Service Learning on the River Falls Campus

Sally Berkholder, Career Services, Kelly Cain, Plant & Earth Science, Nan Jordahl, Honors Program, Ruth Kalms, Social Work, Florence Monsour, Teacher Education, Don Petzold, Geography; Jessica Cassellius and Megan Diethelm, Students.

A four-year grant helped to develop service learning through course integration, the Common Experience, and other activities through student life on the River Falls campus.

Needs Assessment Profile of the Chalmer Davee Library: Faculty, Staff, and Student Reactions to Library Resources

Barbara Lynn Werner, Speech Comm/Theatre Arts; Nicole Beckman, Rory Brecke, Jacqueline Busch, Jeremy Daus, Kari Goodman, Amber Huisman, Alison LaFountaine, Jeremy Lilyquist, Lynda Porter, and Frederick Trautmiller, Students.

Students in SCTA 416, Communication Training and Development, conducted a communication audit of Chalmer Davee Library. Results of surveys administered to UWRF faculty, staff, and students regarding library services are presented.

Purification of Jellyfish Green Fluorescent Protein from Transformed Escherichia Coli

Brad Mogen, Biology, Michael Keenan, Chemistry; Ashley Bensfield, Clayton Carlson, and Jeremy King, Students

A bacterial expression vector was used to produce jellyfish Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP). The GFP was purified using affinity chromatography and assayed using fluorescence and SDS-Gel Electrophoresis.

Economic Issues and Policy, 2nd edition

Jackie Brux and Janna Cowen, Economics.

This poster demonstrates the elements that go into the publication of an economic issues textbook, from vision to hard copy.

Using Graph Theory to Model Physical Properties of Molecules

Kevin W. McLaughlin, Chemistry; Chad White, Student

The physical properties of linear and branched molecules (such as melting point, boiling point and glass transition temperatures) are difficult to predict from the molecular structure. Recently, graph theory has been applied to the modeling of properties for small molecules. We have extended this application to the important class of macromolecules known as polymers.

Molecular Weight Determination of Polystyrene via Differential Scanning Calorimetry

Kevin W. McLaughlin, Jeff Rosenthal, Chemistry; Enos Kazembe, Student

Polystyrene exhibits a glass transition which is known to increase with molecular weight. Using glass transition temperatures determined by differential scanning calorimetry at high scan rates, we have worked out how to rapidly (~5 min) determine the molecular weight of an unknown polystyrene sample weighing less than 1/100,000th of a pound!

Laser and Reflective Art

Eileen Korenic, Physics; Jennifer Dolen, Brandon Rice, Angela Thomley, and Kimberly Zimmerman, Students.

As an Honors project, we chose to experiment with holograms and anamorphic art. Holography experiments included testing the developing process, exposure times and outside motion or vibration. Anamorphic art brought creativity to paper by reflection.

A Microcontroller Driven High Temperature Thermometer

Ronald L. Wilson, Physics Department; Jesse A. Gavin, Student.

There are many applications that require an accurate measurement of temperatures in the range of 1000 F to 2500 F: industrial chemical processes, heat engine exhaust, glass blowing, artisan metal working, pottery firing, black-smithing, etc. We designed a new thermometer using embedded control, based on the established technology of the type K thermocouple. It is capable of measurements over the range 1000 F to 2500 F (~540 C to1370 C) with a calculated accuracy of better than ±5%. We demonstrate this thermometer with a portable forge; we measured temperatures higher than 2400 F.

Stopping Yeast Dead in Their Tracks

Brad Mogen, Biology; Alissa Green and Suzie Benson, Students.

We grew yeast cells and exposed them to various concentrations of sodium fluoride, Amphotericin B, and 2,4-Dinintrophenol. Toxicity was determined by evaluating yeast growth rates.

Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers to use Technology (PT3) at UW-River Falls

Mary Lundeberg, So-young Zeon, Teacher Education; Karen Ryan, Education Technology; Dan Hagstrom, Lori Bieging, Laurie Pellerite, Rhonda Willers, Students and members of the TLC.

Preparing tomorrow's teachers to use technology (PT3) includes: 1) faculty consultants who redesign curriculum 2) pre-service teachers who prepare multimedia portfolios 3) teachers in school districts who provide hands-on learning opportunities with modern technologies and

The Academic Preparation of Investment Professionals: Views of Faculty, Deans and Practitioners

Charles Corcoran, Business Administration

There was general agreement among the three respondent groups regarding important issues, skills and courses for investment finance graduates. Notable differences include the importance of the courses, "Financial Statement Analysis" and "Financial Accounting", as well as the importance of spreadsheet skills.

