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The Visual [Re]Presentation of Textual Data in Traditional and Digital Critical Editions
Get PDFThe prospect of breaking free from the confines of the printed page drives much of the interest in digital critical editions; yet the format of traditional editions in print remains an effective and efficient information visualization. This paper will argue that us- ing the data from a digital edition to [re]present the traditional format of a printed edition can illuminate the strengths and weaknesses of both platforms. In addition to making the data available in a familiar format for offline reading, a print visualization is also a useful test of the digital edition’s data model. It can also promote a shift toward thinking about textual data and its visualization (in print or on a screen) as separate concerns.Ye
Interwoven or unraveling? The significance of social capital in rural schools and communities
Get PDFSociologists have long documented how social capital may activate resources that undergird collective efforts to achieve positive educational and community outcomes. However, many rural communities across the United States are in decline and have struggled with generating social capital to address school and community needs. In the literature, schools are often described as vital to generating social capital in rural communities, but few researchers have empirically investigated rural school leaders’ perceptions of social capital. This gap in the literature is significant because rural school leaders are thought to have a central role in facilitating social capital in rural communities. This study investigated rural principals’ perceptions of social capital by focusing on how principals describe the mechanisms underlying social capital availability in their communities, the quality of the social bonds between the school and community, and the level of closure between the school and community. The primary source of data was qualitative interviews (n = 24) with principals from different school districts in Oklahoma who were selected based on a stratified random sample of rural schools in the state. Findings suggested that linkages between schools, school families, and nonparent community members contribute to the availability of social capital. Differences in these community attributes also appeared to be consequential. In settings where school leaders indicated elevated levels of existing social capital, schools had social resources that could be leveraged to support school and community initiatives. By contrast, low purported levels of social capital were coupled with eroding interconnectedness and possible acceleration of declining conditions. Despite these differing characterizations, schools were consistently understood to have a primary role in generating social resources within the community. This study contributes to existing literature by using qualitative methods to advance knowledge of social capital from the perspective of rural school leaders who are considered at the epicenter of many rural communities. It also sheds light on the interplay of school and community attributes that may contribute to differences in social conditions and resources in rural communities
Marine fish diversification along the water column gradient: a tale of many threads
Get PDFDecades of investigation about the evolutionary mechanisms responsible for the astonishing diversity of fishes have suggested habitat transitions along the water column as a prominent ecological divergence axis affecting morphological and lineage diversification. This process is pervasive across all major freshwater and marine fish clades, and evidence supporting its importance comes from a broad spatiotemporal spectrum. On a narrow scale, recent parallel invasions of freshwater lakes by marine three-spined stickleback populations have repeatedly triggered the evolution of two divergent types: a deep-body form living in association with the bottom (benthic) and a slender-body form found in the water column (pelagic). On the other end of the spectrum, evidence from the fossil record suggests that a significant component of the diversification of spiny-rayed fishes (acanthomorphs) has resulted from the colonization of the ecological space previously occupied by pelagic species that became extinct during the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K–Pg) mass extinction. Nevertheless, despite important progress made on this front, further investigation of the processes associated with benthic-pelagic transitions in a robust phylogenetic framework is necessary for bridging evidence from both ends of the evolutionary continuum.
The overarching goal of my dissertation was to produce comprehensive phylogenomic trees and to use an array of phylogenetic comparative methods (PCMs) to investigate the drivers and the effects of the adoption of habitat regimes in two evolutionarily intriguing and economically important ray-finned fish groups: the family Lutjanidae (ca. 130 species), including snappers and fusiliers; and the series Carangaria (ca. 1090 species), including flatfishes, jacks, marlins, barracudas, remoras, and allies. Additionally, my dissertation provides new evidence supporting the (recently challenged) single evolutionary origin of flatfishes, and used phylogenetically-informed genotype-to-phenotype (PhyloG2P) approaches to identify the molecular mechanisms underlying their asymmetrical development--a key adaptation linked to transitions from pelagic to benthic habitats.
