them the concepts of journey, violence, and promise, resulting in an allegorical construct that represents the Spain of the mid 1500s.
Attend and Participate in Field Trips at the Association of American Geographers Meeting in Washington, DC, April 13-19, 2010, in Order to Acquire New Teaching Skills and Expertise
Spring 2010
Klaus Gurgel, Geography
Adjunct Professor Gurgel requested funding to attend a national conference of the Association of American Geographers, Washington, DC, April 13-April 19, 2010. While there, he plans on acquiring new skills and expertise for his position as an Adjunct Faculty in the Geography Department. He has registered for field trips to help him acquire additional skills in my variety of teaching courses, i.e., Historical Geography of the United States; History of Geographic Thought, Geography of Utah. One field trip will be to the Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division and Prints and Photographs Division. The Geography and Map Reading Room will host a unique display of both modern and historic maps, atlases, globes, and terrain models, dating from the 14 century to 2010. It also includes a “behind the scenes” guided tour of the Library’s rich cartographic collections that are a treasure trove for modern geographers, historical geographers and anyone with an interest in geography/cartography. The second field trip will deal with “Boundary Stones of the District of Columbia.” The Federal District of Columbia is perhaps best known to tourists for its impressive monuments. The tour will visit up to 10 of the 40 boundary stones in Northwest DC; Alexandria, Arlington, and Falls Church, Virginia, that even today form political boundaries and traffic patterns.
Adjunct Faculty - Oral Proficiency Interview Training
Spring 2010
Dolores Fuentes Jasmer, Foreign Languages
Adjunct Professor Jasmer has been an adjunct faculty member in the Foreign Languages Department at Weber State University since Fall 2000 teaching both lower and intermediate division Spanish. One of the goals of the department has been to provide its faculty with OPI (Oral Proficiency Interview) training to meet the standards for language proficiency established by ACTFL (American Council for the Teaching of Foreign Languages). This council offers a workshop twice a year to train foreign language instructors in assessing how well students communicate orally in the target language. These workshops not only offer training to be more effective when assessing students’ progress, but they also offer information regarding the most current educational topics having to do with foreign language education. Instruction received in this workshop will not only enhance her assessment skills with her individual students, but will be an asset to aid the department with regular OPIs required for all Spanish teaching majors before graduation -currently done over the phone because the department does not have any official testers. The 2010 workshop Ms. Jasmer will attend is in Boston, Massachusetts (November 15-18).
Oral Proficiency Interview Training (for Adjunct Faculty)
Spring 2010
Melissa Pittman, Foreign Languages
When the department of Foreign Languages Department at Weber State University decided to operate the Chinese program in the Fall of 2009, Adjunct Professor Pittman was the person they first hired to teach and help develop the Chinese program at Weber State University, including the evaluation and selection of textbooks. She has taught lower division courses and is teaching upper division Chinese language and arts courses. She is also an advisor for the Chinese club on campus in assisting and training students in bringing the Chinese culture onto the Weber State campus while introducing and promoting the Chinese program to the Weber community. The Department of Foreign Languages has been known for supporting its faculty members in continual education and one of the significant, constant supports has been to provide its faculty with OPI (Oral Proficiency Interview) training to meet the standards for language proficiency established by ACTFL (American Council for the Teaching of Foreign Languages). This council offers a workshop twice a year to train foreign language instructors in assessing how well students communicate orally in the target language. These workshops not only offer training to be more effective in assessing students’ progress, but they also offer information regarding the most current educational topics having to do with foreign language education. Instruction received in this workshop will enhance her assessment skills with her individual students. The 2010 workshop Ms. Pittman will attend is in Boston, Massachusetts (November 15-18).
Moving Company/World Dance Alliance Global Event
Spring 2010
Alysia Woodruff, Performing Arts
Moving Company (MC) director, collaborator and dancers have been, through a juried process, selected to present at the World Dance Alliance Global Event July 12-17, 2010 in NYC. The Event will be hosted by NYU along with the prestigious home for American contemporary dance, Dance Theater Workshop (DTW). The event will be held in conjunction with the Dance Critic Association’s annual conference. Out of over 300 proposals submitted from around the world MC dancers have been chosen to perform their work “Winter Haiku” at DTW. The choreography draws upon research investigating the integration of American Sign Language and the contemporary/modern dance vernacular. Additionally, assistant professor Amanda Sowerby and adjunct faculty Alysia Woodruff have been selected to facilitate a workshop for WDA conference participants entitled “Dance and Deaf Culture”.
