SIDE EFFECTS OF PERSISTENT TOXICANTS

As you can see from the general tenor of the printed program for this seminar, I am in the unenviable position of trying to discourage you from certain types of chemical control; but my assigned topic "Side Effects of Persistent Toxicants," implies that mission. However, my remarks may be somewhat anticlimax at this time, because it is now generally conceded that we need to reevaluate certain chemicals in control work and to restrict or severely curtail use of those that per¬sist for long periods in the environment. So let me detail my reasons for a somewhat negative attitude toward the use of the persistent hydrocarbons from my experience with the effects of these materials on birds. But first a few words of caution about control work in general, which so often disrupts natural processes and leads to new and unforseen difficulties. As an example, I think of the irruption of mice in the Klamath valley in northern California and southern Oregon in the late '50's. Intensive predator control, particularly of coyotes, but also of hawks and owls, was followed by a severe outbreak of mice in the spring of 1958. To combat the plague of mice, poisoned bait (1080 and zinc phosphide) was widely distributed in an area used by 500,000 waterfowl each spring. More than 3,000 geese were poisoned, so driv¬ing parties were organized to keep the geese off the treated fields. Here it seems conceivable that the whole chain of costly events--cost of the original and probably unnecessary predator control, economic loss to crops from the mouse outbreak, another poisoning campaign to combat the mice, loss of valuable waterfowl resources, and man-hours involved in flushing geese from the fields--might have been averted by a policy of not interfering with the original predator-prey relationship. This points to a dilemma we always face. (We create deplorable situations by clumsy interference with natural processes, then seek artificial cures to correct our mistakes.) For example, we spend millions of dollars in seeking cures for cancer, but do little or nothing about restricting the use of known or suspected carcinogens such as nicotine and DDT.

Improving the Effectiveness of Independent Practice with Corrective Feedback

In this action research study of my 8th grade Algebra class, I investigated the effects of teacher-to-student written corrective feedback on student performance and attitude toward mathematics. The corrective feedback was given on solutions for selected independent practice problems assigned as homework. Each problem being assessed was given a score based on a 3- point rubric and additional comments were written. I discovered that providing teacher-to-student written corrective feedback for independent practice problems was beneficial for both students and teachers. The feedback positively affected the attitudes of students and teacher toward independent practice work resulting in an improved quality of solutions produced by students. I plan to extend my research to explore ways to provide corrective feedback to students in all of my mathematics classes.

Can homework become more meaningful with the inclusion of oral presentations?

In this action research study of my 7th grade math class, I investigated the inclusion of homework presentations to see if they would improve students’ attitude toward mathematics, participation, and understanding. I discovered that although the implementations of presentations into our homework routine did not drastically influence grades, or even improve attitudes (according to test grades and student surveys), a multitude of other changes surfaced. These changes consisted of an increase in discussion, a team effort among students in my class, and an overall “learning community” effect. I plan to continue to pursue presentations as a major part of my homework routine, and also incorporate presentations into review sessions.

The Role of Manipulatives in the Eighth Grade Mathematics Classroom

In this action research study of my classroom of eighth grade mathematics, I investigated the use of manipulatives and its impact on student attitude and understanding. I discovered that overall, students enjoy using manipulatives, not necessarily for the benefit of learning, but because it actively engages them in each lesson. I also found that students did perform better on exams when students were asked to solve problems using manipulatives in place of formal written representations of situations. In the course of this investigation, I also uncovered that student attitude toward mathematics improved when greater manipulative use was infused into the lessons. Students felt more confident that they understood the material, which translated into a better attitude regarding math class. As a result of this research, I plan to find ways to implement manipulatives in my teaching on a more regular basis. I intend to create lessons with manipulatives that will engage both hands and minds for the learners.

Talent Management in Higher Education: Developing Emerging Leaders Within the Administration at Private Colleges and Universities

This research focused on identifying a series of successful practices relating to administrative talent management within the higher education setting. The field study included a thorough examination of seven small to mid-size private colleges and universities that have incorporated employee development strategies. These strategies were aimed at growing future leaders from within the organization in order to achieve continuity and support institutional priorities. Specifically, several focus areas were investigated including presidential vision, leadership commitment, talent management’s place among institutional priorities, program characteristics, and program evaluation. Among the commonalities that were gathered included support at the senior officer level who serve as advocates, mentors, and program facilitators, a strong connection between talent management and the institutions’ strategic plans, and a holistic approach to developing talent at all levels of the organizations. In addition, both coaching and opportunities for growth in the work environment were evident within several of the institutions. Also, academic leadership development was considered to be a part of the talent management strategy within three of the colleges and universities. The key differentiators included the incorporation of organizational and leadership competencies to provide focus toward the performance development process at two institutions, the implementation of a succession planning model at another institution, and the location of human resource generalists in departments across two of the institutions to identify learning opportunities for both individuals and work teams. Based on both the findings from the field study and the literature review, a comprehensive procedural model is introduced that serves to support human resource departments and higher education professionals, in general, who are looking to either begin or broaden their own talent management approach. However, despite the progress that has been made across several institutions noted throughout the research study, much more must be learned in terms of how the time and resources invested in talent management translates to institutional success. Advisor: James O‘Hanlon

I. Development of the In Situ Reductive Ozonolysis of Alkenes with Tertiary Amine N-Oxides. II. Progress toward the Asymmetric Synthesis of Peroxyplakoric Acid A3.

