2331 research outputs found
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Does Can\u27t Get No… Satisfaction Really Describe Student Attitudes? Results and Implications from the First-Ever PSU Student Satisfaction Survey
No full textUsing student satisfaction data as a context within which to evaluate our retention and persistence situation highlights the most potentially impactful areas for improvement across campus. Jim Miller, PSU\u27s Senior Manager of Institutional Research and Analytics, will report on findings from the recent PSU Student Satisfaction Survey (PSSS)--the first such study ever conducted here--and what it tells us about strengths and weaknesses to be considered and addressed by faculty and staff. While more than 600 Undergrad students participated, over 400 of them, from Freshmen to nearly-graduated, completed the entire 167-question survey. They have provided a trove of satisfaction and importance ratings, comments, and self-evaluation data for us to consider now and which form a comparative base for future studies (the next PSSS will be in February 2020)
Wild Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) Demographics and Movement in the Presence of Undersized Road Crossings in Headwater Streams in Central New Hampshire
Get PDFPopulations of wild Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) continue to decline across their historic range, making relatively healthy populations and intact habitats within northern New England increasingly important for conservation. The Beebe River watershed, located in central New Hampshire, is home to intact headwater populations of wild Brook Trout despite movement barriers and riparian manipulation affecting tributaries to the mainstem river. The region has also experienced two centuries of widespread timber harvest and a century of stream acidification, creating further ecological stressors. We focused on three headwater tributaries with 1) impassable road crossing and reduced canopy cover, 2) passable road crossing and reduced canopy cover, and 3) no impediments to movement and unaltered canopy. We documented Brook Trout abundance, density, age structure, condition, biomass, growth, net movement, cumulative movement, home range, and recruitment with the goal of better understanding potential habitat influences on fish across tributaries and among geomorphic threshold regions. Our primary sampling methods included depletion electrofishing, PIT tag mark-recapture techniques, and detailed habitat assessments and temperature monitoring. We hypothesized that undersized crossings and no-low canopy reaches would create physical and thermal barriers for fish. In particular, we predicted that fish in streams with these barriers would exhibit lower density, fewer age classes and lower growth rates while seasonal and annual movement would increase compared to fish in an unimpacted stream. Overall, tributary populations were comprised of young fish that exhibited little movement. We failed to support many of our hypothesis metrics due to underestimating the indirect influences of no-low canopy reaches. Although we documented a crossing barrier inhibiting upstream movement, fish with unrestricted access to the no-low canopy primarily grew more and moved less, while density remained stable interannually. In contrast, fish in the most impacted stream and the unimpacted stream exhibited increased movement and significant declines in interannual density. This project was a unique opportunity to compile a detailed description of the spatial and temporal differences in Brook trout populations for two seasons prior to multiple crossing replacements and habitat enhancement. Our research helps fisheries managers to better understand the benefit of watershed-wide restoration to inform the protection of wild Brook Trout populations
Hydrometeorological Characteristics of Ice Jams on the Pemigewasset River in Central New Hampshire
No full textSupporting the Whole Student
No full textAdvancing your working knowledge to more effectively support students with academic, financial, or mental health concerns. In this session, you will increase your awareness and Competence in the current support resources
Keynote: What is Cluster Pedagogy?
No full textMy current research and advocacy work focus on Open Education, and how universities can innovate in order to bring down costs for students, increase interdisciplinary collaboration, and refocus the academic world on strengthening the public good. I am a professor at Plymouth State University, part of the University System of New Hampshire, where I direct the Interdisciplinary Studies program. I am also an editor for Hybrid Pedagogy, an open-access, peer-reviewed journal that combines the strands of critical pedagogy and digital pedagogy to arrive at the best social and civil uses for technology and new media in education
Green and Fast Synthesis of Imines from Naturally Occurring Antibacterial Compounds
No full textImines are precursors for synthesis of ligands, amines and heterocyclic compounds, and useful as antibacterial agents. Though various catalysts have been developed for carbonyl-primary amine condensation reactions, solvents and catalysts often prolong the workup process. Additionally, conventional methods require refluxing reaction mixtures for several hours, azeotropic distillation, and the use of drying agents. This is not only environmentally degrading but also time-consuming. In this poster we present a concise method which eliminates the need of solvent. The method was designed for energy efficiency by incorporating microwaves to supply heat and evaporate water. A concise and solvent-free approach was followed to synthesize a series of imines derived from naturally antibacterial compounds. The antibacterial activities of the subsequent products were assayed against B. cereus, and compared to those of the starting compounds
Effects on Caenorhabditis elegans in Heavy Metal and Oil Contaminated Soil
No full textHeavy and toxic metal contamination in soils due to anthropogenic activities is a serious environmental problem. The rapid economic growth and development has caused an increase in pollution due to the increasing use and need for oil and metal products. In this research Caenorhabditis elegans will be used to monitor bioremediation methods in certain types of contaminated soil. This study will use various Pb, Cd and Zn and oil to create soil pollution at different levels, and the worms will be used to get an overview on how it would affect other soil organisms. In conclusion, this research will determine the maximum concentration of heavy metals in the soil that will be tolerated by Caenorhabditis elegans in the presence of the oils that are being used as a food source by the worms