International Colloboration to Support the Development of Martin Luther King Memorial Clinic and Allied Health College in Ghana, West Africa
Spring 2010
Richard Fry, Computer Science
Paul Eberle, Repiratory Therapy
Janelle Gardiner, Respiratory Therapy
Judith Pratt, Nursing
Lisa Trujillo, Respiratory Therapy
The developing world, including countries like Ghana, currently faces a series of health crises that threaten the lives of millions of people. Lack of infrastructure and trained, experienced medical personnel only complicate the problem. To achieve a solution requires the ability to manage large and often complex data, including the documenting, follow-up and monitoring of patient treatments, medication procurement, and statistical reporting to government agencies and funding sources. Many of these goals require excellent information management in order to be successful. Although the growing use of electronic medical record (EMR) systems has been driven by the belief that these systems can help to improve the quality of health care in developing nations, the development of such systems is still an uncertain and challenging task, calling for a sensitive matching of local needs to available technologies and resources. While some settings in the developing world are similar to a European or U.S. healthcare environment and can use similar software, many locations have very limited resources. Therefore, creating EMR systems for the developing world is much more complex, as requirements, infrastructure, priorities and local constraints are less well understood and probably more heterogeneous. It is impossible therefore, to suggest a single EMR architecture and implementation will fit all environments and needs. As part of a collaborative effort with the Respiratory Therapy and Nursing departments at Weber State University and the Martin Luther King Memorial Clinic (MLKMC) in Ghana Africa, a Weber State Computer Science faculty member will investigate the feasibility of implementing an EMR system for the MLKMC. The expanded goal of the initial study will be to provide Weber State Computer Science students an opportunity to develop a service based learning project demonstrating that an EMR system is possible and can be expanded to manage hundreds of thousands of patients in Ghana, as well as other developing countries, through a customized open source software solution.
Creating and Implementing a Bilingual Orthopedic Evaluation Teaching & Learning Library to Facilitate Communication between Spanish Speaking Athletes and their Care Givers (Certified Athletic Trainers) in Ogden Area High School, College, and Professional Settings
Spring 2010
Jordan Hamson-Utley, Health Promotion & Human Performance
Alex Davis, Athletic Training Graduate
David Ferro, Computer Science
Alicia Giralt, Foreign Languages
Jason Hyde, Student
Ben O'Neal, Student
Adrian Ramon, Student
Limited English language (LEL) patients often avoid seeking medical help when needed; when they seek help, a language barrier will likely result in a decrease in quality of care received, lower adherences rates to prescribed medical regimens, and noncompliance behaviors with scheduled appointments (Flores, 2006; Perkins, 1999). The language barrier also affects the athlete patient. This research project will produce a digital bilingual orthopedic evaluation library for the certified athletic trainer (ATC), the medical practitioner who interacts with the athlete on a daily basis, with the aim of facilitating communication about general medical concerns/illnesses, orthopedic injury, and procedures such as taping, rehabilitation, and surgery. The body of research on the psychology of injury suggests that if the athlete patient can communicate with the ATC about their injury and the likely outcomes, this education is correlated with more positive recovery outcomes (e.g., less pain, faster recovery, less set backs) (Wiese-Bjornstal, Smith, Shaffer & Morrey, 1998). The effectiveness of the library will be evaluated on a cohort of 30 ATCs in the greater Ogden-area including high schools, colleges, and professional sport settings. Data will be collected through both qualitative and quantitative avenues and submitted for scholarly activity in both presentation and publication. The digital library will also be shared with the medical community at large via publishing to iTunes and iTunes University (iTunesU). This will be a longitudinal research project for the program of Athletic Training and its students (graduate and undergraduate).
WSU Moving Company: Green Map Project
Spring 2010
Joanne Lawrence, Performing Arts
Julie Rich, Geography
WSU Moving Company: Ogden City Green Map Project is a community building, interdisciplinary celebration of place. The project is an undertaking that will consist of three concurrent, interrelated activities: 1. Community arts and environmental education outreach activities; 2. Performance events; and 3. The creation of a Green Map (digital and printed). In this project, WSU dance and geography students will have an opportunity to work side by side with Repertory Dance Theatre, as mentor, over a nine-month period to develop the project, hold in-service activities for Ogden City public school teachers, and work in the schools with creative residency activities. Repertory Dance Theatre (RDT) is our “parent” affiliate that has already begun a similar, but larger project in Salt Lake County. WSU dance students will create, learn, rehearse, and perform choreography, initiated by the project, throughout the year with RDT.
Mobile Outreach and Research Lab for Monitoring Air Quality with HARBOR
Spring 2010
John Armstrong, Physics
Two years ago, Weber State University successfully flew the first high altitude mission for HARBOR, the High Altitude Reconnaissance Balloon for Outreach and Research. Based on two successful flight seasons, WSU has been awarded a NASA grant to explore particulate concentrations in the upper atmosphere, a project called Hi-SAM (High-altitude Stratospheric Aerosol Monitoring). In an effort to raise awareness of particulate matter and air quality in the state of Utah, Dr. Armstrong and his group of researchers are proposing a mobile monitoring lab that will demonstrate particulate monitoring to local schools during yellow and red air days. The mobile lab will consist of a small enclosed cargo utility trailer with a helium cascade regulator and storage for the Hi-SAM dust monitoring equipment. Using the same technology (purchased through Hi-SAM) they use to measure particulates in the stratosphere, their mobile research station will use a tethered balloon to monitor particulate levels up to 500 ft. School groups will be invited to help analyze the data as well as the data collected at other schools. This outreach component to HARBOR will help raise awareness of environmental issues facing the Wasatch Front. This mobile lab will also double as a balloon transport and launch support vehicle during the regular HARBOR summer flight season.
