Measurements on growth traits up to 41 years of age
from 68 progeny sites in eight first-generation breeding
zones of coastal Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii
[MIRB.] FRANCO var. menziesii) in the US Pacific Northwest
were used to investigate age trends of genetic parameters
and to determine optimum age of selection. Heritabilities...
An often overlooked student population within higher education, former foster youth, is a population that needs support. Students who were formerly a part of the foster care system who have since aged out, are left to navigate higher education institutions on their own. College support services tailored for the needs...
This dissertation centers on development of two web-based, in class learning tools, the AIChE Concept Warehouse (CW) and the Web-based Interactive Science and Engineering Learning Tool (WISE), and describes the investigation of student learning through their use. The intent of these tools is to promote deeper conceptual understanding in students...
The major historical studies that have examined American
biology have emphasized the development of experimental biology at
the end of the nineteenth century. In this characterization, the
descriptive branch of biology has often been treated as less than
important and, in several cases, as a hindrance in the application
of...
This thesis focuses on the investigation of extraterrestrial tracers Ir, Pt and 3He in polar ice cores. These tracers may be used to identify characteristics of interplanetary dust particles, and to quantify the flux of extraterrestrial material during impact events, certain volcanic eruptions, and stable background periods. In the first...
Institutions of higher education are working to be more inclusive of underrepresented groups, including first-generation and low-income college students. Broadly, data show a significant population of diverse students are now entering higher education, but completion rates are comparatively lower than entry rates. To combat this, we need to evaluate ways...
According to the U.S. Census Bureau (2017), Latinx people are the fastest growing ethnic group in the nation but are least likely to enroll in institutions of higher education and fewer eventually earn a degree even if enrolled. Enrollment rates for Latinx students with migrant and seasonal farmworker (MSFW) background...
Kinematic tectonic models constrained by Airy isostatic equilibrium demonstrate the crustal-scale evolution of the Brooks Range during ocean basin closure, arc-continent collision, and exhumation of the orogen. The Bouguer gravity anomaly low that develops across the orogen is related by wavelength to the amount of shortening during collision, and by...
Methane is a product of biogeochemical processes which respond to changes in climate. The history of atmospheric methane is recorded by ice cores providing insight into past changes in these biogeochemical processes. This dissertation is comprised of three studies which focus on centennial- and millenial-scale variability of methane from ice...
The three studies that comprise this dissertation seek to answer significant
questions in paleoclimatology through unconventional applications of ice core
greenhouse gas data. These studies involve different gases and span the interval of time
between the Last Glacial Maximum and the Industrial Revolution, but are united by their
nontraditional use...