Current Programs Nearshore Habitat Restoration in Puget Sound
Professor Joel Elliott, Biology The marine waters of Puget Sound are dynamic and contain a wide diversity of organisms. Professor Elliott and his students study the marine life of Puget Sound, and one of their projects is to examine the distribution and abundance of eelgrass in nearshore habitats. Eelgrass (Zostera marina) beds are important components of marine ecosystems, acting as areas of high productivity, stabilizing sediment, and providing critical habitat for juvenile salmon and other marine organisms. Worldwide, eelgrass beds are in decline because of human activity, and a similar trend is occurring in Puget Sound. Due to the importance of eelgrass beds as critical habitat for endangered salmon populations, government agencies, community groups, and environmental organizations are interested in conducting eelgrass restoration in local marine habitats. Since 2001, Dr. Elliott and his students have been working in collaboration with local environmental organizations to monitor the distribution and abundance of eelgrass beds in the near shore zone of Commencement Bay. They are using underwater video and GPS (Global Positioning Systems) technologies to map the locations of eelgrass beds and the data are analyzed using GIS (Geographic Information Systems). Historically, eelgrass habitat in Commencement Bay has been significantly reduced because of shoreline development and industrial activity. In particular, more than 30 lumber mills operated on the Tacoma waterfront between 1869-1977, and Dr. Elliott and his students have found that there is a significant amount of wood waste buried in the near shore sediments at some former mill sites. The decomposition of this wood waste leads to high levels of hydrogen sulfide in the sediments, which is detrimental to the growth and survival of eelgrass. Professor Elliott is now working with government agencies, community groups, and environmental organizations to develop effective protocols for restoring eelgrass to the shoreline of Commencement Bay. A test area is currently being defined. Using that test site, students and members of other organizations will evaluate the efficacy of shoreline restoration and planting eelgrass. Professor Elliott and other researchers will then test for long term impacts to the overall health of the area once restoration has occurred. This research project will provide insights into successfully dealing with this newly discovered environmental problem affecting near shore habitat, and should lead to restoration protocols that can be adopted at a variety of other sites in Puget Sound where this problem. ^ top The Road Home: Homeless Policy for Pierce County
Professor Richard Anderson-Connolly, Comparative Sociology
Professor Renee Houston, Communication Studies
Professor Carolyn Weisz, Psychology Working with the Pierce County, Department of Community Services and the Road Home Leadership Team, the university is providing research assistance in developing a long-range plan to reduce the homeless population in Pierce County. Professors Rich Anderson-Connolly, Renee Houston and Carolyn Weisz recently completed a first phase of research, which used a systems-based approach to understand homelessness in Pierce County. Integral to that effort was a multi-method approach which sought to understand how the public views homelessness, how homelessness is framed by the media and what the homeless have to share about their experiences. To that end, the research includes stakeholder interviews, community focus groups, survey of the homeless population, and identifying key messages about homelessness in the local media. Read the full report >> ^ top Educational Achievement & Assessment
Professor Dexter Gordon, Communication Studies and
Director of African American Studies
Professor Christine Kline,
Dean of the School of Education The University of Puget Sound has long been concerned with improving educational outcomes. Certainly the university is committed to the producing the best possible outcomes for its own students. An important element in the School of Education’s mission is to train and educate teachers and administrators who can improve educational outcomes for students from kindergarten through high school. The African American Studies program, under the direction of Professor Dexter Gordon, is committed to improving the delivery of educational opportunities to the historically under-served minority populations. The university has joined with Tacoma’s Black Collective, local school districts, and the State Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction to explore ways to raise student outcomes in areas demonstrating underachievement. The project is exploring ways to augment and supplement traditional classroom instruction so student achievement increases. Exploring extra-curricular programs, family based activities, and community support are at the center of this effort. This project also supports the university’s Race and Pedagogy program, an long term effort to raise awareness about educational issues for minority students. The Race and Pedagogy seminars and activities will help to inform the broader issue discussions for the Educational Achievement and Assessment project. ^ top Summer Brass Music Camp