Ethical Ideologies and Ethics Training within Utah Law Enforcement Academies
Spring 2010
Bruce Bayley, Criminal Justice
The intent of this project is to assist the State of Utah's Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) is: 1) assessing the ethical ideologies of in-coming law enforcement academy cadets; 2) gauge the impact, if any, of law enforcement academy ethics training on the ethical ideologies of academy cadets; 3) develop a series of ten ethics training videos for WSU criminal justice students, law enforcement, and corrections cadets based upon the results of the above assessments.
American Physical Society Four Corners Conference 2010
Spring 2010
Colin Inglefield, Physics
The American Physical Society (APS, a professional society for physics) holds regional as well as national meetings annually. Weber State has been an active participant in the 4-Corners section’s annual meetings since their beginning and will host the meeting in Fall 2010. This is a tremendous opportunity for the physics department and its students to strengthen ties to other universities and research institutions in the region and bring nationally prominent physicists to our campus. The meeting will be held during fall break, October 15-16, 2010, on the Weber State campus. Dr. Inglefield sought funding to host the meeting, keep the registration costs down (particularly for student participants), and attract high-quality speakers for plenary and public lectures.
HeLIOS - An Information Literacy Tutorial for High School Students
Spring 2010
JaNae Kinikin, Library
Associate Professor Kinikin will revise the HeLIOS tutorial, a pilot tutorial created using funding a 2007 Hemingway Excellence award. The purpose of the original project was to create a tutorial to prepare college-bound students at two high schools within the Ogden School District (Ogden High School and Ben Lomond High School) for college-level research. In addition to the two pilot schools, the tutorial is currently being used at Davis High, Layton High, Weber High, and Spanish Fork Junior High. The pupose of the project itself is threefold: 1) to update the tutorial to make it more interactive and engaging for students; 2) to begin marketing the tutorial to Utah high school library media teachers through a postcard campaign; and 3) to fund travel to the Mountain Plains Library Association conference for a presentation to introduce the tutorial to interested individuals outside Utah.
Correlation Between Exposure to Particulate Matter and Pulmonary Function Test Results of Subjects in Ghana, West Africa
Spring 2010
Lisa Trujillo, Respiratory Therapy
Over the past 5 years faculty from the WSU Respiratory Therapy department have traveled to Ghana to provide education, health care and humanitarian aid. Throughout their experiences, they have become keenly aware of the significant levels of pollution, particularly due to lack of emissions on vehicles, cooking with coal and the burning of garbage due to the lack of a solid waste removal system. It is their concern that high levels of particulate matter that the citizens of Ghana are breathing is causing significant and chronic lung conditions that have the potential to be life threatening. The focus of their research is to determine the impact of high levels of particulate matter on the people of Ghana through the administration of pulmonary function testing in conjunction with measurements of particulate matter in specific populations.
Performing at the 35th Annual Classical Music Festival in Austria
Spring 2010
Ralph van der Beek, Performing Arts
Yu-Jane Yang, Performing Arts
This project is in response to an invitation for the two project co-directors to perform and conduct piano master classes at the 35th Annual Classical Music Festival (CMF) in Eisenstadt, Austria this coming August. It will include a performance of one of Mozart’s most challenging collaborative piano works, the Sonata in D major for one piano four hands by co-directors, Dr. Ralph van der Beek (WSU Piano Professor) and Dr. Yu-Jane Yang (WSU Piano Professor). It will also involve WSU music faculty (Dr. van der Beek, Dr. Yang, and Dr. Wang) in coaching award-winning music students from WSU in preparing and performing classical piano works at the festival. Moreover, this project will allow for a performance by Dr. Yu-Jane Yang and Dr. Shi-Hwa Wang (WSU Violin Professor) in the opening convocation concert of the prestigious Classical Music Festival. Dr. Wang, Dr. Yang and Professor Susan Cook (Cello Professor, University of California-Davis) will also collaborate to perform a Piano Trio at one of the festival’s chamber music concerts. In addition, the three WSU music faculty and music students will team up with the festival orchestra and choir under the direction of Dr. Richard Zielinski (Choral Studies Professor, University of Oklahoma) in performing one of Mozart’s greatest collaborative works, the Requiem Mass.
The International Society for the Study of Behavioral Development (ISSBD): The Development of Scientific Reasoning
Spring 2010
Eric Amsel, Psychology
Dr. Amsel requested funding to support his travel to Lusaka, Zambia, to present a paper in a symposium that he organized at The International Society for the Study of Behavioral Development conference. As principle organizer of the symposium, he will chair the symposium and present a paper reviewing his new research. The symposium addresses development of scientific reasoning and the participants are researchers from Europe and America who are well known for their work in the field.
Participation in the Final Workshop for Research Collaborators in the Field of Environmental Lead Toxicology
Spring 2010
Michele Arnold, Physics
As part of increased efforts to improve international collaborative efforts in lead environmental toxicology research, the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation has provided grant funding to establish and maintain a lead research consortium to "assess knowledge gaps and determine evidence based strategies to minimize health impact". As an invited member of this collaborative research group, Dr. Arnold requested funding to participate in the final workshop of the group, to be held in Ontario, Canada during June of 2010. This research collaboration is not only very important for evaluating the status of current research in the field, but also in motivating future research projects here at Weber State University and in collaboration with international colleagues.
