Ecogender: A Theoretical Framework to Regain Momentum for the Role of Gender and Environment in Sustainable Development

Abstract. As we approach the end of the first decade of the 21st century, the world and its estimated 6.8 billion people are facing linked environmental and humanitarian crises. The effects of environmental exploitation, oppression, and poverty are embedded problems that will require complex solutions. At the root of these issues is Enlightenment philosophies and the hierarchical, value-laded dualisms which have molded modern society. The most central of these is the culture/natural dualism. The development project of the last sixty years is perhaps the most demonstrative and also unfortunate case study born out of these Enlightenment philosophies. There has been wide recognition that women have suffered disproportionately under development; similarly, environmental exploitation has been promoted as part of the economic growth model. In development practice, this recognition has resulted in "women in development" (WID) policies in the 1970s and most recent incarnation, "women, environment, and development" (WED). This evolution in development policy has been coupled with theoretical scholarship attempting to understand the causes of women's oppression and environmental exploitation, as well as to design means to reconstruct Enlightenment philosophies. The primary two theoretical frameworks working on women-environmental relations are ecofeminism and feminist political ecology. Through careful analysis it is proposed that these two frameworks fail to accurately conceptualize the women-environment nexus. In brief these reasons include a tendency to consider gender to be exclusively women; and a failure to both mainstream and internalize these issues within both academia and development practice. It is demonstrated that these failures are derived from the historical pitfalls of essentialism, universalism, and reductionism. An "ecogender" perspective is put forward as an alternative theoretical framework for conceptualizing the women-nature nexus. Through embracing complexity and diversity, it will hopefully provide a foundation to more appropriately situate the human-environmental relationship in sustainable development practices, and most importantly, change the Enlightenment mindset that perpetuates cultures of domination. (Adviser: Prof. Pia Kohler, CLA)

Irish-American Nationalism: From the Kennedy Administration to the Clinton Administration

Abstract. The Irish in America have always had a complex relationship with their government and with American society. Few groups have resisted cultural assimilation more fervently than the Irish, and arguably none have retained so strong a political link to the current affairs of their homeland. This interest has not always been constructive; Irish-American contributions to violent organizations in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, which span over a hundred years, have led to characterizations by the British press and international opinion of Irish-Americans as radical interlopers in ‘The Troubles’ who worsen the conflict and encourage bloodshed. The image of Irish-Americans that has been painted by British tabloids, Unionist agitators and popular perceptions in the US and UK are frankly incorrect.

The new class of Irish-Americans that began their evolution and ascent with the election of the Kennedy finally matured into an active group of citizens ready to speak out for moderation and constitutional means to Irish unity in the late 1970s. This class represented the interest of the vast majority of Irish-Americans in their moderation, but were active in politics rather than reserving themselves to economic and career pursuits. Though occasionally taken with wistful visions of a romantic Irish history, these modern, educated citizens were not the rabid plotters of destruction they have been made out to be and deserve an accurate description of their politics and actions. The emergence of these well-informed moderates drowned out the influence of violent radicals, voiced concerns for peace in Northern Ireland to the governments of the United States, United Kingdom and Ireland, and heavily contributed to the peace process. (Adviser: Prof. John Heaton, CLA)

Comparison of Paper- and Electronic-Formatted Hydroacoustic Data Charts used for Salmon Enumeration on the Yukon River near Pilot Station

Abstract. The Yukon River Sonar Project estimates salmon passage through the river near Pilot Station, Alaska. The hydroacoustic data collected by the sonar is currently printed on paper charts in a series of grey marks called “traces.” Technicians count traces that were generated by fish, and these numbers are used to calculate daily abundance estimates. New technology allows the hydroacoustic data to be presented on electronic charts viewed on a computer. The electronic charts also present the data in a series of grey marks, and fish traces must be identified manually by technicians. However, the electronic charts present the data in greater detail, and settings that are used to optimize the visibility of fish traces are more easily adjusted. Both of these features may improve fish detection, which would result in more accurate estimates. Project leaders are planning to make a complete switchover from paper to electronic charts. The principle aim of this study was to compare the fish counts produced by the paper and electronic formats in order to expose any biases and explain why they occur. Due to variation in the slope of the river bottom, the area of river covered by the sonar is divided into several horizontal strata by distance from the transducer. Due to the properties of sound and the variation in the shape of fish traces at different ranges, it is possible that the level and direction of bias may differ among strata. A sample of 150 electronic files, out of approximately 1,700, from the 2008 season was selected for this comparison. Files were counted using Echotastic, a program written by AYK Regional Sonar Biologist, Carl Pfisterer. The electronic chart counts were higher than the paper chart counts for strata one through four, while the electronic counts were lower than the paper counts for stratum five (linear regression output: stratum one: slope=1.112, y-intercept=44.662, stratum two: slope=1.344, y-intercept=13.615, stratum three: slope=1.098, y-intercept=-7.052, stratum four: slope=1.077, y-intercept=-8.566, stratum five: slope=0.827, y-intercept=-0.688). Both the positive and negative biases are likely a result of improved fish detection on the electronic charts and a high level of subjectivity associated with counting fish using sonar. If project leaders conclude that these biases are acceptable, a transition from paper to electronic charts would be advantageous, although correcting for differences will be necessary to make past and future fish estimates comparable. (Adviser: Prof. Amanda Rosenberger, SFOS)

