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Oral History Interview, Charles "Chuck" Benton (2526)
No full textIn his summer 2025 interview with Dadit Gunarwanto Hidayat, Charles “Chuck” Benton describes his experience with the WiscAMP STEM Inspire program at Madison College. To learn more about this oral history, download & review the index first (or transcript if available). It will help determine which audio file(s) to download & listen to.In his summer 2025 interview with Dadit Gunarwanto Hidayat, Charles “Chuck” Benton describes his experience with the WiscAMP STEM Inspire program at Madison College. Chuck Benton grew up in North Carolina, attended North Carolina State University for his undergraduate degree, and is currently working on his PhD in physiology at Madison College. He explains the role of two-year institutions in helping minorities enter into higher education and shares why minority-focused academic outreach programs are so important. WiscAMP provided a community for underrepresented minorities at Madison College where they could access tutoring, mentors, financial aid, and connect with peers and role models in their fields. Reflecting on WiscAMP’s legacy, Chuck Benton believes his involvement in the program to be one of the most fulfilling aspects of his career. This interview was conducted for inclusion into the WiscAMP Legacy Oral History Project and the UW-Madison Archives and Records Management oral history collection
Atlantic Seafaring’s Gendered Horizons : The Complexity of Women’s Work in the 18th and 19th Century Atlantic World Industries
No full textColor poster with text and images.Seafaring and coastal women around the Americas during the 18th and 19th centuries lived on the periphery of a male dominated world, where cultural gender prescriptions ran into the reality of women’s work roles expanding and economic needs. This trend is reflected in the work of women within various Atlantic world industries such as piracy, whaling, and coastal and port activity. While women’s roles and agency changed because of new expectations caused by the formation of Atlantic world society, they were still unable to completely transgress the world’s standard expectations for women during the 18th and 19th centuries. While women were participating in this new society and found new agency, Atlantic seafaring still upheld gendered separation and expected roles across the various industries within that limited full transgression of gender roles. Using the practices introduced by gender historians Jeanne Boydston and Joan Scott, this poster presentation will study both women and gender in the Atlantic world and also examine the power structures within. Expanding the study of women in the seafaring world beyond focus on transgressive women like pirates Anny Bonny and Mary Read helps us to see how women involved as shopkeepers, tavern and boarding house owners, laundresses, and dependent widows sought personal and economic opportunities but still faced constraints from the societal gendered power structure.University of Wisconsin--Eau Claire Office of Research and Sponsored Program
Macroalgal Communities of San Salvador Island : Patterns of Diversity, Growth, and Productivity in a Changing Reef Environment
No full textColor poster with text, images, photographs, and graphs.This study investigated the diversity, growth, and abundance of macroalgal species on reefs surrounding San Salvador Island, The Bahamas, amid ongoing ecological change. Coral reef ecosystems are undergoing significant shifts due to climate change, habitat degradation, and the spread of invasive species. Understanding macroalgal communities during this transition is critical, as these organisms play a key role in reef structure and function. We conducted quadrat sampling and photo surveys across three reefs representing different levels of degradation. Algal diversity, including variations in growth forms and color patterns, was estimated from photographic data collected at over 50 quadrat locations. A subset of samples was analyzed to confirm species identifications and to assess photosynthetic capacity and growth strategies through quantitative measurements of biomass and chlorophyll content. Reefs around San Salvador Island support a diverse macroalgal community, including calcareous algae (Halimeda spp.), fleshy browns (Dictyota spp.), greens (Udotea spp.), and filamentous species. This study establishes a valuable baseline for understanding macroalgal responses to environmental change and contributes to ongoing reef conservation efforts.University of Wisconsin--Eau Claire Office of Research and Sponsored Program
Assessing the Risk of Aquatic Nuisance Species Transfer from Ballast Water Discharge: Using Semi-Field Methodologies to Determine the Impact of ANS Reduction in Managed Ballast Water
No full textMesocosms Risk-Release StudyThe research described within this document is a component of the Great Lakes Ballast Water Research and Development (R&D) Plan, established in 2020 by the University of Wisconsin-Superior Lake Superior Research Institute’s Great Waters Research Collaborative (GWRC) working in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration (MARAD) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Water. The R&D Plan was developed in response to the Vessel Incidental Discharge Act (VIDA) of 2018 which was passed into law as part of the Frank LoBiondo Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2018 and established the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain Invasive Species Program (GLLCISP). The plan was developed to identify approaches, methods, and best available technologies that are effective at reducing propagules in Great Lakes ballast water and to provide essential scientific and technical information that will support science-based decisions during the VIDA rulemaking and implementation process.
