Gender Diversity in Computer Science at a Large Public R1 Research University: Reporting on a Self-study

With the number of jobs in computer occupations on the rise, there is a greater need for computer science (CS) graduates than ever. At the same time, most CS departments across the country are only seeing 25–30% of women students in their classes, meaning that we are failing to draw interest from a large portion of the population. In this work, we explore the gender gap in CS at Rutgers University–New Brunswick, a large public R1 research university, using three data sets that span thousands of students across six academic years. Specifically, we combine these data sets to study the gender gaps in four core CS courses and explore the correlation of several factors with retention and the impact of these factors on changes to the gender gap as students proceed through the CS courses toward completing the CS major. For example, we find that a significant percentage of women students taking the introductory CS1 course for majors do not intend to major in CS, which may be a contributing factor to a large increase in the gender gap immediately after CS1. This finding implies that part of the retention task is attracting these women students to further explore the major. Results from our study include both novel findings and findings that are consistent with known challenges for increasing gender diversity in CS. In both cases, we provide extensive quantitative data in support of the findings.

Subdaily meteorological measurements of temperature, direction of the movement of the clouds, and cloud cover in the Late Maunder Minimum by Louis Morin in Paris

We have digitized three meteorological variables (temperature, direction of the movement of the clouds, and cloud cover) from copies of Louis Morin’s original measurements (Source: Institute of History / Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern) and subjected them to quality analysis to make these data available to the scientific community. Our available data cover the period 1665–1709 (temperature beginning in 1676). We compare the early instrumental temperature dataset with statistical methods and proxy data to validate the measurements in terms of inhomogeneities and claim that they are, apart from small inhomogeneities, reliable. The Late Maunder Minimum (LMM) is characterized by cold winters and autumns, and moderate springs and summers, with respect to the reference period of 1961–1990. Winter months show a significant lower frequency of westerly direction of movement of the clouds. This reduction of advection from the ocean leads to a cooling in Paris in winter. The influence of the advection becomes apparent when comparing the last decade of the 17th century (cold) and the first decade of the 18th century (warm). A lower frequency of westerly direction of movement of the clouds can also be seen in summer, but the influence is stronger in winter than in summer. Consequently, the unusually cold winters in the LMM can be attributed to a lower frequency of westerly direction of movement of the clouds. An impact analysis reveals that the winter of 1708/09 was a devastating one with respect of consecutive ice days, although other winters are more pronounced (e.g., the winters of 1676/77, 1678/79, 1683/84, 1692/93, 1694/95 and 1696/97) in terms of mean temperature, ice 15 days, cold days or consecutive cold days. An investigation of the cloud cover data revealed a high discrepancy in the seasons, where the winter season (DJF) (−13.2 %) and the spring season (MAM) (−12.6 %) show a negative anomaly of the total cloud cover (TCC), whereas summer (JJA) (−0.5 %) shows a moderate anomaly of TCC with respect to the 30 year mean of the Meteobluedata (1985–2014).

First report of Eimeria sp. from Eurasian wild boar (Sus scrofa) in Iran

In Iran, wild boar is distributed throughout the country, except the Central Desert. One of the important habitats of this animal is the northern mountainous area. They may pass infected faeces in these areas, which can lead to zoonotic disease, though information about parasitic infections in wild boar is rare in Iran and further study is necessary. In February 2019, a wild boar carcass was submitted to the Veterinary Parasitology Department of the Science and Research University of Tehran by the Department of Environment of Mazandaran province in order to study its parasitic infections. Faeces and the gastrointestinal tract were separated and their contents were tested using two flotation methods (Willis and Clayton-Lane), and the samples were referred to the Parasitology Laboratory of Urmia University for further study. The sample was infected with Eimeria protozoa; Eimeria porci and Eimeria neodebliecki were diagnosed based on the size and morphology factors of the isolated oocysts. This is the first report of wild boar infection by Eimeria sp. protozoa in Iran.

The Madman and Psychotherapy in the Neoliberal Academy: A Chinese Doctoral Student's Experience in the United States

This self-reflective paper examines my experience as a Chinese doctoral student while studying in a large research university in America. Through my self-reflection, with Foucault's analysis on power, I hope to shed some light on my experience with the neoliberal academy, which caused much discomfort and created my fragmented identities. Instead of questioning the problematic neoliberal power relations that caused my discomfort in the first place, as the madman of higher ed, I was directed to psychotherapy to treat my symptoms, which only caused more confusion. Through my story, I hope to reveal how social context, Neoliberalism in this case, and social discourse of psychotherapy, work hand in hand in higher education space, which have exercised intangible power and created the fragmented identities among many international doctoral students in America. At the end of the paper, I also provided suggestions for graduate students to navigate the neoliberal academy.