Kristen Murphy, Program Director, Community Music
Dave Griffith, Recreation Supervisor, Metro Parks Tacoma
Jay Scott & Ryan Schultz, Puget Sound Affiliate Faculty Summer Camp Registration The Community Music Department of the School of Music has joined with Metro Parks of Tacoma to offer a one week summer music camp for junior and senior high school students. The day camp program will run from June 24-28, 2008. Students will have the opportunity to study with University of Puget Sound Affiliated Faculty professional brass musicians. The camp experience will allow students to improve their skills, perform new works, and interact with peers who share an interest in music. This week long brass camp will provide university level instruction to pre-college aged music students. This music program is designed to be accessible and affordable without highly competitive entry requirements. Activities will be housed on the beautiful north end Tacoma campus. The university, by partnering with Metro Parks, will bring a top-quality opportunity within reach of the local community. The Puget Sound Brass Camp offers an exciting, non-competitive music experience designed for high school and advanced junior high brass players of varying abilities. This week long camp will offer students the opportunity to participate in master classes and rehearsals led by members of the brass faculty from the University of Puget Sound. Players of all brass instruments (trumpet, French horn, trombone, euphonium and tuba) will improve their skills, perform in large and small chamber ensembles, and interact with peers who share an interest in music. Master class topics will include proper breath support, warm up methods, practice techniques, and intonation studies. Ensembles will be formed of students with similar abilities. Participants should have three years playing experience on their instrument--which generally means having completed the seventh grade--though younger and older participants are welcome with instructor's permission. The camp will culminate with a concert. This University of Puget Sound and Metro Parks program brings together two institutions with rich experiences in delivering high quality programs. The university’s Community Music Program is highly regarded throughout the region. Members of the School of Music faculty (full time and affiliated) are professionals – both as performers and as instructors. Tacoma’s Metro Parks delivers outstanding programs – athletic, recreational, and cultural – to all age groups. The professionals of Metro Parks have years of successful experience in designing, administering, and organizing programs and activities. For additional information concerning: - Registration for this camp
Contact Metro Parks, 253.305.1022, www.metroparkstacoma.org - The camp program, particularly questions about suitability for a student
Contact Ryan Schultz at 253.879.1500 x9454.
Contact Jay Scott via e-mail.
^ top Understanding Participation in Physical Activity Programs:
YMCA and the Activate America Program
Professor David Droge, Communication Studies
The university, under the supervision of Professor David Droge (Department of Communication Studies), has joined with the Tacoma YMCA in their Activate America program. This program, precipitated by a health crisis in American society surrounding adult and childhood obesity, is part of a shift in organizational philosophy of the natural YMCA. This project is designed to develop partnerships with other national and community groups to change the eating habits and level of physical activity of adults and children. Included in Activate America is the Gulick Initiative, a program that focuses on developing internal strategies to support the overall program.
Professor Droge is working with the Tacoma YMCA to help analyze the target population and devise strategies and programs to promote healthy habits. The overall group of "health seekers" consists of individuals who are are they need to become more physically active and may have tried activity in the past, but are not currently involved in regular physical activity. "Health seekers" make up about three-quarters of the population.
Professor Droge's work will center on identifying subgroups or market segments within the "health seeker" population. An important element of the research will be to understand the hopes and fears of people contemplating a program of physical activity. The project, using the traditional "Q-sort" technique, will help people articulate their expectations and concerns as they consider a program of activity.
