College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Chemistry

" "By attending the conference, I would gain new information, specifically about how to apply my work at UF to industry and society.

UF once have had an outstanding synthetic biologist and a distinguished professor, Dr. Steven Benner, who is still working in his private research institute in Gainesville, FL. As a consequence, UF lost its presence in synthetic biology, which is one of the most developing fields in biology. I believe that the next scientific breakthrough will be produced in this field, and one achievement has actually occurred already, i.e. creating a semi-synthetic organism (Malyshev et al., 2014). This work published in Nature has the potential to be a candidate of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Most of the universities known for their success in synthetic biology are either from the east such as Harvard and MIT, or the west coast such as UCLA and UCSF. If I attend this conference, I would have the amazing opportunity to represent UF among these top synthetic biology institutions.

Besides representing UF, I would also have the opportunity to network with professionals from leading industries in synthetic biology. I believe that I will be the first UF student to ever attend this conference and receiving a positive light will be very beneficial for UF, for both academic and business purposes.

"

9878

Evaluating the role of diversity focused natural resource internships on minority perceptions of career barriers and opportunities

The goal of this study is to better understand the impacts of a minority-focused conservation internship on underrepresented youth's perceptions of natural resource careers and their perceptions of career related barriers and opportunities. For this project, we surveyed students participating in two different internship programs. We measured motivations to participate in the programs and the influence of internships on interns’ knowledge of natural resource careers, interest in these careers, self-efficacy (beliefs in the capacity to succeed in specific tasks), perceptions of career-related barriers and their outcome expectancy (what individuals expect will happen as a result of a given action). We also conducted focus groups, to gain a more in-depth understanding, with a subset of this sample. In addition, we interviewed 6 program staff and 3 program supervisors to understand staff perceptions of program goals and objectives, their interactions with the interns, and changes in cultural competency as a result of the program. Results are expected to show an increase in knowledge about natural resource careers, more positive attitudes towar ds this career field, increased interested in pursuing a natural resource career, higher self-efficacy related to career skills, and a more positive overall outcome expectation about interns’ ability to be successful in a natural resource career after participation in the internship program. Results of this research will be used to make recommendations to agencies interested in enhancing programs to increase minority recruitment in the wildlife and natural resources field and to address barriers faced by these underrepresented groups. (Flesh-Kincaid Grade Level: 20.5)

9875

"The Connecticut River Valley has served as the creative epicenter for fife and drum musical performance and preservation for over 200 years. Groups from this region make up one of the oldest musical traditions and continuously existent musical communities in this country, with ensembles from the CRV often boasting documentable teaching lineages that extend to the middle of the 19th century.

This Conference is organized by Moodus Drum and Fife which is the oldest continuously active field music ensemble in the United States. In attendance at this conference will be an elite collection of field music ensembles, educators, and historical preservation organizations who are dedicated to the preservation and proliferation of American Field music On an international level. As a master’s student in ethnomusicology, I am attending this conference because it represents several unique professional developmental opportunities. My primary academic research interests center on 17th century field musics - in particular, genres emanating from the revolutionary and civil wars. My attendance at this conference would support not only my academic, and professional goals within the field of ethnomusicology, but would allow me to develop as a musical specialist through interactions with experts from within the Connecticut River valley musical community. At this event, I will be participating in several group workshops on field music performance, technique and history with musical specialists, archivists, and historians, for example performers Dr. James Clark, author of Connecticut's Fife and Drum Traditon (Westleyan press) and Marty Sampson, Archivist for the Company of Fifers and Drummers. While in attendance I will also have the opportunity to study privately and network with several highly respected teachers based exclusively in this area utilize the CF&D's Museum archives.