"Women's Search for Identity in Helena Parente Cunha's Novel Mulher no Espelho." Attendance, Presentation, and Chairing at the 64th Annual Rocky Mountain MLA Convention
Spring 2010
Isabel Asensio, Foreign Languages
Dr. Asensio requested funding to travel to Albuquerque, New Mexico. The purpose of her travel is threefold: 1) to attend the 64th Annual Convention of the Rocky Mountain Modern Language Association that will take place October 14th through 16th, 2010. 2) to serve as chair of the Luso-Brazilian Language and Literature panel during the convention. 3) to present a paper at the Luso-Brazilian Language and Literature panel above mentioned.
Paper Presentation - Student Opinion on Global Warming
Fall 2009
Daniel Bedford, Geography
Dr. Bedford requested funding to support travel to and major participation in a national conference, the annual meeting of the Association of American Geographers (AAG), in Washington DC, April 14-18, 2010. There, he will present a research paper in a conference session he has organized, and participate in a panel discussion which he has also organized. For both sessions, he has been able to solicit the participation of highly-respected scholars with national reputations. The sessions are on the topic of climate literacy, and will include research on service learning, public opinion, and innovative classroom approaches to teaching about Earth’s climate.
Fragmentation in a Postwar Spanish Film
Spring 2010
Craig Bergeson, Foreign Languages
Dr. Bergeson requested funding to present at the 2010 annual meeting of the Rocky Mountain Modern Language Association. His presentation will be titled, "Fragmentation in The Spirit of the Beehive." This presentation will be a continuation of his ongoing research on time in contemporary Spanish narrative.
Travel to Present at the American Psychology-Law Society's Annual Conference - Title of Presentation: The Effects of Acute Fatigue on the Accuracy of Child Witnesses
Fall 2009
Julie Buck, Criminal Justice
Professor Buck requested funding to travel to the American Psychology-Law Society’s Annual Conference on March 18-20 in Vancouver, Canada to present research entitled "The Effects of Acute Fatigue on the Accuracy of Child Witnesses". This study examined the effects of acute fatigue on the accuracy of child witnesses. Seventy-nine children (age R=3-6 years) participated in a staged magic show. About a week later each child was interviewed regarding what happened at the show. The structured interview consisted of a free recall section, eleven true reminder questions, nine false reminder questions, and ten open-ended free recall questions. Acute fatigue was measured by time of day of the interview (e.g. either 1) 8:00am to 10:30am, 2) 11:00am to 2:00pm, or 3) 3:00pm to 5:00pm). The results indicate that acute fatigue decreases the accuracy of children’s statements.
Travel to Attend the Western Association of Criminal Justice Annual Conference
Spring 2010
Julie Buck, Criminal Justice
Assistant Professor Buck requested travel funding to attend the Western Association of Criminal Justice Annual Conference in Lake Tahoe, NV on October 13-15. While she am not presenting at this conference, she is the vice-president for the Western Association of Criminal Justice. In this role she is responsible for planning this conference, including selecting the location, negotiating a contract with the location of the conference, helping to set up the room for the conference, introducing speakers, and selecting papers and poster to be presented at the conference. Unfortunately, due to the small nature of this organization, this is an organization that has not traditionally covered the officers cost to attend the conference. We are hoping to change this for the 2011 conference.
Learning Strategies for Diverse Students in Inclusive Settings
Spring 2010
Fran Butler, Teacher Education
Melina Alexander, Teacher Education
The passage of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001 and the 2004 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) has resulted in an increasing number of students with diverse learning needs who receive the bulk of their instruction within the general classroom. Many general educators feel unprepared to deliver effective instruction to meet the needs of students with special learning needs. The application of learning strategies provides one method of accomplishing this goal. In this project, pre-service teachers analyzed which learning strategies would be most effective in allowing diverse students to access the general curriculum. They then taught the learning strategy within a resource room setting. Finally, the effect of the strategy upon student learning within the general education classroom was measured. It is very important that both researchers present at this conference. Dr. Fran Butler is the lead researcher and has nationally recognized expertise in learning strategies. Dr. Melina Alexander is a junior faculty member, and she has had primary responsibility for conducting the field trials.
Teacher English to Speakers of Other Languages National Conference
Fall 2009
David Byrd, Teacher Education
During their final field experience, student teachers often are able to explore their rationale for teaching as theory meets practice in a long-term classroom setting. Professor Byrd's study examines through the medium of reflective dialogue journals what concerns student teachers as they move from students to teaching professionals.
Travel to Support Presentation of Papers at 2010 AMS/MAA Joint Meetings
Fall 2009
Maomoa Cai, Mathematics
Professor Cai requested funds to attend 2010 Joint Mathematics Meetings to present her findings. Attending this conference is a way not only to share her research work with peers but also to communicate with other researchers and explore the trends of the advanced research fields. There are several attractive topics, such as, Chaos and symmetry in partially hyperbolic systems (An invited address), which are closely related her previous and current research topics. At this conference, they also offer some MAA minicourses which be used to acquire new skills or expertise.