The research described in this document represents one focus area of the R&D Plan, Research Area 3 Project 2, using semi-field methodologies to determine the impact of aquatic nuisance species (ANS) reduction in managed ballast water. The key question addressed was: Using semi-field methodologies and a variety of freshwater taxonomic groups, can the impact of ANS reduction in Great Lakes ballast water be determined under a variety of scenarios? Chapters one and two provide an executive summary and literature review of mesocosm research along with providing details on a pilot experiment and failed experiments. Chapter 3 describes mesocosm methodology and the outcome of experiments conducted with seven surrogate protist invaders. Chapter 4 examines the use of eDNA as a tracer of protist invaders in the mesocosms. Chapters 5–8 describe the mesocosm work conducted with the zooplankton species Bythotrephes cederströmii, Daphnia magna, and Hemimysis anomala, and demonstrates that the discharge standard for zooplankton established by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) reduces but does not eliminate establishment probability of a zooplankter in mesocosms. eDNA detection of Bythotrephes cederströmii in mesocosms is examined in Chapter 6.U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration
Environmental Protection Agency, Great Lakes Restoration Initiativ
Analyzing Bat Activity in Burned Red Pine Stands in Northern Wisconsin
No full textBats in Wisconsin play an important role in their environment as nocturnal insectivores and have been shown to substantially reduce insect populations. At the same time, Wisconsin bats face numerous conservation issues. Problems like white-nose syndrome, windmill strikes, and habitat fragmentation can decimate bat populations. Fire has historically disturbed landscapes in Wisconsin, and many ecosystems have evolved to co-exist with it. For example, red pines self-prune their lower branches to protect against canopy fires. This creates an open mid-story in red pine stands when paired with routine fires that thin out tree and understory cover. The opened-up mid-story has been shown to affect bat community dynamics, locomotion, and foraging styles. Our research project was located at Treehaven, a facility of the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point, located in northern Wisconsin. We wanted to examine the effects of 1-year burn intervals on bat activity in the red pine stands found on the Treehaven campus compared to control units. We also wanted to examine the efficiency of using stationary detectors vs mobile transects to monitor bat activity. We conducted four mobile transects around three units that are burned every year and three units that are not burned. Stationary detectors were set out for six nights in each of these 2-acre units. We found that the 1-year burn units had a statistically higher bat density than the control units. We were also able to determine that stationary detectors collected more total calls than mobile detectors. We concluded that yearly prescribed fire is beneficial for bat populations.University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Undergraduate Research, Scholarly, & Creative Activity (URSCA
The Use of World Music Drumming in Urban Classrooms
No full textThis thesis explores the implementation and impact of the World Music Drumming (WMDr) curriculum within urban classroom settings. Recognizing the unique cultural landscapes and educational needs of urban schools, this study investigates how the integration of diverse drumming traditions can foster student engagement and build foundational musical skills. Through action research, this qualitative study examines pedagogical approaches employed by music teachers and the experiences of students participating in these drumming programs. Findings suggest that WMDr serves as a powerful tool for creating inclusive and dynamic learning environments, promoting a sense of community, and providing culturally relevant and hands-on musical experiences. This work highlights the potential of culturally responsive music education to address the holistic needs of urban students, offering valuable insights for music educators, curriculum developers, and advocates for arts integration in challenging educational contexts
Emotion Mindset of Sixth Grade Students: Association With Emotion Regulation Difficulties and Experiences of Psychological Distress
No full textThe mindset framework indicates that an individual’s beliefs about the changeability or controllability of their abilities are associated with their behaviors. Individuals with a fixed emotion mindset believe their emotions are uncontrollable and unchangeable, whereas those with a growth emotion mindset believe their emotions are controllable and changeable (Skymba et al., 2022; Tamir et al., 2007). Utilizing the conceptual framework of emotion mindset theory by Tamir and colleagues (2007), I focused on two separate dimensions of fixed and growth emotion mindset and examined how they are associated with (a) difficulties in emotion regulation and (b) psychological distress. Further, I explored the moderating role of students’ gender and race among those associations. Finally, based on the theoretical framework of the ability model of emotion regulation (Gratz & Roemer, 2004), I explored the mediation effect of students’ difficulties in emotion regulation regarding the association between emotion mindsets and psychological distress. To evaluate these research questions, 190 sixth-grade students were recruited from 5 schools within Milwaukee County and surrounding areas. The findings indicate emotion mindset accounts for sixth graders’ emotion dysregulation and psychological distress. The small negative correlation between fixed and growth emotion mindsets suggests that the two types of beliefs can operate somewhat independently. Higher levels of fixed emotion mindset are related to greater difficulties in emotion regulation. Lower levels of growth emotion mindset appeared to have more disadvantages in functioning as they related to higher levels of both dysregulation and distress. Gender moderated the associations: the association between growth emotion mindset and (a) difficulties in emotion regulation and (b) psychological distress was stronger for girls than for boys. Finally, difficulties in emotion regulation mediated the link between emotion mindset and psychological distress. Based on the results of the study, I discussed implications for research and school psychology practice to address the mental health needs of sixth-grade students who undergo a critical transitionary period from elementary to middle school