Ozone, first discovered in the mid 1800’s, is a triatomic allotrope of oxygen that is a powerful oxidant. For over a century, research has been conducted into the synthetic application and mechanism of reactions of ozone with organic compounds. One of the major areas of interest has been the ozonolysis of alkenes. The production of carbonyl compounds is the most common synthetic application of ozonolysis. The generally accepted mechanism developed by Rudolf Criegee for this reaction involves the 1,3-electrocyclic addition of ozone to the π bond of the alkene to form a 1,2,3-trioxolane or primary ozonide. The primary ozonide is unstable at temperatures above -100 °C and undergoes cycloreversion to produce the carbonyl oxide and carbonyl intermediates. These intermediates then recombine in another 1,3-electrocyclic addition step to form the 1,2,4-trioxolane or final ozonide. While the final ozonide is often isolable, most synthetic applications of ozonolysis require a subsequent reductive or oxidative step to form the desired carbonyl compound. During investigations into the nucleophilic trapping of the reactive carbonyl oxide, it was discovered that when amines were used as additives, an increased amount of reaction time was required in order to consume all of the starting material. Surprisingly, significant amounts of aldehydes and a suppression of ozonide formation also occurred which led to the discovery that amine N-oxides formed by the ozonation of the amine additives in the reaction were intercepting the carbonyl oxide. From the observed production of aldehydes, our proposed mechanism for the in situ reductive ozonolysis reaction with amine N-oxides involves the nucleophilic trapping of the carbonyl oxide intermediate to produce a zwitterionic adduct that fragments into 1O2, amine and the carbonyl thereby avoiding the formation of peroxidic intermediates. With the successful total syntheses of peroxyacarnoates A and D by Dr. Chunping Xu, the asymmetric total synthesis of peroxyplakorate A3 was investigated. The peroxyplakoric acids are cyclic peroxide natural products isolated from the Plakortis species of marine sponge that have been found to exhibit activity against malaria, cancer and fungi. Even though the peroxyplakorates differ from the peroxyacarnoates in the polyunsaturated tail and the head group, the lessons learned from the syntheses of the peroxyacarnoates have proven to be valuable in the asymmetric synthesis of peroxyplakorate A3. The challenges for the asymmetric synthesis of peroxyplakorate A3 include the stereospecific formation of the 3-methoxy-1,2-dioxane core with a propionate head group and the introduction of oxidation sensitive dienyl tail in the presence of a reduction sensitive 1,2-dioxane core. It was found that the stereochemistry of two of the chiral centers could be controlled by an anti-aldol reaction of a chiral propionate followed by the stereospecific intramolecular cyclization of a hydroperoxyacetal. The regioselective ozonolysis of a 1,2-disubstituted alkene in the presence of a terminal alkyne forms the required hydroperoxyacetal as a mixture of diastereomers. Finally, the dienyl tail is introduced by a hydrometallation/iodination of the alkyne to produce a vinyl iodide followed by a palladium catalyzed coupling reaction. While the coupling reaction was unsuccessful in these attempts, it is still believed that the intramolecular cyclization to introduce the 1,2-dioxane core could prove to be a general solution to many other cyclic peroxides natural products.

Student and Faculty Perceptions of Technology’s Usefulness in Community College General Education Courses

Educational institutions of all levels invest large amounts of time and resources into instructional technology, with the goal of enhancing the educational effectiveness of the learning environment. The decisions made by instructors and institutions regarding the implementation of technology are guided by perceptions of usefulness held by those who are in control. The primary objective of this mixed methods study was to examine the student and faculty perceptions of technology being used in general education courses at a community college. This study builds upon and challenges the assertions of writers such as Prensky (2001a, 2001b) and Tapscott (1998) who claim that a vast difference in technology perception exists between generational groups, resulting in a diminished usefulness of technology in instruction. In this study, data were gathered through student surveys and interviews, and through faculty surveys and interviews. Analysis of the data used Kendall’s Tau test for correlation between various student and faculty variables in various groupings, and also typological analysis of the transcribed interview data. The analysis of the quantitative data revealed no relationship between age and perception of technology’s usefulness. A positive relationship was found to exist between the perception of the frequency of technology use and the perception of technology’s effectiveness, suggesting that both faculty members and students believed that the more technology is used, the more useful it is in instruction. The analysis of the qualitative data revealed that both faculty and students perceive technology to be useful, and that the most significant barriers to technology’s usefulness include faulty hardware and software systems,lack of user support, and lack of training for faculty. The results of the study suggest that the differences in perception of technology between generations that are proposed by Prensky may not exist when comparing adults from the younger generation with adults from the older generation. Further, the study suggests that institutions continue to invest in instructional technology, with a focus on high levels of support and training for faculty, and more universal availability of specific technologies, including web access, in class video, and presentation software. Adviser: Ronald Joekel