Very large radio surveys of the sky

Recent advances in electronics and computing have made possible a new generation of large radio surveys of the sky that yield an order-of-magnitude higher sensitivity and positional accuracy. Combined with the unique properties of the radio universe, these quantitative improvements open up qualitatively different and exciting new scientific applications of radio surveys.

Very-long-baseline radio interferometry surveys of the compact structure in active galactic nuclei.

Very-long-baseline radio interferometry (VLBI) imaging surveys have been undertaken since the late 1970s. The sample sizes were initially limited to a few tens of objects but the snapshot technique has now allowed samples containing almost 200 sources to be studied. The overwhelming majority of powerful compact sources are asymmetric corejects of one form or another, most of which exhibit apparent superluminal motion. However 5-10% of powerful flat-spectrum sources are 100-parsec (pc)-scale compact symmetric objects; these appear to form a continuum with the 1-kpc-scale double-lobed compact steep-spectrum sources, which make up 15-20% of lower frequency samples. It is likely that these sub-galactic-size symmetric sources are the precursors to the large-scale classical double sources. There is a surprising peak around 90 degrees in the histogram of misalignments between the dominant source axes on parsec and kiloparsec scales; this seems to be associated with sources exhibiting a high degree of relativistic beaming. VLBI snapshot surveys have great cosmological potential via measurements of both proper motion and angular size vs. redshift as well as searches for gravitational "millilensing."

Effects of Institutional Factors on the Retention of Graduate Students of Color in Schools of Library and Information Science

The intent of the study was to understand the changes that have occurred over the last 25 years in library programs as far as enrollment and diversity of students, number and ethnicity of the faculty, program income and expenses, cost of attendance, and scholarship and fellowship aid, in an effort to better understand library programs granting the MLIS degree. The study also endeavored to identify institutional factors associated with the retention and productivity rates of White students and students of color in schools of library and information science. During the period studied, the proportional representation of White students decreased. For students of color, proportional representation was stable during the same time period. Results revealed a medium effect size of time with productivity rates for both groups declining over time. Retention rate differed significantly by time, with a small effect size with retention rate that initially increased over time, but is now decreasing. The final analyses were meta-regressions to determine if retention and productivity rates can be predicted by cost of attendance, scholarship and fellow aid, and program size. Results indicated that for students of color, program size in 2000 was significantly predictive of retention, cost of attendance was predictive in 2002, and scholarship and fellowship aid was predictive of retention in 2004. No variables were significantly predictive for retention of White students. The last analysis was to determine if productivity rate can be predicted by cost of attendance, scholarship and fellow aid, and program size. Results indicate that for White students in 2002, the cost of attendance was predictive of productivity rating. In 2003, scholarship and fellowship aid was predictive of productivity rate and in 2004, scholarship and fellowship aid was predictive of productivity rating. For students of color, results indicate that only scholarship and fellowship aid in 2005 was predictive of productivity rate. No other variables in any of the years studied showed any significant prediction of productivity rating for students of color.

Emission-line galaxy surveys with GTC: The Hα Universe

Emission line galaxies are the most easily detected and studied objects in the high redshift Universe. They are being used to trace the evolution of critical observables of the Universe such as Star Formation Rate densities, starburst properties and abundances. Most of the research is being done using [OII]3727 and UV lines, but Hα is still one the best tracers for Star Formation Rate and physical properties of current star-forming galaxies. As a complementary contribution to studies of galaxy evolution, our team has focused into a long-term project to study the population of Hα-selected star-forming galaxies of the Universe at different redshifts. In 1995 we first determined the local Hα luminosity function, and from it the Star Formation Rate density (SFRd) of the local Universe. We then, using narrow-band imaging in the optical, extended this measurement to z ≃ 0.24 and z ≃ 0.4. Working in the near-infrared, GTC will be a very powerful tool to study the evolution of the Hα emission-line galaxy populations at different redshifts. We will both quantify the SFRd evolution and characterize the star-forming galaxy populations by directly comparing the same observables at all redshifts up to z ≃ 2.5.

A Student's Perspective on Graduate Training in Sport Psychology

This article aims to add to the limited literature related to graduate training in applied sport psychology – specifically from the perspective of a current graduate student. The paper begins with a discussion about the evolving definitions of sport psychology and applied sport psychology as well as a brief history of sport psychology. Next, reasons why graduate students pursue the fields of sport psychology and applied sport psychology along with how this impacts their decisions related to graduate training are examined. Then, literature as well as personal experiences from the author related to education, supervision, practica and internships, mentorship, and certification are explored. Finally, recommendations are provided for students considering graduate training in applied sport psychology.

Investigating and Understanding Student Learning Outcomes in an Online and Face-to-Face Graduate Level Legal Administration Course: An Embedded Mixed Methods Design

Online education is a new teaching and learning medium with few current guidelines for faculty, administrators or students. Its rapid growth over the last decade has challenged academic institutions to keep up with the demand, while also providing a quality education. Our understanding of the factors that determine quality and effective online learning experiences that lead to student learning outcomes is still evolving. There is a lack of consensus on the effectiveness of online versus face-to-face education in the current research. The U.S. Department of Education conducted a meta-analysis in 2009 and concluded that student-learning outcomes in online courses were equal to and, often times, better than face-to-face traditional courses. Subsequent research has found contradictory findings, and further inquiry is necessary. The purpose of this embedded mixed methods design research study is to further our understanding of the factors that create quality and successful educational outcomes in an online course. To achieve this, the first phase of this study measured and compared learning outcomes in an online and in class graduate-level legal administration course. The second phase of the study entailed interviews with those students in both the online and face-to-face sections to understand their perspectives on the factors contributing to learning outcomes. Six themes emerged from the qualitative findings: convenience, higher order thinking, discussions, professor engagement, professor and student interaction, and face-to-face interaction. Findings from this study indicate the factors students perceive as contributing to learning outcomes in an online course are consistent among all students and are supported in the existing literature. Higher order thinking, however, emerged as a stronger theme than indicated in the current research, and the face-to-face nature of the traditional classroom may be more an issue of familiarity than a factor contributing to learning outcomes. As education continues to reach new heights and developments in technology advance, the factors found to contribute to student learning outcomes will be refined and enhanced. These developments will continue to transform the ways in which we deliver and receive knowledge in both traditional and online classrooms. While there is a growing body of research on online education, the field’s evolution has unsettled earlier findings and posed new areas to investigate.