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Documenting plant biodiversity at the EMU-owned Parsons Center for Arts and Sciences
Get PDFWe present the first vascular plant species checklist for the Eastern Michigan-University-owned property called the Parsons Center for Arts and Sciences. A voucher for each plant species has been deposited in the Eastern Michigan College herbarium and collection data is digitized in the Consortium of Midwest Herbaria. A minimum of three images per species are also available on iNaturalist . The Consortium and iNaturalist databases are publicly available and provide georeferenced locations for each plant. One hundred seventy-one plant species (in 137 genera and 61 families) were documented and identified, representing about 15% of plant species and 41% of families known from Benzie County. This work uncovered five new county records that will be updated in the Michigan Flora. More than 70% of species are native to Michigan. Only two invasive plant species, as defined by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources,were observed. Our plant list provides important resources for Eastern Michigan University students, all Parsons users, and county biologists
Critical Race Theory in Education: A Political Battleground with Teachers as the Casualties
Get PDFThe implications for critical race theory in public education has received much political discussion and debate. Many elected officials and lobbyists for and against policy reforms have vehemently engaged the subject matter. Despite this intense debate, politicians and citizens do not have a clear understanding of the origins and content of critical race theory. This research addresses the shortfall by tracking critical race theory at pivotal points, beginning with its introduction in the field of legal studies to its recent emergence in common education policy discourse. Additionally, it aggregates data about the laws and directives that have been introduced by federal, state, and local policymakers’ impacting educators’ capacity to talk about issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the classrooms. This paper concludes by discussing the emerging implications which are seeming to have high stake consequences for teachers, schools, and the American education system. It also suggests how future discussions may engage the conversation in a more meaningful way
Black women in hip-hop: Rap resistance
Get PDFHip-hop has emerged as a cultural and artistic movement that transcends time and geographical locations. The 50th anniversary of hip-hop has prompted widespread reflection and appreciation of the art form with particular notice to how hip-hop has contributed to the overall culture. Popular cultures of hip-hop are mixed; the most popular narrative is that it is a form of music that often has problematic lyrics and ideas that degrade mainly women and promote negative tropes and stereotypes of Black and brown people. I, and other scholars who truly appreciate the art form, have a different understanding of the impact of hip-hop. We realize that the heart of this genre is community building and collective resistance. Black women Hip-hop artists are just one of the actors in continuing these legacies. I will employ Black, Hip-hop, and Trap feminist theories and scholarship to help me develop a sensibility that allows me to see Black female Hip-hop artists as agents for resistance and communal building feminist organizers. In this thesis, I will explore Black female hip-hop artistry, cultural impact, the intersectionality of their identities, and how they navigate the hip-hop scene while employing a Ratchet and Pleasure politics self-identity that is mobilized through their fans
The covenant as formula: Expressing the Noahide and Abrahamic covenants through mathematical models
Get PDFMusic from rumble strips: Developing an experiment for undergraduates
Get PDFRumble strips are parallel, evenly spaced grooves that have been ground into pavement, often with a trough-to-trough spacing of 12 inches. They are typically found along the shoulders of limited access highways and are designed to produce steering wheel vibrations to warn drivers that they have drifted off the road. One model for sound production by cars moving across rumble strips is that the fundamental frequency is determined by the number of troughs driven over each second. Assuming 12-inch spacing, the sound produced would have a frequency, in Hertz, that has the same numerical value as the speed of the vehicle, measured in feet per second. This project set out to test the proposed model and provide guidance on how undergraduate activities can be developed to explore sound production by measuring the speed-dependent pitch heard when driving over a rumble strip. Sound was recorded using a smartphone in a car driving at a range of speeds over rumble strips. The audio files were then loaded onto a computer for spectral analysis. Two freely available spectral analyzers were put through a calibration check and then used to analyze the recordings. We found good, easily reproducible agreement with the model. Possible applications for undergraduate activities will be discussed
A profitability analysis of products and services in the biotechnology industry
Get PDFThis paper will discuss the various ways to address profitability within firms and compare the profitability of three firms within the same industry. It will also touch upon rebranding within firms, the differences between brand and reputation, and how companies decide to use these leverages. Within, the paper dives into one successful account of a rebranding and its positive or negative effects in the long run. This will mainly be reflected in the literary review. In the profitability review, I will review three comparable companies within the biotechnology industry, including two public companies and one owned by a private equity firm (Company A, IQVIA Holdings, and Scorpius Biomanufacturing). Each company will have graphs representing the revenues, costs, and net profit margins for 2018-2023 and will have a summary denoting the merger and acquisition history, the beginnings, and different business segments. For Company A, a deeper analysis is conducted as the paper navigates into other business segments, and products that either hinder or advance the company’s net profit margin are analyzed.
Invoices from 2018-2023 are provided, and commentary from the company is also included, describing the significant issues in the pricing of products throughout the years. Since Company A recently rebranded, this is also analyzed with the prices of individual products. Obviously, within these graphs, there are indicators of the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, the paper dives beyond the macroeconomic issues, specifically with the products sold and the associated risks within the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors
The integration of certified therapy dog teams into special education: Insights of volunteer handlers
Get PDFThe purpose of this study was to better understand how certified volunteer dog therapy handlers can be integrated into special education settings. Although the pet therapy discourse confirms the overall impact dog therapy has on youth’s psychological health (e.g., Groenewoud et al., 2023), research that could elucidate how volunteer handlers modify the way they have their dogs interact with special education populations is a present-day need that has otherwise not appeared in the literature. In response, this study involved a qualitative multiple-case investigation about the role of volunteer certified handlers and the dog therapy provisions they offer special education populations. Through self-disclosures about experiences working with special education students, our participants shared and reflected upon both general and specific encounters they have had with teachers and special education students when interacting with them as a volunteer therapy dog team. The analysis of these discussions pinpointed seven consistent thematic findings over the 6 participants interviewed. The thematic findings aligned with the use of therapy dogs in special education settings from the insights of volunteer handlers. The findings, such as dog therapy being used to support special education students in their emotional- regulation skills, were presented in the results. In addition, connections were made to current topics in special education, such as Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, and how pet therapy can benefit the use of such interventions in schools. This study highlighted the importance of incorporating volunteer pet therapy handlers in the greater conversation of how to effectively implement pet therapy for special education students, as well as made connections between the benefits of pet therapy and how it can support specific special education concepts. This study developed the idea that animal-assisted interventions can be utilized to provide support in the classroom and how they can have a positive impact on special education students’ attainment of dog therapy benefits
Investigating early childhood education through a systemic lens: What impact does early childhood education have on district level leadership
Get PDFPublic School educational leaders from around the United States are confronted with choices inhow to invest resources that can create the greatest impact for students. An often-overlooked area of investment is early childhood education. As defined by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), this is the period of development between birth through age 8 for any child. If a district were allowed to self-assess their own early learning readiness, will the leadership of that district be equipped and prepared to deliberate and make appropriately measured decisions based on current practices and utilized resources? This study seeks to explore how educational leaders, including superintendents, when confronted with the ability to self-evaluate their district’s early learning readiness, can uncover the impact early learning can have on the financial planning, facilities management, personnel decisions, family engagement, and the culture of their organization