University Of Colorado At Boulder Research Articles

Closing the Loop: Automating Links to Open Access Versions of Articles in Faculty Profiles at a Large Research Institution

Introduction: Universities implement faculty profile systems for a variety of reasons, including to increase visibility of research produced at the institution. These profiles often connect with other campus systems, particularly institutional repositories. This article describes a collaboration at the University of Colorado Boulder aimed at integrating the institutional repository with the faculty profile system, which then expanded to encompass the automated creation of profile links to open access versions of faculty articles from any journal or repository. Description of Program: To achieve the initial project goals, a cross-campus team from the University Libraries and the Faculty Information System developed a strategy of using Unpaywall as an intermediary data source to connect the institutional repository with the faculty profile system. This also allowed for the development of an automated process for generating links to open access content from any journal or repository, which resulted in the creation of over 35,000 links to openly available content in faculty profiles, including over 2,900 links to content in the institutional repository. These links provide public users of the faculty profile system with a simple way to access all openly available research produced at the university. This article describes the development and implementation of this project as well as lessons learned. Next Steps: The ongoing collaboration provides additional opportunities to unlock data for monitoring rates of open access publishing and self-archiving, informing library collection development decisions, and connecting to other data sources to reveal further insights.

Dr. Casey Fiesler: Making tech ethics go viral

MIT Science Policy Review spoke with Dr. Casey Fiesler about her work to bring technology ethics to the general public through social media. Dr. Fiesler is an Associate Professor of Information Science (and Computer Science by courtesy) at the University of Colorado Boulder, specializing in the areas of technology ethics, internet law and policy, and online communities. Dr. Fiesler’s work on research ethics for data science, ethics education in computing, and broadening participation in computing has been supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF), and she is the recipient of an NSF CAREER Award. As a public scholar, she frequently speaks on topics of technology ethics and policy, and her research has been covered in a wide variety of media outlets, from The New York Times to Teen Vogue (though she’s particularly proud of her TikToks). Dr. Fiesler holds a PhD in Human-Centered Computing and a JD from Vanderbilt Law School. We had a conversation with Dr. Fiesler about her widely followed social media channels, where she addresses technology ethics with the general public. You can follow her on Instagram and TikTok @professorcasey.

What does it mean to be 'Taiwanese'?

In May and June of 2023, I had the opportunity to travel to Taiwan through a CU Boulder Global Seminar program. The program was generously funded by the Tang Foundation. The seminar, titled “Memory Politics in Taiwan”, explored how the built environment in Taiwan creates and sustains narratives surrounding Taiwan’s history and continues to shape Taiwanese identity and politics. At the end of the course, we were asked to compile a photo essay answering the question “What does it mean to be ‘Taiwanese’?” The following is my response to that prompt, accompanied by images taken during our three-week journey.

Is it the people or the place? The remarkable 30-year period of integrative physiology research in the Carlson Gymnasium at the University of Colorado Boulder.

Historically, programs of physical education and sport were housed in gymnasium buildings on academic campuses. As physical education evolved to the more scientifically focused successor departments of exercise science and kinesiology, faculty specialization developed in the physiology of exercise. With time, some faculty broadened their research to study the integrative physiology of other biological states and stressors. Through this series of events, a small group of integrative physiologists was formed in the Carlson Gymnasium at the University of Colorado Boulder during the 1990s with the goal of conducting novel biomedical research. The challenges were daunting: no contemporary core laboratory facilities, lack of temperature control, piercing external noise, pests, regular flooding, electrical power outages, and lack of funds for renovation. Despite these obstacles, the group established an innovative program of translational physiological research ranging from high-throughput molecular analyses to cell models to rodent studies to clinical trials in humans. These investigators supported their work with grant awards from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Defense, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), American Heart Association, and private research foundations totaling ∼$80 M in direct costs from the late 1980s to 2020. Collectively, the faculty and their laboratory personnel published ∼950 articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals. Over that period, 379 undergraduate students, 340 graduate students, 84 postdoctoral fellows, and dozens of junior research faculty received scientific training in Carlson, supported by >$21 M in extramural funding. What was accomplished by this handful of integrative physiologists speaks to the importance of the qualities of the investigators rather than their research facilities in determining scientific success.

