44 research outputs found
Evaluating the effects of wild- and prescribed fire on the taxonomic and functional diversity of soil-dwelling arthropods in the New Jersey Pinelands, a high-disturbance system
No full textPrescribed fire and wildfire are among the largest disturbances to impact forest soils each year, and the impact of such events on the structure and function of soil arthropod communities remains poorly understood. Despite this lack of knowledge, soil arthropod communities are recognized as significant contributors to soil productivity and nutrient cycling at the broader ecosystem level. Differences in the functional groups that compose these communities can lead to contrasting responses to environmental change and stress. For soil- and litter-dwelling arthropods, fire events have been shown to cause local extinctions and subsequent rapid colonization by regional community members with high dispersal ability, yet little is known about how fire severity influences this effect. We present the preliminary results of an ongoing study, exploring the relationship between fire severity and the taxonomic and functional diversity of soil- and litter-dwelling arthropods, as a step toward better understanding fire as a driver of change in soil communities. Our work focuses on the New Jersey Pinelands, a high-disturbance landscape with frequent prescribed fire and wildfire. Arthropods were sampled from pitfall traps in July and August 2020 from forest plots, which were either burned or fire-excluded for at least 20 years. Using tree char height as a proxy for the Composite Burn Index, burned plots were categorized by fire severity as low, moderate, or high. Our models indicate that arthropod richness generally decreases with increasing fire severity, but arthropod abundance is maximized in sites exposed to low severity fire at annual frequency. At intermediate levels of disturbance, community-level biomass is maximized, while the community-weighted mean of trophic level is minimized. These results indicate that arthropods in the New Jersey Pinelands experience more even distribution of trophic roles, decreased predation, and improved access to food resources
Jesuit and Feminist Education: Intersections in Teaching and Learning for the Twenty-first Century
No full textRobbin Crabtree (with Joseph DeFeo and Melissa Quan) is a contributing author, Feminist Pedagogy & the Ignatian Paradigm, and Service Learning: Distinctive Roots, Common Objectives, and Intriguing Challenges .
Book description: Given its long tradition of authentic dialogue with other religious and philosophical perspectives, Jesuit education is uniquely suited to address the range of opportunities and challenges teachers and students face in the twenty-first century. At first glance, Jesuit and feminist ways of understanding the world appear to be antagonistic approaches to teaching and learning. But much can be gained by focusing on how feminism, in dialogue with Jesuit education, can form, inform, and transform each other, our institutions, and the people in them. Both traditions are committed to educating the whole person by integrating reason and emotion. Both also argue for connecting theory and practice and applying knowledge in context. As unabashedly value-driven educational approaches, both openly commit to social justice and an end to oppression in its many forms. With strong humanistic roots, Jesuit and feminist education alike promote the liberal arts as critical to developing engaged citizens of the world. This book explores how the principles and practices of Ignatian pedagogy overlap and intersect with contemporary feminist theory in order to gain deeper insight into the complexities of today’s multicultural educational contexts. Drawing on intersectionality, a method of inquiry that locates individual and collective standpoints in relation to social, political, and economic structures, the volume highlights points of convergence and divergence between Ignatian pedagogy, a five-hundred year old humanistic tradition, and more recent feminist theory in order to explore how educators might find strikingly similar methods that advocate common goals—including engaging with issues such as race, gender, diversity, and social justice. By reflecting on these shared perspectives and inherent differences from both practical and theoretical approaches, the contributors of this volume initiate a dynamic dialogue about Jesuit and feminist education that will enliven and impact our campuses for years to come.https://digitalcommons.fairfield.edu/communications-books/1014/thumbnail.jp
Characterizing the nitrogen uptake of American cranberry
No full textInorganic nitrogen is an important resource for many plants, and mycorrhizal associations have been known to increase or otherwise assist in nutrient uptake for their hosts. Previous research has established that American cranberry, Vaccinium macrocarpon, is more efficient in nitrogen uptake when associated with ericoid mycorrhiza (Kosola, et. al. 2007). Given this information, this project aims to determine if ericoid mycorrhiza preferentially absorbs nitrogen obtained from organic material, instead of inorganic fertilizers. Specifically, this project will evaluate the source of nitrogen in V. macrocarpon when associated with ericoid mycorrhizal fungi.