Travel to the Third International Barcode of Life Conference
Fall 2009
Jonathan Clark, Zoology
Dr. Clark requested funding to present a paper at the Third International Barcode of Life Conference, in Mexcio City, November 7-13, 2009. This meeting is the world’s premier conference for presentations and workshops related to using DNA data to identify the diversity of life on Earth. The meeting is organized by COBL, the Consortium for the Barcode of Life (https://www.barcoding.si.edu/), an international initiative devoted to developing DNA barcoding as a global standard for the identification of biological species. The meeting consists of three days of pre-conference workshops, including two full-day short courses that will introduce participants to the lab protocols of DNA barcoding and the management and analysis of barcode data. There are three days of presentations, including posters and contributed talks. Acceptance of presentations at the meeting is competitive. Out of 265 abstracts received by the meeting organizers, only 151 were accepted and the Project Director’s abstract was officially accepted for an oral presentation at the meeting. A WSU undergraduate student is a coauthor on this presentation.
Pre-operating Performances and IPO's After Market Returns
Fall 2009
Yuhong Fan, Business Administration
Internet related firms experienced an extremely high degree of underpricing in the year 1999 and 2000. Empirical examinations for changing-risk composition hypothesis and overreaction hypothesis are conducted in three stages: first trading day, short-run and long-run market performances. The results from this paper suggest that the high initial returns for Internet firms are explainable by investors’ overreaction and the high uncertainties regarding the companies. Firm’s long-run market performances can be significantly explained by pre-IPO fundamentals like sales per share, while they appeared irrelevant to short-run performances.
Investigating the Upper Bounds on the Moduli Subdominate Eigenvalues of Stochastic Matrix by Using Scrambling Index
Fall 2009
Sandra Fital-Akelbek, Mathematics
Convergence of finite Markov chains to their stationary distributions is a very active research area, and the convergence is determined by the upper bounds on the moduli of subdominant eigenvalues of the transition matrix of Markov chains. The main goal in this project is to give upper bounds on the scrambling index in terms of the diameter of a primitive digraph and the rank or the minimum rank of a primitive matrix, by doing so we provide an attainable upper bound on the moduli of subdominant eigenvalues of a primitive matrix. We plan to achieve the goal by participating in the workshop: Analytical Methods in Combinatorics, Additive Number Theory and Computer Science at IPAM and consulting with an expert in this area. The results will be presented at SIAM Conference on Discrete Mathematics.
Definitions of Art: The Rational Justifiability Approach
Fall 2009
Robert Fudge, Political Science & Philosophy
Dr. Fudge requested funding to travel to the American Society of Aesthetics Pacific Division Meeting in Monterey, CA, where he will present his paper, “Definitions of Art: The Rational Justifiability Approach.” This paper presents an entirely novel way of defining art that builds on various extant definitions, while avoiding their inherent problems. He has presented this paper to the WSU Philosophy Club, but needs to present it in front of an audience of professional aestheticians before sending it off for consideration of publication.
2010 Rocky Mountain Language Association: Chairing and Presenting
Spring 2010
Alicia Giralt, Foreign Languages
Dr. Giralt requests funding to travel to Albuquerque, NM, and attend the 2010 Rocky Mountain Modern Language Association Conference. Her work at the conference will be two fold. She will be chairing a session about Peninsular Spanish Narrative: 19th to 21st Centuries. As part of her duties she has already screened proposals, selected the best ones, and notified the future participants. She will also present her paper Dejando el siglo: Poemas de Catalina Clara Ramírez de Guzmán at a session titled Peninsular Spanish Narrative 14th to 17th Centuries.
Conducting an Invited, Peer-reviewed Workshop Entitled "Using Psychological Skills with Injured Athletes..."
Fall 2009
Jordon Hamson-Utley, Health Promotion & Human Performance
Dr. Hamson-Utley will be presenting research at the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) Clinical Symposium 2009 which is entitled, “Using psychological skills with injured athletes: the what, when, how and why.” This project is connected to her line of research (“Using Psychological Interventions with Injured Athletes”) as it is educating fellow certified athletic trainers on uses of mental skills with injured athletes. The national symposium provides opportunities to network with fellow program directors and athletic trainers and fosters the development of new research collaborations. Dr. Hamson-Utley will be meeting with a group of athletic trainers who also share a common background in sport psychology at the 2009 symposium. Professor Hamson-Utley will engage in over 20 hours of clinical education programming at this conference which will enrich her knowledge and partially satiate her CEU requirements for 2010-2012. Specifically, she will attend sessions which advise on use of technology in the classroom to further develop the use of ARCC/Dee Technology funding provided by Weber State in 2009. Professor Hamson-Utley has two Master’s students who will be submitting to present their thesis work at this convention. She will act as a faculty mentor to her student’s at this convention.
Bridge Delegation to China
Fall 2009
Cheryl Hansen and Thomas Mathews, Foreign Languages
The College Board is accepting applicants for the 2009 Chinese Bridge Delegation: Taking the Next Step, a week-long program in China for educators to strengthen their institution's Chinese programs and partnerships. School and district leaders are invited to attend this unique, education trip to China as guests of Hanban (Hanban/Confucius Institute Headquarters). Dr. Cheryl Hansen and Dr. Tom Mathews have been encouraged to apply for this delegation by Gregg Roberts, World Languages Specialist at the Utah State Office of Education.
