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Curriculum Subcommittee Minutes September 4, 2025
No full textApproval of Minutes - March 6, 2025 Program Proposals Semester Course Approval Reviews Other Business Other Potential Business Adjourn: 2:36 p
Design of a Wave Overtopping Simulator With Variability in Simulated Flows
No full textA new experimental setup for conducting large- to full-scale wave overtopping experiments will be constructed at Delft University of Technology. This setup consists of an indoor Wave Overtopping Simulator (iWOS), a landward dike slope, and a transition to the toe. The iWOS, with a height of 3.25 meters, can release volumes of up to 2.67 m³/m of water. A key innovation is its controllable release valve, allowing variability in flow characteristics for the same overtopping volume.
The iWOS is designed based on established relationships between overtopping volume and flow characteristics at the landward crest of a dike. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations are applied to further refine the design and determine its operating range.
Compared to traditional wave flume experiments, the larger scale of this experimental setup produces high Reynolds and Weber numbers that enable realistic simulation of turbulence and aeration. Furthermore, unlike wave overtopping simulators used in field tests, the controlled laboratory environment allows for advanced measurement techniques for hydrodynamics, such as Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV)
Skewed Approach Flow to the Spillway of an Embankment Dam
No full textA contemporary activity in dam engineering is the raising of embankments to increase reservoir storage or flood level in a channel. For embankment dams, the raised position of the spillway must be located on a native soil/rock shoulder of the dam, to avoid geotechnical problems associated with possible embankment settlement. Consequently, for many sites, the approach flow entering a spillway likely will not be acceptably uniform, as the approach flow becomes increasingly skewed to reach the spillway’s entrance with the raised embankment. This concern raises the question of where to position the spillway’s ogee crest within the spillway entrance and has general implications for the overflow protection of all earthen embankments for which the approach flow is skewed, whether an ogee crest is used or not. This paper uses Los Vaqueros Dam in California as a case-study example of these issues. A skewed distribution of flow at the spillway’s entrance required the ogee crest location to be significantly modified so that flow distribution across it was acceptably uniform. The flow field between the spillway entrance and the ogee crest was complex, containing several flow-separation zones: flow separated from the spillway entrance’s two vertical walls, and at the vertical face of the ogee crest. Experiments conducted with a hydraulic model of the spillway show that changing the ogee crest location significantly affects the flow field and consequent uniformity of flow over the ogee crest
Starting an Equine-Assisted Services Program
No full textStarting an equine-assisted services (EAS) program requires more than just access to horses and a passion for helping others. This fact sheet outlines the key considerations for communities and individuals interested in developing safe, sustainable, and impactful equine-assisted programs
Implications of the Attenuated Allee Effect on Population Dynamics
No full textThe Allee effect is an ecological phenomenon characterized by a per capita growth rate that increases as the population size increases in the context of low population density. The Allee effect can lead to rapid extinction events. Consequently, ecologists can attempt to control the strength of the Allee effect to help increase the population (in the case of endangered species) or decrease the population (in the case of parasites or pests).
This research aimed to study not the strength of the Allee effect, but the intensity of the Allee effect, or how rapidly cooperation between individuals causes the per capita growth rate to increase as the population size increases. We used a logistic-derived Allee effect equation to discover how the intensity of the Allee effect, along with internal stochastic noise, affected the dynamics of a population.
We found that when the intensity of the Allee effect is small, the parameters of the deterministic model may not accurately represent a population. Consequently, in the case of an endangered population, a stochastic model may lead to an extinction event at small parameter values, even when this is not predicted by the deterministic model. We also concluded that the time spent in the bottleneck region when there is stochasticity does not follow the inverse square-root scaling law, as in the deterministic case, for cases of low intensity of the Allee effect. This, in practice, indicates that the population will go to extinction faster in the stochastic setting than in the deterministic setting.