Playground Map Painting---A Service Learning Activity of the Student Geography Organization

Donald Petzold, Geography

Since 1990 the Student Geography Organization has painted playground maps of the world, United States and Wisconsin at nine area schools as a service-learning activity. Geography club members take information gleaned from coursework and apply it to this community service project.

Morphological Comparison of Heat Shocked & Normal Murine Lung

E. Katherine Miller, Emmie Kirchner, Biology; Frank Horvath, Student.

The body temperature of C57/Blk6 mice was increased to 42 degrees C. Body Temperature vs. Time Profiles and TTR's were calculated for the mice. Histological studies demonstrated that the morphology of heat shocked lung was not altered when compared to control lungs.

Glucose Consumption and Growth Rates of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in Different Concentrations of 2, 4-Dinitrophenol, Amphotericin B, and Sodium Fluoride

Brad Mogen, Biology; Lee Hraby, and Joe Meyer, Students.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae was grown in several treatments. Growth rate measurements were taken hourly. Results were compared to growth rates calculated from untreated controls.

A Regional Climate Classification of the United States

Donald Petzold, Geography and Students of Geography 412-Advanced Climatology

Non-standard climate parameters of atmospheric transmissivity and continentality have been linked to atmospheric circulation to develop a regional climate classification of the United States. Thirteen climate zones have been identified.

A Thermotaxis Assay for Caenorhabditis Elegans

E. Katherine Miller, Biology; Jodie Deshler, Biology; Michelle Theobald, Student

C. elegans is a soil nematode that is a convenient organism for demonstrating thermotaxis. We developed a technically simple assay that allows the thermotactic response of C. elegans to be determined.

Internet Stock Valuation: How Relational Value Impacts Market Value of Equity

Dawn Hukai, Business Administration.

This study focuses on the impact of accounting and relational value information on internet stock valuation. Only non-financial relational value information is found to be positively related to stock price.

Designing the Smallest Globular Cluster

Kevin W. McLaughlin, Chemistry; Chris Irwin, Student.

Abstract: Hydrogen bonds, if positioned in the right place in a molecule, can be used to force a molecule to fold up on itself. We have designed a molecule that can fold into the smallest hydrogen bonded molecular structure possible. Furthermore, this molecule can fold in one and only one way, and has the potential to be soluble in any solvent!

Characterization and Documentation of the UWRF Prairie Remnant Plant Community

Terry Ferriss, Eric Sanden, Plant & Earth Science; Lynn Peterson, Student.

Our goal: To scientifically measure the plant community of the UWRF prairie remnant and with these measurements characterize this site as well as develop a base line for future and further study.

Pre-service Teachers' Perspectives on Evaluating Case It!

Mary Lundeberg, Teacher Education, Mark Bergland, Biology; Michelle Jarvis, Gretchen Meierhofer, Deanna Harrell, Ena Sage, Trisha Moore, and Bretta Chaplinski, Students.

Case It! - enables students to explore scientific problems through multimedia case studies in genetics. Use of the Internet allows students to communicate and discuss their scientific findings with others through web-based posters and electronic conferencing.

Determination of KM, VMax and the Hammett p Equation Constant for the Enzymatic Hydrolysis of p-Nitrophenyl Benzoates

Michael V. Keenan, Chemistry; Abby Johnson, Student.

Porcine pancreatic lipase hydrolyzes fat in the intestine to fatty acids and monoglycerides. This lipase has been found to hydrolyze p-nitrophenylbenzoates at high rates in aqueous acetone at pH 8.0.

Use of Field Water Quality Data to Constrain Hydraulic Conductivity of Ocean Beach Sands

Kerry L. Keen, Earth Science.

In June 2000, several UW-RF students participated in field research at a barrier island in Florida. An analysis of groundwater-level and chemistry data from an array of monitoring tubes constrains beach sand hydraulic conductivity at about 10-2 cm/s, consistent with other estimates.

Titration and Amplification of a Fluorescent Jellyfish DNA Phage Library

Brad Mogen, Biology; Jaime Kirkpatrick and Jason Majorowicz, Students.

We acquired, titrated and amplified the original phage library from the jellyfish, Aequorea Victoria, that was constructed in 1986. We'd like to find the gene coding for the Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP).

Delay of Reinforcement

Daniel Linwick, Psychology; Tom Knutson and Jason McLean, Students.

The hyperbolic decay model specifies the relationship between the value of a reinforcer and two parameters, namely, reinforcer amount, and the delay between choice response and presentation of reinforcement. Mazur has confirmed this model using pigeons. The current report details continuing efforts to develop a discrete-trials choice procedure for the rat analogous to procedures developed by Mazur for the pigeon, with the objective of extending the hyperbolic decay model.