Professor Droge notes: "We are currently involved in collecting data from a preliminary group of prospective YMCA members. Based on our analysis of their responses, we intend to identify groups of like-minded "health seekers" and develop strategies to encourage their regular involvement in an individually-tailored comprehensive health improvement plan. Following our work with this preliminary group, we will be refining our survey instrument in hopes of disseminating it to other YMCAs for use in the nationwide Initiative. ^ top Physician Lifelong Learner Program (PLLP)
Professor Bruce Mann, Economics and Civic Scholarship Initiative Director
Sue Asher, Pierce County Medical Society
Members of the university’s faculty will share their expertise with the Pierce County Medical Society. The purpose of this project to help the Society’s members (primarily physicians serving the Pierce County area) remain informed about a variety of social, cultural, scientific, and political issues. The Society believes that these types of programs will help care-givers and medical professionals appreciate the broader set of concerns that their patients must confront.
The Lifelong Learner Program is not meant to provide professional training or continuing education for the Society’s members. They have programs for this purpose. Rather, this program will offer health care providers more general and current information to inform them as citizens and medical professionals.
This program also provides an unique opportunity for the university’s faculty to share their expertise and research findings with a targeted audience of professionals. Audience responses, questions, and comments will provide the faculty presenters with ideas and insights that will sharpen and augment their analyses.
The program presentations for the 2007-08 year will include: - Psychology and Memory, by Professor Mark Reinitz
- Bioethics, by Professor Suzanne Holland
- Worldwide Spread of Mercury Contamination, by Professor Travis Horton
- Genomics and the Physiology of Stress, by Professor Andreas Madlung
- Economic Development and Fair Trade Issues, by Professor Matthew Warning
- Anti-Terrorism and Wiretapping, by Professor Seth Weinberger
^ top Pierce County Economic Index
Professor Bruce Mann, Economics
Professor Douglas Goodman, Economics
The Pierce County Economic Index (PCEI) is an annual forecast for the economy of Pierce County, Washington. It is presented each December by Professors Douglas Goodman and Bruce Mann of the Economics Department of the University of Puget Sound.
Click below to see this year's Horizons presentation to the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber of Commerce and the text of this year's forecast.
Horizons presentation
Forecast text ^ top Theatre, Community, and Collaboration
Professor Jac Royce, Theatre Arts The experience of theatre enriches both the campus environment and the quality of life in the south Puget Sound region. The university's Department of Theatre Arts actively engages with the local performing arts community to develop programs and opportunities in "community theatre." Through its efforts within the broader community the department helps to support a vibrant and innovative cultural milieu for the area. During the academic year 2007-2008, activities will include: The "Theatre, Community, and Collaboration Projects" with students, staff, faculty and alumnae working with Northwest Playwrights Alliance (NPA), Broadway Center for the Performing Arts (BCPA), and playwright C. Rosalind Bell. In November, the University of Puget Sound and Northwest Playwrights Alliance, lead by Bryan Willis and Brian Tyrrell, will co-produce C. Rosalind Bell's The New Orleans Monologues, featuring university faculty member Grace Livingston as Elaine. The New Orleans Monologues bring to life the imagined voices of African American women who suffered the ravages of Hurricane Katrina in vastly different ways. In late February and early March, Northwest Playwrights Alliance, Broadway Center for the Performing Arts, and the Theatre Arts Department will co-produce a Festival of Northwest Plays at Theatre on the Square in Tacoma. Northwest Playwrights Allicance, Broadway Center for the Performing Arts, and the Theatre Arts Department will co-produce the second annual Double Shot Festival in May. This event will offer 14 new works in 48 hours with Puget Sound students, faculty, and alumnae working with actors, writers, directors, and musicians from the region. Local author C. Rosalind Bell will be artist-in-residence in Theatre Arts and African American Studies during the fall. She has authored five screenplays, two novellas, a novel and a collection of short stories. She has been recognized with a Washington State Artist in Residency Grant in 2000 and a Callaloo Literary Journal Fellowship in 2003. A short film of one of her stories, "Tootie Pie," was screened at the Seattle International Film Festival in May, 2006. Stones in My Passway, a fictionalized account of legendary Bluesman, Robert Johnson, was chosen as a season opener for the Seattle International Film Festival's Screenwriters' Salon Series.
For details, dates, times, and more information please go to the Theatre Arts Home Page. ^top | |