Our results highlight the importance of measuring the intensity of the Allee effect in a particular population, especially in conjunction with internal stochastic noise, which is how most populations behave. Ecologists who are trying to control a population need to know not only the strength of the Allee effect in a population, but also its intensity, so that the population can be controlled to a desired outcome
Faculty Senate Minutes November 3, 2025
No full textCall to Order Approval of Minutes - October 6, 2025 University Business Faculty Senate Business Information EPC Report - October 2, 2025 Report Athletics Council Annual Report Library Advisory Council Annual Report Academic Freedom and Tenure Annual Report Old Business New Business Adjourn - 4:06p
Public Engagement in Small-Town Planning: A Case Study of the Wellsville Trails and Active Transportation Plan
No full textThis thesis presents a qualitative case study of public engagement in the Wellsville Trails and Active Transportation Plan, developed in Wellsville, Utah—a small municipality with limited staff and resources. Drawing from planning literature on effective community participation, the study evaluates outreach strategies based on their reach, feasibility, and replicability. Outreach strategies in the plan’s development included surveys, stakeholder meetings, a public open house, digital tools, and informal conversations. While early outreach efforts, such as the interest survey and personal invitations, generated meaningful input, the process fell short in sustaining engagement, reaching underrepresented groups, and maintaining consistent communication. The analysis highlights both the value of relationship-based outreach and the constraints small towns face in implementing best practices. Lessons learned emphasize the need for ongoing engagement, tailored communication, and institutional support. This case contributes to the broader field of planning by offering practical insights for communities seeking to design realistic and context-sensitive engagement strategies in small towns with limited staff and resources
Model-Prototype Upscaling of PKW Discharge Capacity
No full textIn Sweden, many dams are undergoing upgrades to comply with the revised dam safety guidelines, which mandate higher spillway discharge capacities that their existing ones. As part of an ongoing project, a piano key weir (PKW) is proposed to replace an embankment dam and simultaneously increase the facility’s discharge capacity. The PKW configuration is evaluated in a 2 m wide flume at two geometric scales (1:35 and 1:12) to assess potential scale effects. The former comprises eight units, while the latter includes three, with all components produced using 3D printing. Results indicate that the 1:35 model exhibits a slightly lower discharge capacity, likely due to scale effects. To further investigate, a 1:35 scale floor model is constructed using CNC milling to replicate the river bathymetry, the existing spillway with three tainter gates, and the proposed PKW consisting of 24.5 units. When scaled to prototype discharge levels, this model demonstrates a somewhat lower capacity than both flume models due to real approach conditions, though the differences between them were minor. In addition, the CNC milling technique yielded greater manufacturing accuracy compared to 3D printing. The findings offer insights for future PKW designs and scale model testing in similar applications
The Radical Middle: Caregiver Beliefs About Language Access for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children
No full textThe purpose of this study was to explore the communication choices of caregivers of deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) children. Specifically, we explored what communication options caregivers were presented with, identify what factors impacted a caregiver’s decision to pursue spoken language, and identify what barriers exist to learning sign language. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 20 caregivers of DHH children who had decision making power at the time of their child’s diagnosis. Transcripts were coded using an inductive approach with triangulation between authors. Many families reported that minimal to no information was provided about communication options at the time of their child’s diagnosis. The most common factor impacting the decision to pursue spoken language was caregivers’ wish for their child to have a connection with their hearing family. Common barriers to learning sign language included difficulty finding in-person courses and difficulty integrating the vocabulary they learned into their everyday communication. Providers should provide comprehensive information in an unbiased way and consider the impact families’ grief may have on their ability to process information in the moment. Additionally, there is a mismatch between what beginner sign language courses offer and the needs of families of DHH children
Evaluating Preschoolers Who Are Deaf/Hard of Hearing Using Listening and Spoken Language to Determine Special Education Eligibility
No full textThe aim of this study was to increase understanding of evaluation practices used when determining special education eligibility for preschoolers who are deaf/hard of hearing (DHH) using listening and spoken language (LSL), particularly during the early intervention to preschool transition. Specifically, we explored alignment of school-based practices with recommended practices from the National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE, 2018). An online survey was distributed to school-based special educators, including speech-language pathologists (SLPs), special education teachers, and teachers of the deaf within the United States that included a) evaluation practices, b) eligibility requirements, and c) practice demographics. Participant (n=149) responses indicated that eligibility teams are generally following the NASDSE guidelines for quantity, but not quality, of assessments used with preschoolers who are DHH using LSL. Additionally, while teams are following mandates to use a variety of professional expertise when evaluating and making eligibility determinations, there may be a lack of representation of expertise on the unique impact of hearing differences on academic and social success. Results could inform professional development initiatives to ensure that young children who are DHH using LSL receive the continued services necessary for equitable access to participation in age-appropriate activities during the preschool years