Junior Clarinet Recital: Program and Recordings

Clarinet Sonata, Opus 167 by Camille Saint-Saëns
I. Allegretto II. Allegro animato III. Lento IV. Molto allegro

City Scenes Suite by Terence J. Thompson
I. A Stroll in the City II. Blowing the Blues III. Hot Potato Boogie

Rhapsody for Clarinet by Willson Osborne

Concertpiece No. 2 in D minor, Opus 114 by Felix Mendelssohn
I. Presto II. Andante III. Allegretto grazioso

(Adviser: Prof. Daniel Cathey III, CLA)

Why Complexity Matters: A Brief Tour

Abstract. In this paper, complexity theory is presented as a language for describing problems in computer science. This development proceeds by the construction of computational models such as the deterministic Turing machine, and by the construction of complexity classes such as P and NP.

The language of complexity theory is then applied to three key applications: the implications for physical theories which violate the Church-Turing Thesis, the impact of computational complexity upon evaluating physical theories, and the objective benefits of quantum computers. (Adviser: Prof. Channon Price, CNSM)

Paraffin and Hydrate Remediation in Alaska's North Slope Oil Wells

Abstract. Oil field production in Alaska’s Arctic can have many different problems than warmer climate oil fields. Two problems produced from the roughly 2,000 feet of permafrost in Alaska’s north are paraffin wax buildup and hydrate flash freezing. These two problems are the cause for a large amount of production loss and are addressed by Hot Oil Treatments in Alaska. In this study, the optimum procedure of Hot Oil Treatments was assessed. After numerous thermal models were produced, it was found that using 190°F crude oil was the optimum fluid to use. The optimum injection rate was found to be 1.3 barrels per minute, the optimum volume of hot oil to be injected is 100% of the tubing volume, and the fluid should be pumped directly down the tubing. After the Hot Oil Treatment, the well should be put on production immediately to keep from cooling off and a Hot Oil Treatment should be performed before bringing a new well online. These are recommendations for oil production in Arctic climates and should provide the optimum solution to the problems of paraffin buildup and hydrate flash freezes. (Adviser: Prof. J. Leroy Hulsey, CEM)

Incorporating Small-Scale GIS into Long-Term Monitoring Studies: A Pilot Study Investigating Population Productivity of the Red-Legged Kittiwake (Rissa brevirostris)

Abstract. Red-Legged Kittiwakes (Rissa brevirostris) are small, cliff-nesting gulls endemic to the Bering Sea region. Of the four known breeding colonies, the island of St. George, the second largest of the Pribilof Island group, supports 80% of the breeding population annually. Despite a location in one of the most energy-rich regions of the western hemisphere, coupled with minimal depredation of nests and adult birds, long-term monitoring trends show low average reproductive success to complete failure. Although numerous studies have correlated changes in oceanic systems with the long-term decline of many seabird species, little effort has been allocated to understanding how alterations in nesting habitat affect population size. The dynamic cliffs of St. George Island provide a unique opportunity to examine this question by incorporating habitat mapping and small-scale GIS with long-term monitoring efforts and predictive modeling.

The purpose of this paper was to investigate the effects of nesting habitat on the productivity of R. brevirostris, and to suggest new applications of small-scale GIS and predictive modeling. The information presented herein represents the initial phase of a pilot study; however, the potential for similar application may exist for a broad array of research endeavors currently underway. The incorporation of such analyses into monitoring and conservation efforts may provide new insight into the factors influencing population size, affording a more complete understanding of population dynamics and change. (Advisor: Prof. Falk Huettmann, CNSM)

What Makes The Peacock Feather Bright and Colorful?