" I believe this to be of benefit to the University of Florida because as a state research university with preeminent research institution status, UF has a vested interest in not only promoting the development and training of its graduate students, but in shaping, through developmental opportunities like this, pathways for future research which include scholarship, and professional development. In the area of academic inquiry, moreover, the ethnomusicology/musicology programs at UF offer rich opportunities for attracting future competitive, top tier students who are capable of upholding its academic reputation and integrity. While student funding often takes the form of scholarships and tuition waivers, it is institutional support for these types of developmental opportunities - to interact, research, network and grow - that often make the difference in determining which schools the most competitive students choose to attend.

9837

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences - Sustainable Development Practice

The perceptions and attitudes of people toward wildlife and parks is determined by the context where they live, this includes their culture, gender, economic status, and history among others. These attitudes and perceptions determine the will of these people to conserve and protect the surrounding environment and wild animals that live on it. Therefore is crucial understand people's opinion regarding these themes in regions where parks and wildlife are in close contact with local communities, and are a main source of income. In order to identify the influence of factors such as gender and socio-economic status on the perceptions and attitudes of people toward wildlife and park, 171 surveys were done in three communities in South Africa. In those surveys people were asked about their opinion regarding the closest park (Kruger National Park) and the local wildlife, the information gathered includes: the value that the park has for them, what they think about the park's administration, what is their opinion about the local wildlife, and if they had had any conflict with wildlife in the last years. Additionally, two discussion groups and some informal interviews were conducted to have a bigger understanding of the context. The results of this research will be useful to plan future conservation interventions taking in account the local people's opinion. (Flesh-Kincaid Grade Level: 18.2)

9815

College of Pharmacy - Pharmaceutical Sciences (Medicinal Chemistry)

Looking over the list of attendees for the conference, I am one of the few graduate students attending, and thus I might stick out like a sore thumb! However, this creates an opportunity for me to represent UF as a top research institution that promotes graduate student development and growth. Additionally, my attendance of this conference will benefit UF because what's mine is theirs - what I learn at this conference will help advance my group's research, which could lead to better drug candidates. In turn, better drug candidates could lead to more successful patents (held by UF) and licensing, as well as more funding from grants, which benefits the entire university.

9814

College of Fine Arts - Music

Being able to attend this conference has a trickle up (or down) affect: my colleagues and I attend as individual scholars, representing UF; we come back to UF and use the new ideas we've heard to engage with our department; engaging in our department often means collaborating with others from the English, Film, Art History, or European Studies to name a few sharing our renewed excitement for research; and also personally, having the opportunity to attend the annual meeting greatly affects my teaching. Not only do scholars present their latest research but there are wonderful session (3-4 each meeting) on engaged pedagogy, especially focused on digital teaching environments and making music one of the forefronts of engaged pedagogy. This one aspect has added to my UF campus greatly. - Thank you for your consideration!

College of Medicine -

As an aspiring emergency physician and a student applying to emergency medicine residency training programs (post graduate medical training), ACEP 2014 is an invaluable opportunity to engage with leaders in the field. Furthermore, this meeting offers individuals from the medical student level to the experienced attending physician current updates relevant to the field in terms of both practice-changing guidelines and practice-altering research. Emergency medicine has a broad scope and as such, this conference caters to varying interests with topics, research, and committee meetings directed towards EMS, sports medicine, toxicology, pediatrics, etc. As a medical student, I look forward to attending the medical student symposium and the Residency Fair, both of which provide insight into the application process and allow networking with program directors of the residency programs to which we will be applying to this fall. This is paramount in learning about the various EM training programs available to students and differentiating among those to which one will apply. I am also involved in leadership at the state level (FCEP –Florida College of Emergency Physicians); I currently serve as the Secretary-Editor and committee member on the FCEP Medical Student Committee. It is important for leaders from the state of Florida to have a presence at this conference and as Secretary-Editor, I plan to author an article for EMPulse, an FCEP publication, which discusses the conference. This conference for the aforementioned reasons directly aids in my professional and personal development, not only as a member of the UF community but as a physician dedicated to providing the highest evidence based quality of care. Presence at this conference is of great benefit to the student body and greater UF community. UF leaders will be at this conference and it is equally important that medical students be present at this meeting apart from just the physicians in order to emphasize the dedication of the University to fostering leaders from an early point in one’s career (i.e. at the student level). In addition, I am currently involved with research within the UF Emergency Medicine Department which may be ready for a presentation/poster later this fall prior to the conference in which case, this conference will provide an opportunity to showcase cutting-edge research at UF on a national level (i.e. ACEP is the national premier emergency medicine organization). There will already be many research presentations from UF faculty/staff at the conference that will aid in the aforementioned mission. As a representative of both UF and FCEP, I hope to bring back invaluable information regarding emergency medicine as it relates to students which will serve to aid current and future UF students who are aspiring to pursue medicine and more specifically, emergency medicine. This trip serves to enhance, expand, and advance the ubiquitous Gator Nation!