Macrocarpon will be grown over a period of several weeks in an environmental chamber, with and without ericoid mycorrhizal fungi. Mycorrhizal associations will be promoted in half the plants by adding soil from a working cranberry bog to their pots. All plants will be treated with an inorganic ammonium nitrate tracer; half the plants will also be exposed to organic nitrogen via a treatment of leaf litter mixed in with their soil. Mass spectroscopy will quantify the source of nitrogen in each plant.
Based on previous studies, it is primarily anticipated that ericoid mycorrhiza will preferentially absorb and deliver to V. macrocarpon nitrogen acquired from organic sources. Plants with ericoid mycorrhizal associations will have higher nitrogen content than those without. Plants with ericoid mycorrhizal associations and additional organic nitrogen (as leaf litter) will have the highest nitrogen content. Overall, it is anticipated that mycorrhizal associations will promote overall health of the V. macrocarpon plant.This short film was presented at the first annual Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity while the author was an undergraduate student at Rutgers University-Camden
Discerning Leaders: Forming Jesuit Higher Education Administrators and Faculty in the Ignatian Tradition
No full textAbstract
The need for good leadership is essential for any institution to be successful over the long term. In our current context, many months into a pandemic (Covid-19), the rising awareness, anger, pain and frustration of racial inequalities that are becoming more public and part of the national conversation, and the wide-ranging uncertainty of so many areas that make both short and long-term planning extraordinarily challenging, the need for good leaders is even more important. Leaders in Jesuit higher education face the same societal challenges as any other institution of higher education. Jesuit higher education, however, whose mission is grounded in the charism and spirituality of Ignatius, founder of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), has within its tradition an incredible resource for sound decision-making and leadership formation.
Ignatian discernment is a process that helps people make important decisions. Overlapping at times with many other well-established decision-making processes, it may appear to be just one more tool for the toolkit. For some who look a bit more closely, they find it also includes some spiritual and/or religious aspects to the process that could seem helpful for the decision at hand. For those who take still a deeper look, Ignatian discernment invites one into a way of living, of being, even in the middle of incredibly turbulent times when important decisions must be made. Ignatian discernment provides a continuous process for leading that happens before, during, and after decisions are made. Because leadership is about making the best decisions for the groups one leads, discernment can be a cornerstone for effective leadership.
This paper seeks to describe some principles of Ignatian discernment. It will also highlight some similarities and differences from other sound decision-making practices and techniques. In the process, it will apply some of these principles to a program called The Ignatian Colleagues Program (ICP), a program offered to faculty and senior-level administrators in the AJCU network.[i] ICP offers these leaders in Jesuit higher education a way to engage more fully the process of becoming discerning leaders in this Ignatian tradition, by exploring more fully their own decision-making process and considering how they might make this Ignatian style of discerning leadership their own.
[i] Ignatian Colleagues Program website: https://www.ignatiancolleagues.org
Discerning Leaders: Forming Jesuit Higher Education Administrators and Faculty in the Ignatian Tradition
No full textAbstract
The need for good leadership is essential for any institution to be successful over the long term. In our current context, many months into a pandemic (Covid-19), the rising awareness, anger, pain and frustration of racial inequalities that are becoming more public and part of the national conversation, and the wide-ranging uncertainty of so many areas that make both short and long-term planning extraordinarily challenging, the need for good leaders is even more important. Leaders in Jesuit higher education face the same societal challenges as any other institution of higher education. Jesuit higher education, however, whose mission is grounded in the charism and spirituality of Ignatius, founder of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), has within its tradition an incredible resource for sound decision-making and leadership formation.
Ignatian discernment is a process that helps people make important decisions. Overlapping at times with many other well-established decision-making processes, it may appear to be just one more tool for the toolkit. For some who look a bit more closely, they find it also includes some spiritual and/or religious aspects to the process that could seem helpful for the decision at hand. For those who take still a deeper look, Ignatian discernment invites one into a way of living, of being, even in the middle of incredibly turbulent times when important decisions must be made. Ignatian discernment provides a continuous process for leading that happens before, during, and after decisions are made. Because leadership is about making the best decisions for the groups one leads, discernment can be a cornerstone for effective leadership.