Implementation of the photovoice methodology in a project-based upper-division physics course

Photovoice is a type of participatory action research in which individuals document their experiences through photography. Through the taking, captioning, and reflecting on photographs that they have taken, participants are able to affect change within their communities. Participants also take part in an interview or focus group about their photos at the end of the photovoice process in which they determine themes that appear in their photos, allowing them to participate in the research being done. We used the photovoice methodology in a small, project-based, upper-division, physics capstone course at the University of Colorado Boulder, in which students worked on an authentic industry project in partnership with a company in the quantum industry. As an example of the types of research results and benefits one could obtain using photovoice, we present a discussion of how we implemented the photovoice process within this course and present some of our results, including students’ experiences with the photovoice process. Photovoice may be particularly useful in understanding new, unique courses, as it allows students to co-create research that highlights ideas about the course that researchers would not know to ask about in more traditional research methodologies such as reflection questions. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

PhET: AN INTERACTIVE SIMULATION TECHNOLOGY FOR LEARNING OUTCOMES BASED TEACHING-LEARNING SCIENCE

Recognizing the immense potential of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as an essential part of the teaching-learning process for enhancing connectivity, content, capacity, and collaboration among various stakeholders, the National Education Policy 2020 advocates for education to reach individual learners through both online and offline modes of delivery. NEP-2020 further states that virtual laboratories provide equal access to quality practical and hands-on experiment-based learning experiences for all students. It also emphasizes that the teaching-learning process through games and simulations positively affects the quality of education. Traditionally, these methods have been associated with strong teachers who maintain high degrees of personal contact with learners. They can be utilized by students individually, in groups, or through virtually demonstrated experiments to conduct the required activities. In this area, PhET simulations offer dynamic access to multiple representations, making the invisible visible, scaffolding inquiry, and allowing for safe and quick access to multiple entry points while being engaging and fun for both teachers and students. PhET Interactive Simulations is an online and offline platform developed by the University of Colorado Boulder, featuring more than 159 interactive simulations (56 in Physics, 30 in Chemistry, 48 in Mathematics, 18 in Earth Science, and 7 in Biology) for teaching and learning science from elementary to higher levels. These simulations enable students to conduct experiments more flexibly and interactively using text, video, multimedia, animation, and simulations. They also aid in hands-on, activity-based skill training. This paper focuses on the application of PhET simulations in science education within the current context of digital education. It also examines the status of laboratories in India, the use of PhET simulations for science (Physics, Chemistry, and Biology), the steps involved in accessing and using PhET simulations, the importance of their design and procedures, and their implications for enhancing practical abilities, skills, and assessment.

Tiny Satellites Can Provide Significant Information About Space

Students and faculty at the University of Colorado Boulder use CubeSats to learn more about the near-Earth environment.

Fairy Tales at CU Boulder Banner 3

This piece of digital media, one out of a series, is made by me as part of a UROP effort alongside the Rare and Distinctive Collections at Norlin to make a vast fairy tale collection accessible to the public. Pictured in the banner are a variety of illustrations taken from different books being entered into an online database to create a fantastical scene, highlighting parts of little-known tales across cultures. The illustration for this college are taken from the following sources housed on campus: From Europa’s Fairy Book: “A Dozen at a Blow,” “The Unseen Bridegroom,” “The Dancing Water, the Singing Apple, and the Speaking Bird,” “The Language of Animals,” and “The Master-Maid”. From The Green Fairy Book: “The Enchanted Snake,” From The Book of Fables and Folk Stories: “Puss in Boots,” From The Yellow Fairy Book: “The Six Swans,” From The Brown Fairy Book: “The Bunyip,” and From The Pink Fairy Book: “Esben and the Witch,” “The Snow-Queen”.