Determination of Hammett Equation p Constant For The Base Hydrolysis of P-Nitrophenyl Benzoate Esters

Sheue Keenan, Chemistry; Kyle Jacobson, Student

The electronic effects of four substituents on the hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl benzoate ester were studied. The rho constant of the Hammett equation for this reaction was determined.

A Report Card On Germany and Its Economy

Hamid Tabesh, Economics; Tina Anderson, Stephanie Grundner, Amanda Sigstad, Students

This report card provides a brief overview of Germany's recent history, its political system, its educational system, its resources, and its economy.

The Effects of Interpersonal Influence on Impression Formation

Kimberly Krawczewski, Julie St. Martin, and Paula Wiersgalla, Students.

The research examines the influence one person can have on another person's impression formation of a target. The results show that negative comments do have significant effects on impression formation.

Controlling Random Motion in a Magnetic Pendulum

Lowell McCann, Physics; Arriety Lowell, Student.

A magnetic pendulum with two stable positions has been constructed to investigate predictions of how to control the random transitions between the stable positions.

The Effects of Slanted Floors on the Flow of Granular Materials in Two Dimensional Silos

Lowell McCann, Physics; Dwight Luhman, Student.

Quasi 2-D silos with varying floor angles were constructed of plexi-glass and filled with glass beads. Imaging software was used to measure and compare the flow characteristics of the emptying silos.

TIPS: Time for Instructional Partnerships Teachers, Professors, Interns and Students using Technology in Pedagogical Strategies

Mary Lundeberg, So-young Zeon, Teacher Education, and Mary Manke.

TIPS is a partnership among the College of Education and Graduate Studies, the Hudson, River Falls, and Prescott School Districts; St. Bridget Elementary School; and their respective communities. A key focus of our partnership involves meaningful curricular integration of technology.

Using the Polymerase Chain Reaction to Isolate the Cytochrome Oxidase Gene from Thermoplasma Acidophilum

Karen Klyczek, Biology; Lucas Chase and Andrew Cavagnetto, Students

Using the recently published genomic sequence of the archaebacterium Thermoplasma acidophilum, a strategy for amplifying the cytochrome oxidase gene by polymerase chain reaction was developed and the gene was isolated.

Detecting Receptors for Human Immunodeficiency Virus in Human White Blood Cells

Karen Klyczek, Biology; Dawn Dietzel and Gwenn Schamberger, Students

Human white blood cells were treated to see whether the amount of HIV receptors could be increased. These cells could then be used to study cell surface receptor interactions.

Tuning AMANDA, the Biggest and Strangest Telescope in the World

Jim Madsen, Physics.

This poster describes the work I did over the 2000-2001 winter break at the South Pole on AMANDA (Antarctic Muon and Neutrono Detector Array).

Pretreatment and Drying Parameters for Dehydration of Apples

Purnendu C. Vasavada, Animal & Food Science; Erin McCauley, Student

Pre-treatments designed to prevent discoloration of apple rings and drying parameters, particularly temperature was studied with the objective of developing an air convection dehydration protocol for drying apples.

Race and the Criminal Justice System

Tracey Gladstone-Sovell, Political Science; Melissa Pluemer, Student

This study examines the rates of arrest and incarceration for whites and blacks in Minnesota. It looks at the impact presumptive sentencing has had by focusing on the racial characteristics of the prison population.

Financing of Wisconsin's Public Schools: Do's, Don'ts and Damages

Tracey Gladstone-Sovell, Political Science; Max Neuhaus, Student

This study looks at the financial impact the state's current method(s) of funding public education has had in Wisconsin. It also includes an analysis of the financial consequences of the Milwaukee voucher program.

Denial of Racism: The Effects of Modern Racism

Shanthi Mirsberger & Heather Wolfgram, Students.

Stroop Effect: Is Stroop Interference Affected by Word Visibility?

Sara Jacobs, Katie Anderson, Amanda Jagodzinski, Rachel Segna

Successes in Service Learning

Florence Monsour, Teacher Education, Jim Stewart, and Eric Smith, Grant Evaluator.

The 4th year of a grant involving 6 UW-System campuses, 6 technical colleges, and 15 public schools. Approximately 300 faculty trained and several thousand students involved through course integration and student life activities. Evaluator's results included.

Synthesis of Compounds Related to Capsaicin as Potential Analgesic Agents

David Rusterholz, Chemistry; Erin Peterson, Casey Micale, Kimberly Baxter, and Leilani Welbes, Students.