In the first chapter of my dissertation, I applied an integrative approach to quantify the scope and strength of convergent evolution in pelagic lutjanids. As part of a large collaborative effort, I collected genome-wide DNA sequence data for approximately 80% of the total number of species in the group and aggregated data layers for body shape, habitat occupancy, geographic distribution, and paleontological information. The results show that multiple independent colonizations of the water column by ancestrally benthic lutjanid lineages are persistently associated with the convergent evolution of slender bodies and furcate caudal fins. Lineage diversification and transition dynamics vary asymmetrically between habitats, with benthic lineages diversifying faster and colonizing midwater habitats more often than the reverse. These findings demonstrate that convergent phenotypes are ubiquitous among pelagic lutjanids, likely resulting from the strong locomotion constraints imposed by the viscosity of water and drag flow.
For my second chapter, I assessed how transitions along the water column triggered by ecological opportunity in the wake of the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) mass extinction shaped diversification dynamics in Carangaria. The results suggest that a remarkable proportion of Carangaria’s morphological variation originated in tandem with a marked incidence of habitat shifts along the benthic-pelagic axis during the Paleocene. Likewise, lineage diversification analyses show that species accumulation rates vary as a function of time, with peaks reached early in the clade’s history. These results indicate that all major lineages and body plans in Carangaria originated in an early burst of evolution shortly after the K-Pg mass extinction, allowing the occupation of newly released ecological niches along the water column gradient.
In my third chapter, I explored the evolutionary origins of the flatfish asymmetric body plan—an extreme evolutionary innovation responsible for the successful colonization and diversification in benthic habitats by carangarian lineages. I analyzed three independent genome-scale phylogenetic datasets, showing that lineage-specific variation in base composition (i.e., base compositional non-stationarity) of exonic markers deeply affects the ability of commonly-used phylogenetic models to resolve flatfishes as monophyletic. This problem can be alleviated, however, by using models that accommodate lineage-specific variation in base composition. The implementation of such models provides decisive support for the single-origin hypothesis of the asymmetric body plan. I also applied models of codon substitution using complete genomes to investigate the molecular bases of the complex phenotypic modifications in flatfishes. The findings corroborate that the flatfish cranial asymmetry results from a complex interaction between thyroid hormones (THs) and other important developmental pathways (e.g., WNT, BMP, RA).
In summary, my analyses demonstrate that ecological divergence along the benthic-pelagic axis greatly impacts rates of morphological and lineage diversification in different clades. Transitions are ubiquitous in time and space but are largely affected by periods of enhanced ecological opportunities, such as the wake of mass extinction events. This process is correlated with the recurrent evolution of convergent body plans but also with some of the most extreme morphological and physiological innovations among vertebrates, such as the internal body temperature regulation (endothermy) in marlins, billfishes, and swordfishes that allows the exploitation of a broad thermal niche, and the flatfish asymmetric body-plan responsible for their successful colonization of the sea bottom. These new insights represent an important step towards understanding the dynamics of animal biodiversity origination in the aquatic realm, ultimately providing a reference to compare against other groups of organisms diversifying along habitat gradients
Instructional technology in education. What are districts in a southern U.S. state acquiring and how is it being managed?