Fairy Tales at CU Boulder Banner 1

This piece of digital media, one out of a series, is made by me as part of a UROP effort alongside the Rare and Distinctive Collections at Norlin Library to make a vast fairy tale collection accessible to the public. Pictured in the banner are a variety of illustrations taken from different books being entered into an online database to create a fantastical scene, highlighting parts of little-known tales across cultures. The illustration for this college are taken from the following sources housed on campus: From Europa’s Fairy Book: “The Unseen Bridegroom,” from Histories or Tales of Past Times Written for Children Told By Mother Goose with Morals: “The Master Cat; Or, Puss in Boots,” From A Selection from Grimm’s Fairy Tales: “The Frog Prince,” “Rumpelstiltskin,” “Hansel and Gretel,” from The Sleeping Beauty and Other Fairy Tales from the Old French: “Beauty and the Beast,” and from The Allies’ Fairy Book: “Jack the Giant-Killer” and “The Golden Apple-tree”. This collage also contains images from the independent publication of Cinderella, or, The Little Glass Slipper (1904), as well as Beauty and the Beast (1891), along with a number of illustrations by fairy tale illustrators Edmund Dulac, John Dickson Batten, Alfred Henry Forrester, and Henry Justice Ford (Courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries).

Development of dynamic centrifuge models for measurement and visualization of deformation mechanisms in liquefiable soils

Recent advancements in geotechnical physical modeling have enabled visualization and analysis of deformation mechanisms in soil sections through the integration of Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) in dynamic centrifuge modeling. PIV requires a rigid wall container. In this paper, we summarize the design considerations that enable reliable measurement and visualization of soil deformation mechanisms at the University of Colorado (CU) Boulder’s 400 g-ton, 5.5 m radius centrifuge facility. The primary objective of this system is to investigate the response of complex and stratigraphically variable, saturated granular soil deposits beneath shallow-founded structures, though it can also be used for other configurations that benefit from advanced visualization in the centrifuge. The setup aims to enable quantification and visualization of different deformation mechanisms, including shear, volumetric, and soil ejecta formation, near and away from structures. The paper provides detailed design considerations for the system components, including a rigid container with a transparent Perspex wall and duct seal inclusions, a linear-elastic single-degree of freedom (SDOF) structure, soil texture, a potential ground improvement technique, and a high-speed camera system. Through fully-coupled, three-dimensional (3D) nonlinear finite element analyses, we investigate the influence of container type, domain size, and duct seal geometry on boundary effects, with consideration of nonlinearities within various soil profile configurations with and without the presence of a building model. The findings highlight the critical impact of proximity to lateral boundaries of the container on accelerations, excess pore pressures, foundation settlement, tilt, and shear strains, as well as the benefits of duct seal in reducing those boundary effects. The results also show that the extent of boundary effects on key performance measures depends on the properties of the container, soil layers, and ground motion. The simulations also show that surface ejecta potential within stratigraphic soil profiles is highly sensitive to the depth of the groundwater table and variations in soil permeability, which must be considered in designing experimental programs that investigate the development of soil ejecta.

Brief Histories of Retroviral Integration Research and Associated International Conferences.

The field of retroviral integration research has a long history that started with the provirus hypothesis and subsequent discoveries of the retroviral reverse transcriptase and integrase enzymes. Because both enzymes are essential for retroviral replication, they became valued targets in the effort to discover effective compounds to inhibit HIV-1 replication. In 2007, the first integrase strand transfer inhibitor was licensed for clinical use, and subsequently approved second-generation integrase inhibitors are now commonly co-formulated with reverse transcriptase inhibitors to treat people living with HIV. International meetings specifically focused on integrase and retroviral integration research first convened in 1995, and this paper is part of the Viruses Special Issue on the 7th International Conference on Retroviral Integration, which was held in Boulder Colorado in the summer of 2023. Herein, we overview key historical developments in the field, especially as they pertain to the development of the strand transfer inhibitor drug class. Starting from the mid-1990s, research advancements are presented through the lens of the international conferences. Our overview highlights the impact that regularly scheduled, subject-specific international meetings can have on community-building and, as a result, on field-specific collaborations and scientific advancements.

