2012
Student Research and Creative Works Symposium
A selection of outstanding undergraduate research The Failure of Federal Policy on Pacific Northwest Forests: The Plight of the 21st Century Timber Dependent Community Author: Benjamin Braudrick
Faculty mentors: Dick Winchell, Urban and Regional Planning • Fred Hurand, Urban and Regional Planning The culmination of the long history of timber resources in the Pacific Northwest has gone from corporate greed and exploitation spurred by land grabs and land speculation promoted by the government to stimulate settlement, to a highly regulated but efficient restructured forest industry framed around resource constraints. The small settlements that were formed, prospered, and are now in decline, will be shown to be mostly excluded from participation in FEMAT and current timber management plans. This paper offers new steps and alternative actions that can again frame the region’s future with these communities and their long-term prosperity as part of the solution.
EWU Sustainability Project: Collaborative Roots Permaculture Authors: Kelsey Crane, Nathan Calene
Faculty mentors: Laurie Morley, Physical Education, Health and Recreation • Robin O’Quinn, Biology The EWU Sustainability Project is working on transitioning EWU and the community toward a more sustainable culture in both action and theory. EWU representatives of The Real Food Challenge National Initiative are striving to commit our campus to the procurement of 20 percent real food (locally-based, ecologically-sound, humanely-raised, fairly-traded) by the year 2020. Our objectives are to reach out to the community through a variety of service-learning endeavors to introduce permaculturebased campus gardens throughout our region, calling special attention to the urgent issue of food insecurity. Ultimately, we wish to alleviate food deserts and build ecological awareness throughout the world through GIS overlay mapping, earth stewardship and strategic planning. We see the future of communities as well-connected hubs built upon thriving local economies, environmentally conscious and productive citizens with equal access to healthy food and social opportunity.
Arsenic Content of the Latah Formation and Its Effect on Local Groundwater Author: Ian Leavy
Faculty mentor: Carmen Nezat, Geology In eastern Washington, isolated cases of private wells being contaminated with arsenic have been reported over the past several decades, including one well located on the Peone Prairie, near Mead, Wash. These cases all exceed the EPA’s maximum contamination level of 10 parts per billion. High levels of arsenic in drinking water can cause health problems, including bone and tissue cancer, skin disease, night blindness and immune system deficiencies. One possible source of the contamination is the Latah Formation, which are Miocene sedimentary interbeds within the Columbia River Basalt Group. To test this, Latah Formation samples from eight locations in and around the Spokane area, as well as several samples from other geologic units more common to the study area (for comparison), have been analyzed. The samples were sequentially leached in order to extract arsenic pools of different mobilities. This was used to determine the content of arsenic and associated minerals within the Latah Formation, as well as their mobility and distribution throughout northern Spokane County.
Oral Health, Poverty and Learning: Is There a Connection? Author: Judy Valdez
Faculty mentor: Ann O’Kelley Wetmore, Dental Hygiene Cavities are the number one disease of children in the lower U.S. socioeconomic status. Poor oral hygiene and a diet high in sugars are risk factors. Children living below poverty level have a higher risk of untreatable dental decay because of the lack of affordable dental care, health education, fluorides, oral aids and a balanced diet. Additionally, oral disease in children is associated with overall health problems, pain, inability to eat a proper diet, excess use of hospital emergency rooms and absence from school. Approximately 51 million school hours per year are lost due to pain from oral disease. This pain limits learning. A vicious cycle occurs when diet affects oral health, oral health affects general health, oral health affects nutrition, and ultimately nutrition affects overall health and oral health. Recognizing the impact of oral health on the health and well-being of children is the first step to address the most important health need for children. Providing access to oral care for children in poverty is vital to assuring that all children have good oral health.
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