Get PDFIn the United States, K-12 public schools are collectively investing around $13 billion annually on educational technology. One of the central aims of integrating technology into K-12 schools is to improve or sustain school performance. Student outcomes have long been a chosen indicator of a school’s success and the existence educational technology should positively influence this indicator, but studies demonstrate an often-tenuous relationship between technology, technology use, and student performance. Recent empirical research seems to fall short of demonstrating a clear, comprehensive understanding of what instructional technology schools are acquiring, and how they manage and/or use it according to educational technology industry best practices. Moreover, research still does not fully understand the reasons why districts and/or schools want to adopt said instructional technology, as these reasons may be related to their use. Since different types of technology serve different purposes, having a strong understanding of a school or district’s underlying rationale for technology selection and its management and/or use of technology may help link technology to performance. To address this gap, this qualitative study identifies which instructional technology software systems are commonly used, why they were adopted, and how these systems are being managed by the district. Qualitative data was collected through a series of interviews (n = 6) and surveys (n = 6) of key district leaders from two urban, two suburban, and two rural school districts in a Southern U.S. state. Findings from the study indicate that there are many kinds of instructional technologies – some of which have existed over time and some of which have been recently adopted - that the focal districts intended to serve one or more stakeholder groups. According to the district leaders who participated in this study, recent adoptions in instructional technology include the technologies themselves as well as the adoption of many new strategies for utilization. Furthermore, district leaders indicated that the majority of instructional technology in their schools were adopted to serve primarily students and that adoptions have been made largely to enhance many existing aspects of teaching and learning. Responses to surveys and interviews by the district leaders included in this study indicate that utilization and tracking of instructional technology is not always being done in alignment with education and technology standards and best practices
Quantifying the Physics and Energetics of Iron Low-Ionization Broad Absorption-Line Quasar Outflows
Get PDFQuasars are among the most luminous and massive objects in the universe. They host an actively accreting supermassive black hole (SMBH) at their centre that can power energetic phenomena that outshine the host galaxy. A substantial fraction (∼ 20 − 40%) of quasars show broad absorption-line (BAL) features in their rest-ultraviolet (UV) spectra that show clear evidence for powerful outflows originating from the central SMBHs. These outflows can carry a significant amount of energy and mass from the central SMBHs to their host galaxies. Therefore, BAL quasars are prime targets for investigating luminous quasar feedback on galaxies by which the star formation rate and the evolution of the host galaxies are thought to be controlled.
SimBAL provides a novel method to study the complicated spectra of BAL quasars. Tens of thousands of BAL quasar spectra available in public archives were assumed to be impossible to analyze for more than five decades. The spectral synthesis code SimBAL our group developed can analyze even the most heavily absorbed BAL quasar spectra and provide constraints on the physical properties of the outflow as a function of velocity. Using this software, I discovered the most powerful BAL quasar outflow analyzed to date in SDSS J135246.37+423923.5. The spectral analysis showed that the outflow has the velocities reaching ∼ −38000 km/s and the outflowing gas is located near the dusty torus at ∼ 10 pc from the central SMBH. The outflow has the log kinetic luminosity log LKE ∼ 48.1 [erg/s] which exceeds the bolometric luminosity of the quasar and is energetic enough to power feedback.
I performed the first systematic study of a large sample of low-redshift iron low- ionization broad absorption-line (FeLoBAL) quasars and characterized the general properties of the FeLoBAL outflows. The SimBAL analysis of 50 FeLoBAL quasar spectra revealed that the FeLoBAL gas is located at a wide range of distances (0 ≲ log R ≲ 4.4 [pc]) and has a wide range of physical properties. We discovered a new type of FeLoBAL quasar, loitering outflow objects, that are characterized by low outflow velocities and high column density winds located at log R ≲ 1 [pc] from the central SMBH. Finally, I used SimBAL to analyze a spectroscopic variability for J164653.72+243942.2 that showed a variable BAL features from an extremely-high velocity outflow (v ∼ 0.17c).
The series of work presented in this dissertation demonstrates only a small fraction of scientific discoveries that can be made with SimBAL. I briefly summarize the results from the series of publications led by SimBAL collaboration that make use of the properties of the low-redshift FeLoBAL quasar outflows constrained from the SimBAL analysis. Finally, some of the planned future work using SimBAL is outlined
Bringing a CLT to the Bayou City: How Houston's political environment shapes community land trust mobilization
Get PDFA community land trust (CLT) is a housing model which promotes the collective ownership of land and ensures long-term affordability. Despite Houston's reputation for putting high value on private land ownership, a citywide community land trust was created in 2018 and has since provided new homeownership opportunities for the city's residents. This research explores how the community land trust model was mobilized within the context of Houston's political environment. To answer this question, I analyzed 81 documents to identify Houston's political environment and gain an understanding of the CLT movement. Additionally, I conducted 4 semi-structured interviews with housing professionals and activists. Data was analyzed using an inductive qualitative coding process to extract key themes. The results reveal that Houston's political environment experienced a key shift during the CLT mobilization period; increased levels of social organizing successfully shaped city policy and spurred greater involvement of communities in local government planning and policy processes. This study demonstrates that alternative housing models can be mobilized in environments that do not initially appear conducive to success
Minutes of an Organizational Meeting, The University of Oklahoma Board of Regents, March 9, 2022
No full textThe Big Picture: Designing Long-term Contributions in the Arts and Humanities
Get PDFThis guide will be useful to your group if:
• You would like to support interdisciplinary relationships between arts and humanities scholars at your institution;
• You would like to encourage faculty to think beyond the tenure clock and focus on their contributions to their field and society; and
• You would like to acknowledge the fullness of faculty life, which includes family, physical and mental health, friendships, leisure time, creative pursuits, political commitments, and financial needs in addition to scholarly work.