The Frederick Stanton Perkins Collection: Determining Provenience for Wisconsin Archaeological Items in a Foundational Legacy Collection at the Milwaukee Public Museum
No full textThis thesis explores the previously unknown provenance and provenience of the Milwaukee Public Museum’s (MPM) Frederick Stanton Perkins collection of Wisconsin archaeological lithic and copper material. In the last quarter of the 19th century, Perkins, a local avocational collector, traveled across southeastern Wisconsin purchasing archaeological specimens for his growing collection. For over twenty years he placed ads in local newspapers requesting potential material and amassing the largest collection of Wisconsin archeological items in the state at that time. Perkins also recorded from whom he received material and any known provenance in a ledger. Unbeknownst to the MPM, the ledger was acquired by the Logan Museum of Anthropology (LMA) at Beloit College after his death in 1899 and has been separated from the MPM material until recently. Besides the MPM and the Logan Museum, Perkins also sold material to the Wisconsin Historical Society, Burlington Historical Society, and the Smithsonian Institution. The MPM Perkins collection contains about 1,081 objects that have little to no provenance information other than Wisconsin, and only 476 objects have the name of the source recorded in the museum documentation. Due to the lack of provenance, no research has been conducted on this collection since it came to the MPM in 1885. The primary focus of this thesis project was to correlate information in the Perkins ledger book with items in the MPM Perkins collection so that provenance for this material could be assigned and determined, known sites identified, and NAGPRA compliance and interpretation of this collection improved. Historical documentation and plat maps have been used to further determine possible provenance of objects in the MPM Perkins collection. The larger goals for this thesis project are to transform the MPM Perkins collection into a useable research collection, better integrate the material into the larger MPM collection based on geographical provenance and type, and to illustrate how legacy collections can contribute to our understanding and knowledge of Wisconsin archaeology
Driftless Divided: Cardinal-Hickory Creek and Wisconsin Transmission Resistance
No full textA thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science (Geography / Environment & Resources) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2025.Introduction to U.S. Transmission and Transmission Resistance:
The U.S. is experiencing a renewable energy building boom. Transmission lines, along with wind and solar farms, are being proposed and built, across the country. In order to unlock renewable potential, most abundant in the nation’s center, we have been told, we need to build high voltage transmission lines (HVTLs) to get electricity to where it’s needed. These are not small projects and their price tags are growing. As public serving infrastructure, how they’re built matters. The way they’re designed will contribute to how they engage with, and serve society over time. Circulating discourses posit that “we need more HVTLs,” but often stop there, not asking, “what kind of HVTLs do we need?”
Rural communities along the path of these projects often resist them, and as a result, developers and some supporters of renewable energy blame those communities, not only for slowing down individual projects but for slowing down the national transition to renewable energy. They are often depicted as either self-centered NIMBY’s (Not In My BackYard), overly pure “tradeoff denying” environmentalists, or “angry farmers” who just don’t like change, don’t know what they’re talking about, and aren’t making productive suggestions for alternatives. A narrative of “green civil war” depicts farmers and conservationists at war with renewables. This transition does need to happen quickly, in order for us to effectively address climate change. However, this common set of assumptions might actually be slowing the transition down more. Expecting the “barrier” of those kinds of opposition, HVTL developers often come into communities defensively, and at the last minute, delivering information selectively, and in one direction, an approach which ends up perpetuating conflict, lawsuits, and delays.Grants from the Department of Geography, the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies and the Wes and Ankie Foell Scholarship in Energy Analysis and Policy
Examining Expanding Land-Based Recreation in the Iowa Great Lakes
No full textThe Iowa Great Lakes have been an important recreation setting for the Corn Belt region since the 1800s. The area’s tourism industry generates around $275 million annually. However, the overuse of the region’s recreation resources and adjacent agricultural land use in the watershed has led to issues with increased sediment and nutrient loads, as well as introduced invasive species into the ecosystem. This research examines the potential for expanding the land-based recreation system in the Iowa Great Lakes to support community goals related to tourism and enhance existing conservation efforts. To achieve this, our study sought to inventory current land-based recreation opportunities in the area (Objective 1), identify areas to restore ecosystems and expand land-based recreation (Objective 2), and investigate the existing conservation policy infrastructure present within existing plans within the Iowa Great Lakes (Objective 3). To achieve these objectives, this study utilized both quantitative and qualitative methods. The quantitative analysis occurred in Project One, while Project Two was a qualitative study. Using geospatial analysis, Project One identified 99 suitable parcels for recreation expansion and ecological restoration within the Iowa Great Lakes watershed. These parcels were typically found near existing recreation areas. The location of these parcels was utilized in Project Two, alongside nine government plans present within the watershed, to understand the feasibility of implementing recreation expansion and ecological restoration within the Iowa Great Lakes Watershed. The plans were analyzed for their written content and found some more conceptual recognition for Project One’s related concepts within two of them (The Iowa SCORP and Dickinson County Comprehensive plan). Within the Dickinson County Comprehensive plan, the county’s planners outline the intentions of specific parcels in a planned future uses map, which was compared to the results of Project One. The analysis between these two maps found no overlapping parcels