The History Teaching & Learning Project: Laying the Groundwork for Departmental Change at the University of Colorado Boulder

The History Teaching & Learning Project: Laying the Groundwork for Departmental Change at the University of Colorado Boulder

To Earmark or to Nonearmark? The Role of Control, Transparency, and Warm-Glow

Problem definition: Charities face tension when deciding whether to earmark donations, that is, allow donors to restrict the use of their donations for a specific purpose. Research shows that earmarking decreases operational performance because it limits charities’ flexibility to use donations. However, there is also a common belief that earmarking increases donations. Earmarking is assumed to increase donations through three mechanisms: by (i) giving donors control over their donations, (ii) increasing operational transparency of donations, and (iii) changing donors’ levels of altruism and warm-glow. To resolve this tension, we study how, when, and why earmarking affects donors’ decisions. We consider three important decisions donors make that impact the fundraising outcome: (i) preference between earmarking and nonearmarking, (ii) decision to donate or not (i.e., donor activation), and (iii) the donation amount. Methodology/results: We design three online experiments that allow us to quantify the effect of earmarking on donors’ decisions and to investigate the role of the three aforementioned mechanisms in fundraising. Our results reveal, for example, that earmarking activates more donors but it does not always increase donation amounts. In addition, we determine the conditions under which the three mechanisms affect the outcome of fundraising campaigns. Managerial implications: Our findings provide actionable insights for how charities can design fundraising campaigns more effectively and suggest when to leverage earmarking and the three mechanisms depending on the charities’ fundraising goals. Funding: The authors gratefully acknowledge financial support provided by the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado Boulder. Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/msom.2022.0096 .

Always Room for Mindfulness

CU Boulder Libraries created a Mindfulness Room by embracing a whole learner perspective, in which patrons can meditate, pray, learn, and be inspired. Although initiated by Muslim students seeking a place to pray at a secular, public university, the Mindfulness Room has transformed into a space that encourages all to explore mindfulness practices in the midst of stress and burnout in an academic setting. The presentation emphasized how the space signals to students that libraries support the spiritual, mental, and educational aspects of being a college student, thus positively impacting the student experience as a whole. The presentation situated the project in broader trends of mental health initiatives in libraries, and discussed the contents of the mindfulness room, including a non-circulating collection, as well as future related projects. Speakers reflected on learning opportunities and challenges that arose from balancing multi-faith and secular perspectives in a single, welcoming space.

THE IMPACT OF WORKING IN A STATISTICAL COLLABORATION LABORATORY ON THE STATISTICS STUDENT COLLABORATORS

Graduate level statistics education curricula often emphasize technical instruction in theory and methodology but can fail to provide adequate practical training in applications and collaboration skills. We argue that a statistical collaboration center (“stat lab”) structured in the style of the University of Colorado Boulder’s Laboratory for Interdisciplinary Statistical Analysis (LISA) is an effective mechanism for providing graduate students with necessary training in technical, non-technical, and job-related skills. We summarize the operating structure of LISA, and then provide evidence of its positive impact on students via analyses of a survey completed by 123 collaborators who worked in LISA between 2008–15 while it was housed at Virginia Tech. Students described their work in LISA as having had a positive impact on acquiring technical (94%) and non-technical (95%) statistics skills. Five-sixths (83%) of the students reported that these skills will or have helped them advance in their careers. We call for the integration of stat labs into statistics and data science programs as part of a comprehensive and modern statistics education, and for further research on students’ experience in these labs and the impact on student outcomes.

