Alexandria Keeble
A Discourse Analysis of Stakeholder Positions Regarding Reopening the Gold Mine at Wolf Creek, Nevada County, California
In order to get a better idea of how people view the mines and other stake holders Alexandria is going to do a discourse analysis based on previously identified stake holder groups. Dresden is the primary informant for discourse theory and how Alex has designed her study. To do this study she will use the Qtest which in general terms is to administer surveys to determine how stakeholder groups think the other group members see them and how they see themselves. This will provide insight into how the discourse is working in regards to the reopening of a mine. She will be interviewing members from various stakeholder groups and then doing analytical comparisons about how they ranked statements in interviews. From this analysis she hopes to shed light onto groups functioning opinions of others and what their opinions really are. This may make it possible for these groups to work together more closely instead of assuming they stand on different sides of the issue.
Shannon Feeny
Impacts of Anthropogenic and Natural Stressors on Southern California Eelgrass Ecosystems for Regenerative Planning and Management”
Eelgrass (Zostera marina) is a federally protected marine seagrass due to its importance as a fish nursery, predation refuge and food source. It is estimated that there are less than 5000 acres of eelgrass today in the Southern California area. It is protected under the Southern Caifornia Eelgrass Mitigation Policy (SCEMP) revision 11. The overarching question is how can eelgrass stressors be identified, altered and avoided in order to create sustainable eelgrass communities that promote greater biodiversity throughout Southern California coastal areas? Shannon proposes to measure the following variables – dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, conductivity, salinity, fecal coliform bacteria, turbidity, temperature, nitrates, phosphate, and pH. Data collection will be at Peters Landing Marina and Jack Dunster Marine Biological Reserve. In addition to the chemical differences she will measure the number of shoots per meter and the overall size of the beds to determine health and density. Data will be analyzed statistically to aid in her understanding.
Eric-Valentin Issertes-Carbonnier
Adaptive Building Envelopes:Integration of Transitional Technologies”
The subject of Eric’s research are building envelopes. Traditionally they are perceived as static and non-participatory within our active environment. Adaptive building envelopes are a concept that integrates transitional technologies, which couple building performance and the natural environment. The main objective of this research is to prototype an adaptable building envelope inspired by a combination of innovative passive and active technologies known as transitional technologies. The main research questions of this proposal are: How can transitional technologies enhance a building envelope’s affinity with the exterior and interior environment to reduce energy consumption? What are the emergent regenerative qualities of adaptable building envelopes? The testing will be completed using computer analysis and physical testing. Data loggers will be used to measure internal temperatures and automated building functions will also be tested. Integration of automated functions offer a greater capacity to improve indoor thermal comfort and reduce building energy consumption while maintaining an affinity with the natural environment.
