UVU Review, 2010-06-07

              -V-'- VOL XLIX ISSUE 36 JUNE 7, 2010 www.uvureview.com J V u EW Students don't monkey around By JULIA POSEY Asst News Editor Biology major Janae Hadley will be traveling to the University of Cape Town's Cape Peninsula Baboon Research Unit (BRU) in Africa on June 13th. Hadley will be spending three weeks in the Table Mountains following the trail of a troop of wild Chacma Baboons through the hills of the Cape of Good Hope. A research trip like this does not run cheap. While Hadley's in-country costs will be covered by a grant, the expensive international airfare was not included. Fortunately, Hadley will be receiving financial assistance from both the School of Health and Science and the Student Scholarly and Creative Special Projects grant for the cost of airfare. After a visit to Kenya last semester, Hadley became captivated with Africa's diverse wildlife and contacted the BRU about possible research opportunities. Hadley hopes to become a valuable member of the Matthew Lewis Research (MLR) team, which through extensive research could help expand and strengthen the protection of endangered and threatened spe- ) '4 Coutesy of Janae Hadley UVU student Janae Hadley has the unique opportunity to study Chacma baboons in Africa, in hopes that her research can help contribute to a beautiful specie's survival. cies. "It is imperative that the behavior of this species be properly documented so that this information can aid management in effectively conserving these fascinating animals. Being able to be a part of a project that could, in the future, save an entire species would be amazing to me," Hadley said. This detailed research will include the collection of thorough behavioral data and samples for analysis. The mission of the MLR unit is to study Chacma Baboons and determine whether the availability of high quality food resources does, in fact, have an impact on their diet. Furthermore, the aim of collecting data is to study and investigate the activity budgets and dietary ecology of a free-ranging Peninsula baboon troop. "I hope to gain experience in the field I want to go into, and what better way than to go to Africa in the wilderness and dive right V-'- -,yH- 'if Courtesy or srocK. nchng UVU researchers observe this wild foraging, free-living Chacma Baboon in the Cape Peninsula of South Africa. in!" Hadley said. Hadley hopes to pursue a master's degree at Moi University in Africa studying African Wildlife Ecology. The exotic Cape of Good Hope located in Southern Africa. Cape Town, Africa Courtesy of stock.xchng From the classroom to the jungle By STERLING GRAY News Writer Professors Wayne Whaley and Bill Dinklage of the biology department are taking 14 participants on a veritable jungle safari where they will watch glowing lava blocks rolling off a volcano, Whitewater raft the Pacuare River and observe flowers and wildlife such as howler monkeys, sloths, poison dart frogs, 18-foot salt water crocodiles. "We stay in beautiful resorts and have great educational experiences. What is better than that?" Whaley said. The trip will cost each participant $1,695. This might sound like a hefty sum, but it does pay for a passport, insurance, travel expenses, classroom instruction, jungle guides, lodging, meals, and some discretionary spending. Pell grants and student loans can be applied to this type of study abroad program, based on eligibility. Although the study abroad officially began June 1, the first two weeks will be used for in-class lecture and preparation for the trip. The group will fly to Costa Rica June 24, immediately visiting the volcanoes Poas and Arenal. At Arenal, the students will hike up a lava flow from 1992. When dusk falls, they will witnessrefrigerator-sized blocks of red-hot lava . i H .a Courtesy of Wayne Whaley and Bill Dinklage Both exquisite scarlet Macaws eye visitors below in San Jose, Costa Rica. tumbling down the mountainside. Next they are off to the Pacific coast to study plant and animal life along the beach, followed by forays into the heavy rainforest south of San Jose. The trip will conclude on the other side of the island, along the Caribbean coast. Study abroad programs such as the Costa Rica program are within the reach of many students, and even some community members. They provide great opportunities for research, hands on experience, as well as unique forays into foreign lands. Utah women fall behind in education By ANDREA LINDGREN News Editor The Utah Women and Education Project has completed its first year of research, which intended to discover why enrollment in and completion of post secondary education by women in Utah is so low. Their first year also coincided with the release of their second of four briefs describing their research and findings thus far "A big part of our research is collecting data from young women who have chosen not to get a college education or have gone to college for only a couple semesters then dropped out," said Dr. Susan Madsen, UVU Associate Professor of Management and director of the project. According to statistics, from 1940 until 2000, women in Utah were above the national average when it came to educational attainment. In 1993, however, female educational attainment began to decline. In 2001, Utah fell below the national average. "No one knows exactly at this point why there was a decline," Madsen said. "One guess is that the young women and their parents don't have a broader understandingof the value of higher education." The project is also looking at the differ ent struggles and barriers that women might encounter when completing their education and the different resources schools have to offer. EDUCATION A3 "A big part of our research is collecting data from young women who have chosen not to get a college education or have gone to college for only a couple semesters then dropped out" Mi , 1 . . , 2 ' ' r - - - z ' - 4l . M7 fMl Id) IW INI IHI 3001 20O3 2009 200? --UWNnM twill Ff 4 rmt Cmdim on PtmMatttftmmtlmmi (Pmohc lnton tO, . . . . m iirrrr I Aomi SMfMtoa Umm OottooM PnMmcn H IM ' NMoAOl KgoM 9 Pmetmcea of Qffluwi Who Am FwuH r tUqwi TP 100 . . . . . - " r r I ' r r - P II i 1- 1. 1; r 1. 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