A Tiered Model for Data Management, Curation, and Sharing Support in Grant Proposals and Budgets

Recent trends in research funder policies and guidelines increasingly point to requirements for more detailed plans for data management, curation, and sharing with an emphasis on including allowable costs in grant budgets to support these activities as well. As a result, libraries and other collaborating units at academic institutions have an opportunity to develop streamlined models that allow researchers to incorporate institutional resources for data management, curation, and sharing into their grant proposals along with costs to support these resources. While the current literature contains examples and discussions of general funding approaches to activities like data curation and long-term preservation, little has been written on formal models or strategies for incorporating data management and curation support into the grant proposal and budget process itself. This article describes the development and implementation of a tiered grant support model at the University of Colorado Boulder that provides three levels of services, infrastructure, and expertise to researchers who are looking to incorporate support and costs for data management, curation, and sharing into their grant proposals. The article also presents lessons learned since the soft launch of the grant support model as well as key challenges that have emerged. This model may serve as an example for other institutions to use or adapt to continue to help researchers meet funder requirements while simultaneously increasing the visibility of existing data management and curation resources and identifying potential new revenue or cost recovery streams.

Can police camping ticket geographies facilitate homeless outreach? Identifying harms and people in homeless encampments

AbstractUnsheltered persons experiencing homelessness (PEH) encounter many kinds of harm, and it is often unclear what data sources can be leveraged to connect PEH to services. The present study contributes by first examining crime near encampments, and then determining the utility of police tickets to aid outreach to PEH who camp in public spaces. Using Boulder Colorado and Boulder Colorado Police Department data from November 2021 to October 2022, location quotients suggest that crime is approximately three times more concentrated near encampments identified by residents, and seven times more concentrated near encampments identified with police data. Police tickets for outdoor camping were concentrated among a small number of all ticketed persons. People ticketed most camped in the same area multiple times, and had camps established within a small number of geographically proximate locations. Results suggest outreach efforts to specific PEH could be enhanced with police camping ticket geographies, and this supports a coordinated response to homelessness.

Glimpses from the past: Michael Wertheimer dead at 95.

Michael was a historian by choice and calling, well-known for his Brief History of Psychology, which appeared in six editions. He also edited with Gregory Kimble a seven-volume series of Portraits of Pioneers in Psychology, an essential resource describing many of the illustrious ancestors of contemporary psychology. He was known for his long service to various professional associations, especially the APA. He was president of four APA divisions: 1 (General Psychology), 2 (Teaching of Psychology), 24 (Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology), and 26 (History of Psychology). These commitments show his extraordinary social conscience. In the Psychology Department at CU Boulder, he was highly respected for his superior knowledge and quick curiosity, but also feared for his critical questions and comments. Michael was not one to socialize with and enjoy small talk the way most of us do. Rather, his conversations were brief, to the point, and strictly academic. However, the author also learnt that behind his formal and reserved outward appearance, there was a charming, humorous, and cheerful Mensch. But most of all he was a scholar of universal knowledge, rare passion, and exemplary devotion. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Identify, implement values to overcome obstacles for embedded counseling program

The University of Colorado Boulder Counseling and Psychiatric Services (known as CAPS) created an embedded therapist team to participate in a cross‐department collaboration beginning in 2018. (We shared the findings of this process in the article “Embedding counselors within departments across campus can meet increased demand,” published in the June 2022 issue of Student Affairs Today at bit.ly/44d8YyE.) In that article, we provided several key guidelines to support burgeoning embedded programs, including the following: “A needs assessment includes faculty, staff, and students in identifying the resources available and issues for action. Assessing needs from all perspectives allows for a collaborative process, community empowerment, and invaluable connection.”

Member Spotlight

Casey Fiesler is an associate professor of Information Science at the University of Colorado Boulder, specializing in technology ethics, internet law and policy, and online communities.