Abstract. The iridescence of peacock feathers is fascinating because of the range of colors and their brightness in a filament. Pigmentation usually does not give rise to such iridescence in nature. We have explored the cross-sections of the (Pavo cristatus) feather and used optical simulation to uncover the underlying natural phenomena.

From the shaft of each feather protrude a multitude of barbs, and from each barb extend hundreds of tiny barbules. Axial and cross-section cuts were employed to look at features using a scanning electron microscope. Observable in the perimeter region are the ends of thousands of melanin rods separated by cylindrical air gaps. We believe that these rods and gaps form a 2¹/₂-D photonic crystal. Photonic crystals block light propagation depending on orientation and/or wavelength. Thus certain light frequencies are reflected back. We mimicked our SEM observations in optical simulations, using a rectangular lattice of cylindrical void tubes with the observed diameters. Our calculations show the correspondence between lattice parameters, tube diameter, and the color of the blue, green, and brown barbules. We find that smaller cylinder dimensions in lattice equate to lower wavelength color. All but the brown barbule lattice structures are square lattice, and the air tube diameters are between 50 and 100 nm. (Adviser: Prof. Channon Price, CNSM)

Unmanned Aircraft Subsystem: Enclosed Computer Design Project

Abstract. An enclosure to hold a PC104 board, two solid state hard drives, and standard interface connections is needed for flight onboard an unmanned aerial vehicle. Structural integrity, weight requirements, EMF shielding, and thermal dissipation were all taken into consideration during the course of the engineering process. The result of this project was a carbon fiber enclosure with an aluminum lid. (Advisers: Prof. Ron Johnson and Mr. Greg Walker, CEM)

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Pollution in Fairbanks, Alaska: an Investigation of Indoor and Outdoor Pollution

Abstract. The polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) content of indoor and outdoor air and snow pack samples from Fairbanks, Alaska was determined with the intent of investigating possible differences in pollutant concentrations, sources, and physical properties. Indoor samples were taken from homes heated without the combustion of wood as well as homes with wood stoves. Average concentrations for the sum of 20 PAHs were 62.40 + 94.35 ng/m³, 17.34 + 16.12 ng/m³, and 24.88 + 5.75 ng/m³ for homes without wood stoves, homes with wood stoves, and outdoor air, respectively. Outdoor air samples were collected along a vertical gradient above and below cold-weather temperature inversion lines, however, no gradient in PAH concentration was observed. Compared to values published in 1980 the outdoor atmospheric PAH pollution measured in this study was determined to be lower by 24.7%. Ratios of specific isomers were employed to investigate the source apportionment associated with each sample type. Indoor air samples without wood heating had an average anthracene to anthracene plus phenanthrene ratio of 0.014 + 0.019 while the average ratio for homes with wood stoves was 0.060 + 0.006, indicating an increased PAH pollution in wood stove heated homes associated with combustion. Average fluoranthene to fluoranthene plus pyrene ratios were 0.597 + 0.073, 0.555 + 0.025, and 0.662 + 0.024 for non-wood homes, wood stove heated homes, and outdoor air respectively. The higher ratio observed in the outdoor air may indicate higher PAH pollution from coal-fired power plants. Ratios of indoor air to outdoor air were less than or equal to one on average, indicating that the outdoor environment is acting as a PAH source for the indoor environment. Benzo[α]anthracene and chrysene ratios displayed preferential scavenging of benzo[α]anthracene by snow and consequent accumulation of the pollutant in the snow pack. (Adviser: Prof. Todd Gouin, CNSM)

Gravitational Lens: A Novella

Excerpt: Malik kissed his grandmother on the cheek and thanked her for supper before joining Mack on the porch to help him finish the Abita six-pack. He had procured his horn somehow, even though he hadn’t come in with it, and started playing. It was an ideal accompaniment to Mack’s hurricane stories, and in just the right tone—channeling the enormous desperation of such a powerful force of nature and the warm, almost glowing quietude of that night through his eyes, his ears, and somewhere inside his chest where his breath began, and funneling it out through his lips and fingers and into the keys and mouthpiece of his horn. And out comes this music, hanging in the air like the evening fog that settles around the cypress and live oaks clustered around their property. The sun had not yet finished its descent and the air on the porch was almost temperate. The mosquitoes were still there though, humping the holes in the screen like it would help them reach their prey. Mary came out and sat on the left corner of the bench where she could see the tops of the ships on the river and the light in the windows of the famous church steeple, jutting out against the orange and brownish-gray sky in a way that looked more foreboding than a church should, she thought. But it was beautiful and that was enough for her. (Adviser: Emeritus Prof. Roy Bird, CLA)