Plastic Injection Molding at MR Mold & Engineering
Spring 2010
Kelly Harward, Manufacturing & Mechanical Engineering Technology
A USTAR Technology Commercialization Grant funded a project to support research & development of a leak-proof valve for a pressurized hydration pack first proposed by Toby Hazelbaker of Ogwa Corp. Dr. Kirk Hagen, MMET Professor, and Associate Professor Kelly Harward, developed a unique approach to prevent leaking in the pressurized system from Toby's funtional requirements. This exclusive design has been submitted for a patent by Ogwa Corp. with Dr. Hagen's and Professor Harward's name as the designers. Professor Harward requested funding for the hotel expenses associated with additional experimentation in Brea, CA.
Faculty Development Through Retreat
Spring 2010
Adam Johnston, Teaching & Learning Forum
The Teaching & Learning Forum seeks to expand its offerings for faculty professional development to a small, interactive, teaching retreat. This will be hosted at an off campus site, yet still accessible within 90 minutes of driving. The program will require two nights of lodging, plus food and meeting space. The program of the retreat will produce interaction of 20 faculty from across the campus, to relate teaching and learning challenges, innovations, as well as cross campus collaboration.
Travel to 9th International Congress of Vertebrate Morphology 26-31 July 2010, in Punta del Este, Uruguay
Spring 2010
Ron Meyers, Zoology
Dr. Meyers requested funding to travel to the 9th International Congress of Vertebrate Morphology, from 26-31 July 2010, in Punta del Este, Uruguay. At this meething he will be presenting current research from his laboratory on the effects of denervation and testosterone on the muscles associated with singing in Zebra Finches.
Presentations at the American Society for Microbiology Annual Meeting
Spring 2010
Craig Oberg, Microbiology
The collaborative research group in the Department of Microbiology has been studying various aspects of the unique microbiology of the Great Salt Lake for the past five years. Some of this work has incorporated undergraduate research students for various phases of the research. In early January 2010, four abstracts were submitted to the American Society for Microbiology Annual meeting to be held in San Diego from May 23- 27, 2010. All four abstracts were accepted for presentation; therefore, Dr. Oberg will be presenting at least one of the research projects during the poster sessions. The range of projects includes the isolation and initial characterization of halophage, halophage induction, bacterial predation, and chitin degradation by indigenous halophiles. In addition to making a presentation, he will be assisting other faculty and undergraduate students with their collaborative presentations.
Research Paper Presentation at the XVII International Sociological Association (ISA) World Congress of Sociology in Gothenburg, Sweden, July 11-12, 2010
Spring 2010
Marjukka Ollilainen, Sociology and Anthropology
Dr. Ollilainen's paper, Does a maternity leave policy reduce academic women’s work/family conflict? Comparative study of the U.S. and Finland? has been accepted for presentation at the International Sociological Association World Congress, as part of an RC30 (Sociology of Work) Session 4, Parental Leave: International Comparisons. The World Congress is held every four years on various continents and brings together researchers working on contemporary issues in Sociology. The paper is based on her cross-cultural research project of work/family policies in academia in the U.S. and in Finland and explores how policies affect the conflict created by the demands of family and academia. The analysis draws from experiences of 67 women who work in research and/or teaching in the United States and Finland. The comparison between the two countries yields insights to work/family conflict in two different academic structures and public policy environments.
National String Project Consortium - "Beware: Your Program is Only as Good as Your Leadership!"
Fall 2009
Michael Palumbo, Performing Arts
This presentation will take place at the American String Teachers Association (ASTA) National Conference February 17-20, 2010. It will be presented to members of the National String Project Consortium (NSPC). The National String Project Consortium (NSPC) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization consisting of thirty-five String Project sites based at universities and colleges across the United States. Michael Palumbo, String Project Director at WSU is a founding member of the NSPC and a member of the organization’s Board of Trustees. The NSPC has two primary goals: 1) To increase the number of children across the United States who have access to stringed instrument study, and 2) To help alleviate the critical shortage of qualified string teachers. Dr. Palumbo's presentation will focus on developing leadership skills for the Project Directors, Master Teachers, and student teachers at the NSPC String Project sites. Effective leadership in a String Project requires a musical knowledge and a high degree of organizational ability. The project will focus on the non-musical aspects of developing leadership skills.
Maurice Gardner Biennial Composition Competition at the International Viola Society Congress at the Cincinnati College Conservatory
Spring 2010
Michael Palumbo, Performing Arts
Based on the response from composers from the international community of composers (over 100 compositions were entered from around the world) Dr. Palumbo expects this competition to develop into a major international competition for serious composers of music for the viola. Objectives of the project are to complete his job as the designer and organizer of the competition by implementing and overseeing the final preparation and premiere performance of the Maurice Gardner Biennial Composition Competition, to document the competition, including a background and history, and to provide a video record of the premiere performance. This will be completed with the assistance of two of Dr. Palumbo's students who have been working as his assistants. To meet these objectives requires traveling to the International Viola Congress, which is going to be held at the College Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati, Ohio, June 16-20, 2010.