The natural substance capsaicin is well known as the compound that imparts pungency to hot red chile peppers. Capsaicin, however, is also known to have a pain relieving (analgesic) effect which is believed to result from its action upon calcium channels in pain-signaling nerves. As a pain relieving drug, however, capsaicin has a disadvantage of initially eliciting a burning pain sensation before it provides any pain relief. Two series of compounds were proposed which were designed to incorporate various aspects of the structural features of capsaicin. It is hoped that these new compounds will retain the pain-relieving action of capsaicin, but have diminished pungency. Efforts toward the synthesis of members of each of these series will be described.

The Geology of the St. Lawrence Foundation in the Howe Quary, Dunn County Wisconsin

Christopher W. Peters, Student; With assistance from Dr. Michael Middleton, Plant & Earth Science

Stratigraphy and Paleontology of the Cambrian aged St. Lawrence Formation, including geologic interpretation of the environment in which the formation formed. Also including the faunal diversity, focusing on the Trilobite Dikelocephalus sp.

Searching for Novel Bioindicators to be used in the Assessment of Water Quality

Grace Thornhill, Biology; Jodi Quam, Dianne Rodman, and Alicia Muelling, Students.

This project has two approachs to find new bioindicators for water quality. First, we are assessing the presence and distribution of specific non-enteric pathogens at selected sites along the Kinnickinnic River. Our second approach is the identification of a consortium of psychrophilic (cold-adapted) organisms that signal the onset of thermal pollution.

Lions and Tigers and Bears---The Geographical Significance of Wisconsin Public High School Nicknames

Donald Petzold, Geography; Micah A. Zeitler, Student.

Over 70% of Wisconsin's 429 high schools have nicknames with some geographic significance. They fall into eight categories: Bio-geography (35%); Peoples Native to Wisconsin (13%); Economic Geography (5%); Place Name Similarity (5%); Ethnic Settlement (5%); Landform Features (4%); Influential/Historic Figures (2%); War-Related (1%)

Still Searching for America: Conversations on National Identity

Geoffrey Scheurman, Teacher Education; Robert Blithe, Student.

Funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, this project involves collaboration among area teachers, UWRF professors, and national experts studying the development of American character and the design of innovative practices for its teaching.

CENSORED?

Nick Karolides, English

Censored Books: Critical Viewpoints II, now being edited, will be comprised of essays, each defending the reading/teaching of one of the 60 most frequently censored books of 1885 - 1999. Research identifying the books was conducted in 1999 - 2000.

Acceptance of Racial Privilege: Effects on Individual Evaluations

Cyndi Kernahan, Psychology; Jessica Samuelson, Student

This study examined racial privilege acceptance and its effect on white students' evaluations of varying black students. Results showed that black students who took a "bargainer" approach were more highly evaluated regardless of racial privilege acceptance.

Adult Learners Caught in the Web: "On-line" vs. "In-class" Interaction

Geoffrey Scheurman, Teacher Education; Robert Blithe, Student.

Twenty graduate students revealed dispositions and attitudes toward technology intervals during an Educational Psychology course comprised of concurrent face-to-face interactions and web-based learning activities.

Results of a Yeast Growth Curve Inhibition Study

Brad Mogen, Biology; Angela Thomley and Amy Roalson, Students.

We studied the effects of four different chemicals on the growth of the common bread yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Culture conditions were kept constant except for varying concentrations of the inhibitors.

The Effects of Various Treatments on Yeast Growth Rates

Brad Mogen, Biology; Jake Vergin and Ryan Saffert, Students.

Yeast cells were cultured in a growth media containing glucose and peptone. The cells were subjected to different chemical treatments at various concentrations and judged against an untreated control.

Diversity of Antibiotic Inhibitory Activity of Streptomycetes Isolated From Prairie Soil

Kim Mogen, Biology; Linda Kinkel, U of M Plant Pathology; Andrea Wick, Student.

Streptomycetes are naturally-occurring soil microbes which produce antibiotics as a strategy to out compete their competitors. Streptomycetes were collected from two native prairie soil sites and tested for their antibiotic inhibitory activity.

Several posters were contributed by faculty and students from the Geography and Mapping Sciences Dept:

Map of the Year, Charles Rader and students.

Rural Landscapes of Wisonsin's Walloon Belgian Community, Ezra Zeitler.

New Land: How the Dutch Used Centuries of Experience to Construct the Ijsselmeer Polders, Ezra Zeitler.

And finally, we collected recent publications from many UWRF faculty and staff.