The workshop series can be completed virtually or in person; groups can meet once a week or once a month, or daily in an intensive 7-day retreat; it can be facilitated by a designated coordinator or participants can take turns leading the sessions according to this guide. The session guides include time suggestions for a two-hour session – you can adjust according to your own needs. All you need is a group willing to commit to the whole series and a time and place that is convenient for you. The materials required for each session are minimal and are listed at the top of each session guide. Each participant will need a copy of The Slow Professor by Maggie Berg and Barbara K. Seeber.The Big Picture: Designing Long-term Contributions in the Arts and Humanities is a series of seven, interconnected workshops. It was designed to be completed sequentially by a cohort of junior faculty in the arts and humanities, although each session could be useful as a standalone workshop, depending on your specific goals. It draws on various inspirations, including Julia Cameron’s The Artist's Way, Maggie Berg and Barbara K. Seeber’s The Slow Professor, Paul J. Meyer’s “Wheel of Life” coaching tool, and techniques shared by teachers like Susan Drouilhet and Matt Bell.
This annotated handbook includes:
• A facilitator’s guide with step-by-step instructions for coordinating each session
• Annotations with responses from both me (the author) and the participants of the pilot program at the University of Oklahoma, 2021-2022
• Examples of participant responses to the various activitiesCenter for Faculty ExcellenceN
Advertising the Impossible Earth: The Visual Culture of Post-Apollo Space Colony Concept Art
Get PDFIn post-Apollo America, speculative visions of life in space were shaped by the unabashedly optimistic space colonization proposals of physicist Gerard Kitchen O’Neill. O’Neill presented these self-contained artificial worlds as affordable solutions to the swelling economic, environmental, and industrial problems that threatened late twentieth century life. Proponents of space colonies commissioned concept art to translate their technical designs into accessible, attainable, and, most importantly, appealing places in their audiences’ imaginations. To paint attractive pictures of life aboard space colonies, however, artists first had to decide what made contemporary life on Earth desirable to their audiences. Pieces of space colony concept art produced in the mid-1970s thus advertise a specific vision of life in space, one unequivocally shaped by popular anxieties and fantasies about postmodern American life. By interpreting these artworks as advertisements, I aim to understand how artists and scientists alike employed concept art as a place-making tool to code space colonies as both bountiful natural oases and novel [American] cities – places ultimately designed for and inhabited by a new class of citizens
The Impact of the Madden-Julian Oscillation on Extreme Winter Weather in the United States
Get PDFWinter weather has substantial impacts on human activity, but it is challenging to predict more than 7-10 days in advance. Subseasonal-to-seasonal (S2S) prediction is a rapidly developing field of meteorology that could be used to improve winter weather prediction at longer time scales. The Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) is a major driver of global S2S variability. This study seeks to examine how the MJO affects the frequency of winter weather over the contiguous United States, which will help further improve winter weather prediction in the future. This is done by comparing the frequency of winter weather reports and snow accumulation data at surface meteorological stations in a given phase of the MJO to its climatology. We find that the MJO has significant impacts on increasing the frequency of extreme winter weather in the Northeast when MJO convection is in the western Indian Ocean (phase 1), the Southern Great Plains when MJO convection is in the central Indian Ocean (phase 2), and the Northern Great Plains when MJO convection is over the Maritime Continent (phase 4). These results are primarily driven by the forcing of the MJO on the jet stream and its subsequent impacts on geopotential height, as well as temperature and wind in the lower atmosphere. MJO impacts on the frequency of extreme winter weather can be seen up to 15 days in advance, suggesting utility in S2S forecasting