Directing the Creativity Research Special Interest Group Session for the 2010 Music Educators National Conference
Fall 2009
Thom Priest, Performing Arts
Because Thom Priest is the elected current Chairperson of the Creativity Special Research Interest Group (SRIG) of the Music Educators National Conference (MENG), he requested funding to serve this national organization. He is currently planning and administering sessions for their national conference that will take place in Anaheim, CA March 23-28, 2010. This conference is the world’s largest exhibition of research on music teaching and learning. Thom Priest will be involved in making sure the sessions for the Creativity SRIG run smoothly. He is in charge of oversight to make sure presenters and clinicians have what they need for their sessions. He will also introduce various speakers to conference participants.
Participation in the 39th Annual International Double Reed Society Conference
Spring 2010
Thom Priest, Performing Arts
Dr. Priest requested funding for travel and accomodation, because he, Assistant Professor Akombo, and Assistant Professor Uzur have been invited to perform two new works for bassoon, tambien, percussion, and cello at the 39th Annual International Double Reed Society Conference (IDRS 2010) in Norman, Oklahoma. Assistant Professor David Akombo composed “Nyiba (Grandfather)” for bassoon, djembe, and tambien (African flute) in 2009 and it was premiered on the WSU campus in September of 2009 with Priest playing the bassoon and Akombo playing djembe and tambien. In collaboration with Assistant Professor Victor Uzur and Professor Thom Priest, Professor Don Keipp is completing a new work for percussion, bassoon, and cello. They are intending to premier Keipp’s work at IDRS 2010 in June in conjunction with a performance of Akombo’s “Nyiba”. Keipp and Priest also plan to perform two jazz standards, “All Blues,” by Miles Davis and “Caravan” by Duke Ellington on marimba and bassoon. This is an opportunity to bring international attention to the music area of the WSU Department of Performing Arts. This is also an opportunity to develop our knowledge of literature, pedagogy, and performance skills as musicians and educators. At WSU, Priest serves as the Bassoon Instructor and Director of Music Education, and Keipp teaches percussion and directs the master classes for winds, brass, and percussion. Akombo offers courses on world music and music education, and Uzur teaches cello, music theory, chamber music and offers master classes for string students. This conference will help them develop their knowledge of literature, pedagogy, and technical skills as a musicians and educators and will have an immediate impact on the community of students and musicians in their department.
Travel to Perform Self-Authored Play, Tristram Shandy, Gentleman at the 10th Annual Superior Festival: A Performance Event and Colloquium October 14-16, 2010, Lake Superior State University, MI
Spring 2010
Vicki Ramirez, English
Dr. Ramirez requested funding to travel to the 10th Annual Superior Festival: A Performance Event and Colloquium Oct 14-16, 2010, Lake Superior State University, MI, as an invited performer of Dr. Ramirez's play, Tristram Shandy, Gentleman, adapted from Laurence Sterne's ground-breaking novel of the same name. Because of the importance of this novel in the English literary canon, the play has immediate significance, as no other play based on the book exists. Stephanie Heath, MA, and Dr. Ramirez will perform the two-person, multimedia production, and offer a critical monograph at the conference that links issues in the play to the conference's theme of identity.
Poetry and Medicine: A Campus and Community Project
Spring 2010
Sally Bishop Shigley, English
Medical communities and schools are recognizing the power of literature as a teaching tool and an aid to patient healing and well-being. The University of Utah, in fact, has an entire Medical Ethics and Humanities division devoted to the subject. Dr. Shigley requested funding to attend a conference in May called LifeLines: Poetry For Our Patients, Our Communities, Ourselves for three days at Duke University. The conference will bring together poets, literature scholars, physicians, nurses and others in a series of talks and discussions about the role of literature in disease and healing.
Attendance and Presentation at Comparative Nutrition Society Biennial Meeting
Spring 2010
Michele Skopec, Zoology
I am applying for funds to travel to and present at the Comparative Nutrition Society’s biennial meeting in Tucson, AZ August 6-10 2010. The Comparative Nutrition Society is an international society that brings together scientists from field, laboratory and zoo settings with an interest in animal nutrition in order to increase collaboration in the field of comparative nutrition.
Moving Company/World Dance Alliance Global Event
Spring 2010
Amanda Sowerby, Performing Arts
Moving Company (MC) director, collaborator and dancers have been, through a juried process, selected to present at the World Dance Alliance Global Event July 12-17, 2010 in NYC. The Event will be hosted by NYU along with the prestigious home for American contemporary dance, Dance Theater Workshop (DTW). The event will be held in conjunction with the Dance Critic Association’s annual conference. Out of over 300 proposals submitted from around the world MC dancers have been chosen to perform their work “Winter Haiku” at DTW. The choreography draws upon research investigating the integration of American Sign Language and the contemporary/modern dance vernacular. Additionally, assistant professor Amanda Sowerby and adjunct faculty Alysia Woodruff have been selected to facilitate a workshop for WDA conference participants entitled “Dance and Deaf Culture”.
Math Dance at Two European Conferences
Fall 2009
Erik Stern, Performing Arts
Erik Stern, Professor in the Department of Performing Arts, and his long-time collaborator Dr. Karl Schaffer have been invited to present and perform at two major interdisciplinary conferences taking place summer 2010 in Europe: Constructionism 2010 in Paris, France and Bridges 2010 in Pecs, Hungary. Both conferences have committed to Schaffer and Stern being featured presenters. Their long-time research and original activities connecting the kinesthetic and logical/mathematical thinking styles will be presented to conference attendees in two ways: through performances and extended workshops.
