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We present preliminary fundamental stellar parameters and multiplicity rates of M dwarf stars using a combination of speckle imaging and adaptive optics. Our survey mainly uses the Differential Speckle Survey Instrument (DSSI) at Lowell Observatory's Discovery Channel Telescope (DCT). DSSI observes speckle patterns simultaneously at two separate wavelengths and the data for this project are composed of observations which span from 2016 to 2018. More recently, the speckle data for some of the target stars that have been found to be binary have been supplemented with observations using Adaptive Optics (AO) at Palomar Observatory. The combination of speckle data in the visible and AO data in the near-infrared allows us to make robust determinations of the luminosities and effective temperatures of the components in each case. Using the known Mass-Luminosity Relation, we also estimate the component masses. A discussion of interesting systems will be given.

While at first glance multi-star systems seem quite extreme, they are in fact the most common type of star system in our galaxy, throughout the stellar mass distribution. In particular, 40 to 50% of exoplanet host stars reside within multiple star systems. Given the degree to which initially undetected multiplicity has skewed Kepler results, high-resolution imaging of our nearby low-mass neighbors is necessary for both accurate characterization of transiting exoplanets, as well as a better understanding of stellar astrophysics. To address this frequent gap in our knowledge of exoplanet hosts, we will utilize speckle interferometry to directly image TESS exoplanet host candidates to complete our knowledge of individual star multiplicity. Our investigation will expand upon the speckle observations taken as a part of the POKEMON speckle survey of nearby M-dwarfs to better constrain the multiplicity of low-mass TESS exoplanet host candidates, and to constrain M-dwarf multiplicity by subtype across the entire M-dwarf sequence.

QWSSI, the Quad-camera Wavefront-Sensing Speckle Imager, is a next-generation speckle imager that is being developed for Lowell Observatory's 4.3-meter Discovery Channel Telescopes. The principle behind QWSSI is to extend the capabilities of the speckle camera currently resident at Lowell, the Differential Speckle Survey Instrument (DSSI), in two ways. First, while DSSI currently observes in two visible channels, QWSSI will simultaneously observe in six narrow-band channels: four in the visible (0.5-0.9um), and one each in J- and H-band (1.2 and 1.6um). Second, the visible light unused for speckle imaging is carefully preserved and feeds a wavefront sensor (WFS), which is also run simultaneously with the speckle imaging. Simulations by Löbb (2016) indicate WFS data will provide significant gains in exploring stellar multiplicity, with marked improvements in primary-secondary contrast ratios and inner working angle (Horch et al. 2018). QWSSI will also be mountable on one of the three 1-meter telescopes being installed on the NPOI Array for engineering tests and preliminary science observations. QWSSI will expand on the already considerable exoplanetary work of the speckle imagers DSSI, NESSI (@ WIYN), Alopeke (Gemini-N), and Zorro (Gemini-S), improving the discovery space for existing targets, as well opening up new regions of that discovery space with its NIR channels.

The Southern Connecticut Stellar Interferometer is an astronomical intensity interferometer consisting of two telescopes. Each is currently equipped with a single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) detector, and an ultra-fast timing module correlates counts between both photon detectors. The interferometer has previously demonstrated intensity correlations using the 1-pixel SPADs and extremely narrow band pass filters but was limited in the amount of light that could be collected, and therefore the signal-to-noise ratio that could be achieved. SCSU's recent acquisition of an 8-pixel SPAD detector has allowed for a new possibility: a different wavelength of light could be directed towards each of the 8 pixels of the detector, thus conducting 8 independent intensity interferometry experiments at the same time, if this could be implemented at both telescopes. Using materials and resources available in the Astronomical Instrumentation Laboratory at Southern Connecticut State University, an optical system has been developed to work toward this goal but outfitting the first telescope in this way. The light from the telescope is collimated and directed toward a reflective diffraction grating. This is then re-imaged using a second lens and directed onto the pixels of the photon detector. These optical components have been placed inside an aluminum housing and can be mounted to the telescope for test observations. A status report will be given on the observations so far. If this can be replicated at the other telescope, the signal-to-noise ratio achievable with the instrument could be improved by a factor of 2.8.

In Black Women Speaking From Within: Essays and Experiences in Higher Education, contributors use intersectional and interdisciplinary lenses to share the ways in which they understand, navigate, resist, and transform student services, learning, teaching, and existing in the academy. This book explores and discusses the following question: How do Black women experience and perceive place and agency in higher education? Black Women Speaking From Within draws upon the influence organizational culture, sense-making, and sisterhood has on praxis and pedagogy and places the Black woman’s stories and experiences at the center of the conversation.

