Research and Education
From cassavas to papayas, the International Center for Tropical Agriculture is concerned with the viability of crops across the world. Specifically, their stated mission is “to reduce hunger and poverty in the tropics through collaborative research that improves agricultural productivity and natural resource management.” From their homepage, visitors can read press releases and statements about their most recent findings, and also look over timely documents such as “Integrated Soil Fertility Management in the Tropics” as well as their annual report. The “Research” section is another good place to wander around, as it contains reports on two of their primary areas of interest: agrobiodiversity and the interaction between people and agroecosystems. Finally, it is worth noting that many of the materials here are also available in Spanish. [KMG]
http://www.ksg.harvard.edu/hpaied/
The Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development was started in 1987 by Professors Stephen Cornell and Joseph P. Kalt. The Project’s primary goal is “to understand and foster the conditions under which sustained, self-determined social and economic development is achieved among American Indian nations.” To accomplish this goal, the Project has sponsored a number of conferences and events, and as also offered advisory services to interested persons and tribal leaders. The “Publications” area is a good way to take a look at the fruits of their labors, as it includes the archives of the Joint Occasional Papers on Native Affairs and a variety of field reports, such as “Renewing Beauty: Options for Navajo Land Management and Decision Making”. [KMG]
http://www.pbs.org/teachers/math/
PBS has developed a number of websites for educators, and their PBS Teachers site has received a number of accolades and high praise from diverse quarters. First-time visitors to the site may wish to first use the drop-down menus here to select a grade range and a topic that interests them. After doing so, a set of relevant materials will be offered to them, organized by topic and intended grade level. Also, visitors who sign up can customize their searches and sign up for reminders and newsletters. The site also provides definitions of the general topics, such as applied mathematics, discrete mathematics, and statistics. If visitors find themselves a bit overwhelmed, they can also just click on some of the “Featured Educational Resources” to get a feel for the materials contained within the site’s archive. [KMG]
http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/structure/index.html
The Cutting Edge group at Carleton College has created a number of fine teaching resources for college-level instructors working across the geological sciences, and this website is no exception. This particular area of their larger site is primarily intended for educators who teach structural geology. As visitors scroll through the site, they will find thematic areas that include links to computer applications, geologic maps that can be used for instructional purposes, and specific classroom activities. Some of these activities include “Using Field Lab Write-ups to Develop Observational and Critical Thinking Skills” and “Analysis of Sidewalk Fractures”. Additionally, visitors can sign up for their listserv discussions and view presentations from different workshops they have conducted in the past. [KMG]
http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/whi/feature/lapham/
Increase Lapham came west to Wisconsin via New York and Kentucky in 1836, and he soon established himself as one of the state’s premier experts on the natural history of the Badger State. In fact, he was the state’s first scientist, and by the time he died in 1875, he had created the first accurate maps of the state, made investigations into local effigy mounds, and provided his services in a host of different ways to the betterment of Wisconsinites. During these years, he also maintained correspondence with the leading geologists, botanists and other scientists of his day. He kept an album of photographs of these individuals, and this forms the basis of this online collection offered by the Wisconsin Historical Society. Merely by browsing throughout the collection, visitors will be able to view images of noted geologist, Sir Charles Lyell, botanist Asa Gray, and Jean Louis Rodolphe Agassiz. The collection is rounded out by an essay on these cartes-de-visite and hyper-text links to some of Lapham’s seminal works, such as his 1855 book, “The Antiquities of Wisconsin”. [KMG]
While obtaining astronomical data can be an expensive endeavor, locating this data online can be a time-consuming task. Fortunately, the US National Virtual Observatory’s website makes that process much simpler. The Observatory and the website are funded the National Science Foundation’s Information Technology Research Program, and seventeen astronomy and computer science organizations in the US and Canada have been involved in its development. Most visitors will want to browse through the FAQ section, which gives specific details on what can be found here. Additionally, visitors will want to look over the “Getting Started” section, as it uses screenshots and annotations to lead users through the operation of five key applications that are available through the Observatory. [KMG]
How can the United States work to alleviate poverty and create work opportunities for its residents? This is by no means a simple problem, and this area of public policy was recently taken up by the United States Conference of Mayors. Under the direction of Los Angeles’ mayor, Antonio Villaraigosa, the Conference’s Taskforce on Poverty, Work, and Opportunity created this 28-page document. Released in January 2007, the document draws on the observations of mayors around the country and their colleagues. The report notes that there are a number of opportunities, such as the fact that the globalization of trade and commerce has spurred demand for highly skilled labor and accountability in the educational systems of large cities. The document also spells out three primary investment strategies for the short and long term, including making substantial investments in the life-long education and skills development of tomorrow’s workers. [KMG]
Since 1935, the Bentley Historical Library has been providing interested parties with timely and insightful materials about both the history of the state of Michigan and the esteemed University of Michigan. Currently, the library includes more than 30,000 linear feet of archives and manuscripts, 60,000 printed volumes, and over one and a half million photographs. Those who might be planning a visit to use their collections may wish to start their browsing by looking through the “Researcher Services” area, which includes copious amounts of material on their holdings, their fellowship program, and their hours of operation. More casual users may wish to move along to the “Digital Publications” section, which includes articles and papers on the history of Ann Arbor, a searchable history of the University of Michigan, and a searchable full-text version of the University’s Proceedings of the Board of Regents. The site is rounded out by a number of online exhibits, including a historical tour of campus and a special area that explores the long standing athletic rivalry between the University of Michigan and The Ohio State University. [KMG]