This paper seeks to describe some principles of Ignatian discernment. It will also highlight some similarities and differences from other sound decision-making practices and techniques. In the process, it will apply some of these principles to a program called The Ignatian Colleagues Program (ICP), a program offered to faculty and senior-level administrators in the AJCU network.[i] ICP offers these leaders in Jesuit higher education a way to engage more fully the process of becoming discerning leaders in this Ignatian tradition, by exploring more fully their own decision-making process and considering how they might make this Ignatian style of discerning leadership their own.
[i] Ignatian Colleagues Program website: https://www.ignatiancolleagues.org
Making History Green: A Study of Geothermal, Wind and Solar Power in Historic Houses
No full textThis thesis examines the feasibility of three proven green technologies in privately-owned historic homes. These technologies are geothermal heat pump systems, photovoltaic power systems, and wind power systems. The application of these systems in historic houses requires different considerations than when installed in a new home or when preserving historic integrity is not a priority. Therefore, it is important to examine how and if these technologies can be adapted for historic homes. The thesis begins with a chapter discussing the benefits of green technology and how green technology applies to historic preservation. The main body of the thesis contains three chapters, each focused on one of the technologies and a case study. The Joseph Story House in Salem, Massachusetts and the Rev. Bailey Loring House in North Andover, Massachusetts provided insight into the use of geothermal heating and cooling systems in historic homes. The Loring House was also the case study for photovoltaic system. Finally, the Mann House in Atlanta, Georgia was an example of the use of a residential wind turbine in a historic district. Homeowners were interviewed for insight to the challenges of installing and using these systems in historic homes. The case studies are unique in that the families each had a connection one or more of the technologies utilized and they had the financial means to install extensive systems. The thesis concludes with financial considerations and federal incentives. Green preservation, geothermal, solar, wind, energy efficiency, Rev. Bailey Loring House, Joseph Story House, Mann House, renewable energ
The values of strategic deployment
No full textThis fourth and final article in a series on strategic deployment will review the values and obstacles in preparing an organization to be a leading competitor in its chosen markets. Thoroughly integrating the process into the operating culture of an organization is absolutely essential to success.</jats:p
Old wine in new skin: Ignatian pedagogy, compatible with and contributing to Jesuit higher education
No full textThe Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm (Ignatian pedagogy) forms the very core of Jesuit education for it is grounded in the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius and combines an Ignatian vision of the human being and the world with a dynamic five-step methodology of context, experience, reflection, action, and evaluation. Through an online quantitative survey of administrators in centers of teaching and learning at Jesuit colleges and universities in the United States, this study examined the extent to which administrators are making available and appropriating Ignatian pedagogy and the contributions it might make to the current pedagogical literature for Jesuit higher education. It explored whether similar components within Ignatian pedagogy are fostered through other pedagogical approaches including, John Dewey\u27s philosophy of education, critical pedagogy, feminist pedagogy, Service-Learning, adult learning theory, and Fink\u27s taxonomy of significant learning. Results indicate the majority of administrators are very familiar with, and offer programs on, Ignatian pedagogy. They unanimously care for the Jesuit mission and nearly all believe in providing pedagogical resources that foster the Jesuit mission. The literature review identified connections between Ignatian pedagogy and several pedagogical approaches while administrators\u27 made the majority of connections between Ignatian pedagogy and Service-Learning and Adult Learning. More than three-fourths administrators promote three Ignatian teaching methodological elements, Context, Experience, and Reflection, while more than one-half promote the element Action. Greater than two-thirds provide programs that foster the development of the whole person, service to others, and social justice—core Jesuit values. Further, more than three-fourths of Center administrators believe Ignatian pedagogy is viable for higher education. These results positively affirm the validity and viability of Ignatian pedagogy, a nearly 500 year-old Jesuit educational tradition and way of proceeding, in light of 21st century higher education pedagogical knowledge and practices. Recommendations include: increasing faculty knowledge of, accessibility to, and opportunities for critique and debate of, Ignatian pedagogy; expanding student evaluation to incorporate maturation and moral growth; and expanding pedagogical practices to include spiritual development. Other recommendations include mission development through pedagogical development, and formally requiring lay faculty, staff, and administrators to take ownership of, and responsibility for, fostering the Jesuit mission