Spring 2010 Community Meetings for Disseminating of Findings from Research Project - "Views and Concerns of Residents Living Near Great Salt Lake"
Fall 2009
Carla Trentelman, Sociology & Anthropology
This project consists of disseminating findings from a recent research project to the local area, particularly the communities and community members that participated in the research. Dr. Trentelman recently conducted a study of the relationships local residents have with Great Salt Lake (GSL), to determine the degree of sense of place and place attachment, as well as concerns, held by residents who live closest to the lake, mainly in western Weber and Davis Counties. Qualitative and quantitative data were gathered during 2006 and 2007, and the analyses were completed spring 2009.
Music Performance in Taiwan
Spring 2010
Shi-Wa Wang, Performing Arts
Dr. Wang requested funding to present three collaborative Piano Trio (violin, cello, and Piano) Performances with piano professor Dr. Yu-Jane Yang and cellist Dr. Hsien-Liang Lien (cello professor at the National Taiwan University of Arts) at the prestigious National Concert Hall of Taiwan in Taipei, the Ya-Ying (means "exquisite tone" in Chinese) Concert Hall at the National University of Tainan, and Taichung Second High School in Taichung in May/June, 2010.
Presentation at the American Society for Microbiology General Meeting 2010
Spring 2010
Michele Zwolinski, Microbiology
Dr. Zwolinski requested funding to present research at the American Society for Microbiology General Meeting in San Diego. The conference will be held on May 23 to 27 of 2010. She is a co-author and presenter for two posters being presented at this meeting - Survey of Chitinase Activity in Halophilic Bacteria Isolated from the Great Salt Lake and Isolation of Novel Phage from the Great Salt Lake for Idiomarina-like Bacteria. At least three student researchers will be attending the meeting to present these works.
American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages Conference
Spring 2010
David Byrd, Teacher Education
Emma Marie Birkmaier was the first president of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) and she worked tirelessly to establish the organization and its new programs for the benefit of all second language teachers. The Emma Marie Birkmaier Award was established in 1980 to recognize an author of doctoral dissertation research in foreign language education that contributes significantly to the advancement of the profession. Dr. Byrd was chosen as the chair of the committee who selects the winner of this award. He will be representing Weber State University as he presents the award to its 2010 recipient at the national conference. In addition, he will present a professional paper, entitled, Pre-writing in the Second Language (L2) Classroom: The Effects on Vocabulary Usage, and participate in professional development.
Film Canon and Audiences in Spain During the 1950's and 1960's
Spring 2010
Luis Guadano, Foreign Languages
Since Assistant Professor Guadano's field of research and teaching at WSU focuses on Spanish film, his project for this year is to determine which films were successful in Spain based on audience preferences during the 1950s and 1960s. During his stay in Madrid, he will follow two lines of research to determine which films fit into this group. First, since box office figures were not officially counted in Spain until the late 1960’s, he will need to draw data from newspapers, magazines and news reels. He will do this research in the Biblioteca Nacional (National Library) and Filmoteca Nacional (National Film Society) archives. Second, he will do a poll of 25 interviews of individuals who were moviegoers during that time to get an idea of how Spanish films were regarded by the general audience. After determining which movies the audience favored, he will compare them – in terms of narrative, plot, cinematography, acting and staging- with those included in the official Franco’s regime film canon and the non official left wing film canon. From this comparison, he hopes to get an understanding of why movies that had a very good reception within the audience were not included neither in the official or unofficial film canons even though they might be better examples of what can be defined as a Spanish film.
How do Children of Only Children Fare? Intergenerational Effects of the One Child Policy in China
Spring 2010
Wei Qui, Child and Family Studies
Thirty years after the one child policy was mandated in China, the first cohort of Chinese only children has grown up to become parents. This research project will explore intergenerational effects of the one child policy on secondgeneration only children in China. About 100 Chinese families who live in Nanjing and have a child birth to five years will participate in the study. An observational tool and a survey will be used to examine home environment, parent-child interaction, parental attitudes, and child-rearing practices that influence the unique development of second-generation only children. Results of this research project will help explain the lasting impact of a massive birth control legislature like the one child policy on the development of children and families.
Place Dynamics Related to the Marismas Nacionales, Nayarit, Mexico
Spring 2010
Carla Koons Trentelman, Sociology and Anthropology
This project proposes a qualitative study of place dynamics (e.g. sense of place and place attachment) related to the Marismas Nacionales, a large wetlands complex in Nayarit, Mexico. The study replicates work already conducted on Great Salt Lake, UT, thus providing a contrasting case study of place dynamics with a place similar to GSL in many ways, while also differing substantially. The study will collect data using two focus groups, the analysis of which will contribute to literature on place dynamics and provide useful information for resource managers in Nayarit. The study will also assist in building networks for future social science work in the area, as well as give student researchers experience with this research modality and with international research.
Capturing the West
Spring 2010
Josh Winegar, Visual Arts
Assistant Professor Winegar requested funding to aid him in the completion of a series of artistic works he has been creating dealing with the American West. The end result will be several large scale exhibition quality photographs and mixed media pieces.