9811

Population Level Effects of Invasive Fire Ants on Cotton Rats and Eastern Fence Lizards

The red-imported fire ant is an invasive predator found across the southeastern United States. Few studies have assessed the effects of fire ants on small mammal and reptile populations. We used cotton rats and eastern fence lizards as model species to determine the influence of fire ants on small mammals and reptiles. We stocked populations of cotton rats and fence lizards into eight enclosures with either ambient or excluded meso-predators and ambient or reduced fire ant numbers. We conducted monthly mark-recapture sessions from June 2012 – July 2013 for cotton rats and from May 2012 – November 2013 for fence lizards. We found that cotton rat survival within enclosures with predators excluded was greater than populations in enclosures with predators. Fire ant treatment alone did not affect cotton rat survival. However, survival of cotton rats was greater in enclosures with reduced numbers of fire ants and predators excluded. We found no differences in cotton rat recruitment (the number of juveniles born into the enclosures per reproductive female). Recruitment of fence lizards was approximately 1.5 times greater in the enclosures with reduced numbers of fire ants than those with ambient numbers. Survival did not differ between treatments. Our results indicate that fire ants decrease recruitment of fence lizards via consuming eggs or hatchlings and, in the absence of other predators, survival of cotton rats. (Flesh-Kincaid Grade Level: 12.3)

9744

Creating an Emergency & Disaster Preparedness Plan for a Small Museum Using dPlan

The Matheson Museum, located in Gainesville, Florida, is similar to many small museums across the United States in that the staff is striving toward American Alliance of Museums (AAM) accreditation. AAM accreditation gives "national recognition of [a] museum’s commitment to excellence and the highest professional standards of museum operation and public service" and is a highly coveted status. One of the requirements for accreditation is to have an Emergency Preparedness/Disaster Response Plan in place in case a disaster, nature or man-made, were to ever strike. For my Master’s project-in-lieu-of-thesis, I am creating an Emergency and Disaster Preparedness Plan for the Matheson. This is a time consuming task and many small museums don't have the manpower to complete one. The final plan will cover everything from floods to fires to bomb threats, and it is specifically tailored for the Matheson and its collection. My presentation at SEMC is part of a Technology Showcase Exposition and it will evaluate the effectiveness of using the Northeast Document Conservation Center’s dPlan, the online disaster planning tool that I used to create the Matheson's plan. Though my presentation, it is my hope that I will be able to provide valuable information to those who are either thinking about creating/revamping their museum’s disaster plan or who are in the process of already doing so with the dPlan tool. (Flesh-Kincaid Grade Level: 15.8)

9720

The Learned Man of Good Judgment: Nature, Narrative, and Wonder in José de Acosta’s Natural Philosophy

