THE UNIVERISTY OF ALABAMA - Graduate School - The University ...

Jonathan Gilliam, Department of Geological SciencesFaculty Mentor: Dr. Amy Weislogel, Department of Geological SciencesPredacious Boring Intensities of Upper Cretaceous Ripley and Demopolis FormationsCretaceous marine deposits in the Ripley Formation and Demopolis Formation containmacroinvertebrate fossils with various biogenic borings. The most representative genera wereselected as grounds for comparison of boring intensity within the units. The dominant boringtrace observed in the specimens, Oichnus, yields grounds for comparison of boring intensity forspecies and total boring intensity at each site. Because these units are closely related bothtemporally and spatially, we hypothesize that these units provide opportunity for comparison ofrelationships between biogenic boring and matrix composition. Matrix analyses may alsocontribute to understanding of bioerosive controls on substrate texture.Steven B. Glass, Department of Biological Sciences, and the Computer-Based HonorsProgramFaculty Mentor: Dr. John L. Clark, Department of Biological SciencesUsing an iPod as a Biodiversity ToolIn biodiversity, many species are only catalogued in textbooks or other obscure sources. Whenworking in the field, sources such as these are unwieldy to use as references. However, if theseresources were consolidated, as in an online database, and made accessible to a mobile source,like an iPod, resources would be much more readily available and convenient to access,especially for field use. As a pilot, we’re expanding Dr. Clark’s Gesneriaceae Image Library(http://bama.ua.edu/~gesner) to include a few thousand Columnea images in an online database.We will then attempt to make this database iPod-accessible, enabling it for field use.Laura Godorecci, New CollegeFaculty Mentor: Dr. Janeann Dill, New College“Untitled”To many, the term “history” speaks of facts, of truth built on documentation. Yet if one analyzesthe term closely, one will find that “history” is by its own name a story, encompassing manydefinitions other than the one ascribed to it by the “marketplace.” History is a tale that can beaffected by its sources, rewritten, forgotten in places, remembered in others—a fluid entity. Myfilm seeks to interpret this essence of “what is history?” in a narrative that continuously jumpsand corrects itself, embodying in a work of art an explanation of the greatest story always(re)told.John Goetz, Vetrica Hill and Shelley Rawlings, School of Social WorkFaculty Mentor: Dr. Cassandra Simon, School of Social WorkBarriers to Successful Prisoner ReentryThe purpose of the Ex-offender Forum was to facilitate dialogue among stakeholders focusing onpotential solutions to problems faced by ex-offenders as they reintegrate into local communities.Data gathered from key informant interviews and a review of the reentry literature were used toassess barriers to successful ex-offender reentry and to structure the Ex-Offender Forum.Barriers to successful ex-offender reentry include the lack of emphasis on communitycorrections; dysfunctional social support networks; stigma and alienation; limited opportunitiesfor employment, housing, and education; the availability of comprehensive community-basedoutreach efforts; and availability of mental health services and substance abuse treatment.41