Abstract It is clear that there is an increasing proportion of the United Kingdom (UK) population who are suffering with food allergies and this combined with an increase in the frequency of eating away from home (where there is less control over the content of food) poses a significant risk. In December 2014, the European Union (EU) introduced legislation which aimed to ensure that customers with food allergens could make informed choices and safely consume food, without the risk of a potentially life-threatening reaction. The research used semi-structured interviews with staff from a BCB, located in the North West of the UK, as the aim of the research was to explore food handlers’ knowledge, attitudes and understanding of food allergens. The findings of the semi-structured interviews identified five themes: E-learning training programmes: the staff felt that these were ineffective and did not take into account individual learning styles. Responsibility: there is a lack of clarity as to who is responsible, with staff believing the key responsibility lies with the customer. Communication: similarly, communication, both within the kitchen and within the company was not clear and likely to give rise to confusion. Need to make a profit: the staff felt that the drive for profit meant that customer safety was being compromised, especially when staff numbers were reduced. Staff awareness: the staff felt confident in their own ability to prepare a safe meal but indicated that staff may be dismissive towards claims of allergen sufferers. In conclusion, these themes illustrate that a significant risk exists for allergen suffers, who rely upon the knowledge, attitudes and understanding of BCB staff to ensure their meals are safely prepared.

The adapted physical educator (APE) at this high school has a tenth grader with epilepsy in his class. The student is assigned a paraprofessional to monitor and assist him. The APE plans an indoor soccer lesson, which allows for easier participation for another student in a wheelchair, as well as better monitoring for the student with epilepsy. With the lesson underway and the paraprofessional positioned nearby, the student has a seizure. Fortunately, the APE has had some training on recognizing seizures, and the paraprofessional is there to help. Wondering what would happen if they were not there when the student began having a seizure and how to explain it to the other students, the APE creates a seizure fact and protocol sheet.

The physical education (PE) teacher at this high school learns how to integrate a high-tech assistive device into his class for a new student who is nonverbal and uses a walker or wheelchair. The school’s paraprofessional disagrees that the student should be permitted to use the device during PE because it could be broken. Even with ample accommodations for physical participation, the student still has difficulty communicating with her peers and becomes agitated. Upon consulting with the student’s special education teacher, the PE teacher learns about an app-based assistive technology that could be programmed so the student can prepare when and how to use the device safely throughout class. The student blossoms in PE, as well as socially, by being able to preprogram her device to communicate more closely to real time.

This study investigated the impact of an adapted physical education training package on functional motor skill instruction of three special education teachers who instructed secondary students with low-incidence disabilities. The training package emphasized teachers' use of systematic prompting and specific reinforcement teaching strategies plus adapted physical education consultation. We used a multiple baseline design and collected data on the three teachers' use of systematic prompting and specific reinforcement plans during videotaped teaching trials. We also collected data on how teachers documented their instructional strategies, and we analyzed personal reflections that teachers wrote in the journals. Results indicated that with each of the three teachers, correctly implemented functional motor skill instructional performance improved after they completed the training package.

Physical educators are discovering the benefits of using video analysis to support their instruction and assessment. Slow-motion playback, zoom, and voice-over narration are just some of the features built into increasingly affordable mobile devices and applications that can easily be used by teachers to support student learning. Additionally, with the use of video technology, teachers are finding creative ways to provide instant motor-performance feedback which can be easily documented for assessment purposes. Yet, with any novel technology tool, internal and external challenges exist that may prevent teachers from realizing the myriad of benefits. This article provides a background on mobile video analysis tools, along with strategies to help physical educators discover ways to effectively implement this engaging technology into their curriculum.

‘Abd al-Rahman b. ‘Amr al-Awza‘i (c.707–774) was Umayyad Syria’s most influential jurist, part of a generation of scholars who began establishing the first formal structures for the preservation and dissemination of religious knowledge. Following the Abbasid revolution, they provided a point of stability in otherwise unstable times. Despite his close ties to the old regime, al-Awza‘i continued to participate in legal and theological matters in the Abbasid era. Although his immediate impact would prove short-lived, his influence on aspects of Islamic law, particularly the laws of war, endures to this day.

Sabbatical to write textbook: "School leadership for learning : learning theory to improve professional practice".

"This work narrates the development of a historically remote--although internationally celebrated--coffee-growing region from the early 19th century through to the first decade of the 21st century. It considers the nation-building process from the margins to question traditional scholarly works that have reproduced, rather than deconstructed, Costa Rica's exceptionalist national mythologies that imagine this isthmian republic as Central America's 'white,' democratic, nonviolent, and egalitarian republic. The book recognizes that even though Costa Rica's exceptionalist rendition draws on some undeniable realities, it thoughtfully considers the origins, applicability, and longevity of the different elements of this exceptionalist master narrative. In particular, it suggests the mythology emerged during the Cold War, as revolution, civil war, military dictatorship, and state violence plagued much of Central America. In this same period, Costa Rica not only retained a relatively stable democratic system, but policymakers eliminated the standing army in 1948. This widely embraced and celebrated historical narrative, however, distorts as much as it illuminates the experience of contemporary and historical actors"--