In this paper, I study the work of the Jesuit priest José de Acosta. During the latter part of the sixteenth century, Acosta traveled to the Americas in search of evidence for the fantastic tales that European explorers brought back with them from the New World. He composed a highly regarded book, the ‘Natural and Moral History of the Indies’, suggesting that the New World was in fact not so new. Rather, Acosta’s study of the natural environment portrayed a world far older than was assumed by early waves of Spanish explorers. Few scholars have given this work the necessary attention to assess the grounds of Acosta’s claims. My paper examines a specifically controversial feature of Acosta’s thought: the use of natural history as a scientific narrative. I argue that while Acosta greatly valued his experience in the Americas, his study of the New World’s natural history achieved two divisive innovations: first, it helped reinforce Spain’s image as a civilizing empire. But second, it did this by strengthening the role of the natural sciences. I propose that a careful reading of Acosta’s context helps contemporary audiences distinguish the many portraits of the Americas used across the sixteenth century. More specifically, if the ‘Natural and Moral History’ is read as a work of synthesis, a new definition of science emerges: one informed by the negotiation of religion and observation, surprise and conviction, and the imagination and history. (Flesh-Kincaid Grade Level: 14.8)

9673

L'érotisme du toucher chez Leila Marouane

" Leila Marouane causes her readers to reflect on both concrete and abstract meanings of ""touch"" in her recent novel whose provocative title The Sexual Life of an Islamist in Paris has attracted recent international attention. At a gut level, who does not feel both shocked and tempted to delve into the musings of a 40-year-old male protagonist seeking physical and intellectual freedom while his cultural affiliation conjures up both curiosity and fear, say some media critics. Literary critics have called her writing style in previous novels daring and her message for women's rights in Algeria today combative.

Marouane's writing in this novel continues the works that preceded it with regard to its humor and it audacity depicting very personal situations. Is this novel a repackaging of techniques she has perfected in her previous books, or does it touch us -- teach us? -- in a world of violent cross-cultural contacts with other Islamic countries (Iraq, Afghanistan)?

9664

Implementation of the Good Behavior Game with Delinquent Children

Classroom management procedures like the Good Behavior Game (GBG) have been studied extensively in classrooms of typically developing children and children with intellectual disabilities. In the GBG, a class is divided into teams, rules are made, and contingencies are placed on students' rule-following behavior. Research on the GBG has shown very strong positive effects for the teachers and students in classrooms where it has been implemented. However, there has been little research directed at populations of delinquent children. Delinquent children are defined as those who have committed crimes but are not yet at an age where they can be prosecuted. These students typically display unique and challenging problem behavior in the classroom that can adversely affect their education. This is a seriously underrepresented population in behavioral research, and further study is needed to support the use of these beneficial classroom management procedures with these children. This study extended previous research on the GBG by implementing it in classrooms of delinquent children of various ages (grades 1-5). We found that the GBG had a profound effect on student behavior. Classroom disruptions were dramatically reduced (over 80% reductions in all classrooms) and teachers reported that they were very satisfied with the ease of implementation and strong results. This is a significant study because it not only demonstrated that the GBG is effective in this understudied population, but it also opens the door for further study of other classroom management procedures with delinquent children. It has also led to other extensions such as procedures directed at not only reducing problem behavior but also increasing academic engagement and improving academic performance. In longitudinal studies, these factors have been strongly linked to life-long benefits for delinquent and predelinquent students in socially significant areas such as college attendance, income, incarceration, and mental health outcomes. (Flesh-Kincaid Grade Level: 16.6)

9652

Survivor Advocacy and Social Networks: African Americans’ Experiences with Prostate Cancer

This is a qualitative research project that examines the experiences of black men who have survivor prostate cancer as they advocate to other men about the importance of prostate cancer awareness and screening. These survivors can provide an important and well received voice in the outreach efforts within this community which has very high rates of prostate cancer morbidity and mortality. By observing these advocates as they perform outreach at local and regional events, having interviews with them about their work and their motivations, and gaining insight into what they do through them taking photos, this research will provide a better understanding of what these men do, and how to better support their efforts. Ultimately, this project will produce two products to give back to the men and the community. One will be a training program for men who wish to become advocates. The other will be a toolkit that men can use to further their advocacy efforts. (Flesh-Kincaid Grade Level: 14)