Youth-Led Action Research

In this chapter, the authors provide a case study and autoethnographic account of a youth-led, social justice-oriented, community-based participatory action research (CBPAR) project in Washington, DC. After providing background of action research, university-community partnerships, and the context of the partnership, the authors describe the three phases of the collaborative project that took place from Fall 2019 to Spring 2021. During this time, in the midst of a global pandemic, high school and college students, with support from teachers, implemented a mixed methods CBPAR project on making Black Lives Matter in schools. This chapter describes the steps taken and the lessons learned, with the intent of assisting the reader in potentially implementing something similar in their community or at their university.

Features of the educational program «Nanotechnologies and nanomaterials in energy»: machine learning

The results of the development of new educational programs in the field of nanotechnology and nanomaterials in the energy sector, which have been developed and are actively used by the National Research University “MPEI”, are presented. Modern nanomaterials and nanotechnological processes in traditional and alternative (“green”) energy require new approaches, including statistical methods for the analysis and synthesis of experimental data and design options. For this reason, without the active use of machine learning methods, it is impossible to train qualified specialists in the field of promising energy problems and their solutions. Through teaching, research, and innovation, «MPEI» exceptional community pursues its mission of service to the nation and the world.

E-Portfolios and Exploring One’s Identity in Teacher Education

Academic faculty in a two-year post-baccalaureate teacher education program at a small research university in British Columbia explored the extended use of e-Portfolios into final practicum over a three-year period. The education technology course offered in Term Three asked teacher candidates to create and design an e-Portfolio as part of the coursework. In this program evaluation, the author investigated the continued use of e-Portfolios into Term Four during final practicum. Faculty in this teacher education program sought ways to improve the program, particularly the practicum experience for teacher candidates. Extending the use of e-Portfolios into Term Four was one of three initiatives that were adopted. The e-Portfolio served as a digital platform for teachercandidates to archive, reflect, and sense-make; italso functioned as a means to develop theirprofessional identities and understanding of theprofessional standards. The final practicumconcluded with a Celebration of Learning and thecapstone presentations referenced e-Portfolios.This paper focuses on how e-Portfolios wereintroduced and implemented with six cohorts, whatwas observed by the faculty member, and whatwas learned from the implementation to inform thefuture use of e-Portfolios in the program andprogram redesign. The extended use of e-Portfolios during the final practicum was found tobe a viable initiative and revealed professionalqualities of teacher candidates that may not havebeen visible otherwise.

Sociological Studies on Russian Innovation System and Narrative Economics Approach

The article aims to review studies of various aspects of the Russian innovation system, which were conducted under the auspices of the leading sociological centers of the Russian Federation, in order to identify and compare the heuristic potential of the methodical and methodological approaches and models applied, as well as to conduct a secondary analysis of the empirical data obtained through them. Materials of research conducted at the Institute of Sociology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the National Research University Higher School of Economics, the Russian Public Opinion Research Center, the Central Economics and Mathematics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, Association of Innovative Regions of Russia are used in the present study. A secondary analysis of the considered empirical data and approaches to their analysis in the context of improving the heuristic potential of the narrative institutional analysis of the Russian innovation system is carried out. The paper demonstrates that the consistency of narratives and studied data, including indicators of official statistics, is ambiguous. The article considers the interrelation of indicators and narratives about certain problematic issues such as the volume and sources of innovation funding, the importance of intellectual property rights registration for the innovation implementation, the need for long-term planning for the implementation of innovations, the state's focus on stimulation of innovation, the most and least innovative industries and types of economic activities.

Electronic information and educational environment of the University: sociological analysis (as exemplified by Samara National Research University)

The article discusses the concept of electronic information and educational environment of the university and its structure. The features of its implementation are analyzed on the example of Samara National Research University named after academician S.P. Korolev. The article presents the results of a sociological study, the purpose of which has been to point out the specifics of the use of the universitys IEE under conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as to carry out the research regarding the students opinion about the educational features of distance learning process. The following components of EIEE are most often used during distance learning: personal educational account, e-learning system based on Moodle (do.ssau.ru) and the university portal (ssau.ru). The majority of respondents believe that online educational platforms have limited opportunities for interactive interaction between students and teachers. Students suggest to pay attention primarily to the technical equipment of the educational process and the development of free online educational platforms. That is their proposal regarding the optimization of the online learning process.