VOL. CXVIII, NO. 102
DAILYBAROMETER.COM
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 2016 OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
OSU receives grant for sustainability By Thomas Kelley News Contributor
JOSHUA LUCAS | THE DAILY BAROMETER
Natalie Morris, Senior studying Public Health, and Julianne Nguyen, Senior in Biohealth, “pledge for parity” at the SEC plaza Tuesday afternoon
Telling ‘HERstory’ OSU celebrates Women’s History month By Hannah Haney News Contributor
Celebrating Women’s HERstory Month with a variety events to educate and recognize women’s contributions to our society and highlight the discrimination that women still face today. Having the play on words of “HERstory” instead of history is meant to call attention the fact that history has been written from a predominately male perspective, according to senior Adrianna Davis, a student leadership liaison for the Women’s Center. “History in general is ‘HISstory’,” Davis said. “So ‘HERstory’ is not just focused on women’s voices but it’s also used as a way to tell the narratives of those whose histories have been erased.” On the first of the month, events kicked off with a film screening of the documentary film “First Generation,” a film following first generation students,
History in general is ‘HISstory.’ So ‘HERstory’ is not just focused on women’s voices but it’s also used as a way to tell the narratives of those whose histories have been erased. Adrianna Davis Women’s Center Student Leadership Liaison including women, on their journey as they attempt to be the first ones in their family to obtain a post-secondary education. OSU’s second annual Women’s History Month dinner was held in the Memorial Union Ballroom on Monday. It included a formal dinner and featured keynote speak Carmen Suarez. “We had a turnout of over a 100 people (...) It’s always nice when people
come to your events, but it’s also cool that people are celebrating something that is usually just overlooked by most people.” Davis said. Yesterday was International Women’s Day, and the Women’s Center hosted a brunch that had music playing, and the opportunity to make a pledge to equality for women around the world. In addition, six canvases, each with a
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The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded Oregon State University a share of aw $10 million grant for the research project CompSustNet, which deals with computational sustainability. Computational sustainability, in short, is using computer science to research sustainability problems. OSU faculty distinguished professor Tom Dietterich, Professor Alan Fern, and Professor John Selker along with researchers from Cornell University, Stanford University and eight other research institutions are a part of the project. “The project is to provide a group of researchers with key challenges to stimulate information needs and experimental designs,” Selker said. Dietterich, the project’s Assistant Director, explained the project explores new ideas in the field of computational sustainability. Specifically, it will consist of Microbial Fuel cells research, the project Birdcast, and research on sensor placement for the Trans-African Hydro-Meteorological Observatory (TAHMO). Microbial fuel cells are, as defined by MIT, “devices that use bacteria as the catalysts to oxidize organic and inorganic matter and generate current.” “Microbial fuel cells work similarly to a battery in that they generate electricity,” Professor of Biological and Ecological Engineering Hong Liu said. The fuel aspect is typically dirty THOMAS DIETTERICH| waste water. The organic DISTINGUISHED OSU or inorganic waste matter COMPUTER SCIENCE in the water is filtered out PROFESSOR and used, turning chemical energy to electrical energy, leaving clean water behind. Microbial fuel cells can be used to power robots, sensors and more. Birdcast is a project for tracking and studying bird migration. In 2002, Cornell University released eBird, an app and website, where birders can track bird migration in real time. Birders will be able to see approximately when and where birds will be in their area. In addition, they will have the ability to record bird sightings, connect with the eBird community and contribute to science. Right now, the scientific focus on the Birdcast project is to track the mortality rate of birds during their seasonal migration. TAHMO is an attempt to set up a weather prediction system for farmers in Africa. Today’s common weather sensors usually have moving parts, which tend to break, according to Dietterich, and repair costs can make affording the sensors near impossible to many farmers in Africa. However, Dietterich said newly designed sensors with no moving parts powered by microbial fuel cells are a cost effective replacement. “The main challenge is to optimize sensor place-
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Disability courses lacking in psychology
how universities are failing to address disabilities in their courses. The largest minority group in the U.S. is people with disabilities, who make up 19 percent of the population. However, education on disability in college psychology courses is lacking across the country. By Hannah Haney Bogart’s study was titled, “Teaching About News Contributor Disability in Psychology, an Analysis of DisabilAlthough many universities around the ity Curricula in U.S. Undergraduate Psychology country are lacking courses on disability in Programs.” their curriculums, professors Oregon State “Psychology does a good job of teaching University is working to change this. about other minority groups such as race and Kathleen Bogart, assistant professor of psy- sexuality, but disability doesn’t get talked about chology in the College of Liberal Arts at Oregon as much and it’s the largest minority group,” State University, co-authored a study revealing Bogart said.
Study reveals that universities lacking in disability curriculum
IN THIS ISSUE >>>
The study, published in the journal Teaching of Psychology, analyzed the content of psychology courses from the top 98 universities in the nation. According to the study, all schools failed to provide courses on the wide range of different disabilities; cognitive, chronic, intellectual, sensory and physical, as well as psychiatric. Courses covering psychiatric disabilities, including depression, were the only standard curriculum at every one of the schools. The study shows that many of the most common types of disability were underrepresented. For example, only 8 percent of universities cover physical disabilities in their undergraduate psychology courses. However, 37 percent of disabled people have a physical disability.
Not only are many types of disability not covered in coursework, but the method with which disability is being taught is incomplete. The study explains how disability is commonly taught using a medical model, meaning disability is viewed as a disorder that needs to be cured. “In the U.S. we have historically thought about disability in the medical model,” Bogart said. “The medical model sees the entire problem of disability as being within the individual and is looking to fix it. (Disability) is viewed as a personal problem with somebody and their goal is to remove that problem.” Bogart recognizes the value of the medical
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Men’s hoops headed to Vegas, SPORTS, PAGE 5 Tuition increases must stop, FORUM, PAGE 7 Body appreciation fashion show, A&E, PAGE 8