Eukaryotic genomes contain many copies of ribosomal DNA (rDNA) encoding the RNA components of ribosomes, ranging from 150 tandem repeated copies in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae to approximately 700 copies total in diploid human cells. It is not known what dictates rDNA copy number, but we hope to gain insight by identifying genetic regulators of rDNA copy number. Recent work in the Brewer/Raghuraman lab using S. cerevisiae reveals connections between rDNA copy number and cellular processes, such as genome replication and replicative aging. These studies suggest that too few rDNA copies cannot satisfy ribosome demand and too many copies can interfere with DNA replication. Thus, certain genetic pathways must function to maintain such balance. Our preliminary survey finds that some strains with specific single gene deletions have varying rDNA copy numbers, suggesting genetic control of the flexibility of rDNA copy number. Our goal is to identify genetic regulators of rDNA copy number in a systematic genome-wide screen. I have developed a high throughput screen to look for strains with variation in rDNA copy number by measuring the size of chromosome XII, the chromosome that carries the rDNA locus. I will use this method to screen a yeast library of approximately 5000 non-essential single gene deletions. After finding and analyzing mutant strains with chromosome XII size changes, we will have a more comprehensive understanding of the cellular mechanism that controls rDNA repeat number. As rDNA repeat number is linked to replicative lifespan, we hope to uncover the common genetic pathways that regulate rDNA copy number and longevity.

 As human development continues to encroach on wild places, wetland bird species lose vital nesting habitats.  To combat that loss, many cities nationwide create urban wetlands, in part to protect or replace lost habitat; it is unknown how effective this effort is.  Previous Canadian studies identified four wetland bird species that do not generally nest in urban wetlands in Eastern Canada: American Coots (Fulica americana), Pied-billed Grebes (Podilymbus podiceps), American Bitterns (Botaurus lentiginosus), and Virginia Rails (Rallus limicola).  This project will compare four urban wetlands with four rural wetlands in King and Snohomish Counties to see if the four species show any nesting preference between urban and rural wetlands.  In addition, the project will investigate if those target species that nest in both urban and rural areas exhibit greater habituation to human presence in urban areas.  I will visit each of the eight wetlands weekly during the morning or early evening and note the presence of courtship or nest-building activity and the number of individuals of each species exhibiting those behaviors.  Using a laser distance device, I will measure the distance between the birds or their nest and the closest human access point to determine relative habituation.  If urban wetlands birds are more habituated to humans, they will nest, on average, more closely to human access points than their counterparts in the rural wetlands.  If urban wetlands are effective as nesting habitat, then mated pairs of the target species will utilize them, demonstrating that small created wetlands can serve as a buffer to habitat loss for wetland birds.

The goal of this study was to obtain an age of the marine Quillayute Formation by correlating fossils from other similar rocks in Washington and Oregon. The Quillayute Formation, located along the outer coast of the Olympic Peninsula, Washington, consists of fossiliferous marine sandstones and siltstones, and its age has been controversial. Obtaining the correct date will allow for further understanding of the geologic history of the Olympic Peninsula, especially the rates of tectonic uplift and determining the climate at time of deposition. The Quillayute Formation has 37 identified species of fossil gastropods and bivalves. These fauna have been compared with those of the geographically and temporally closest units, the Quinault Formation (Washington) and the Empire Formations (Oregon). The Quinault Formation is Early Pliocene in age (3.6-5.3 million years), based on benthic foraminiferal biostratigraphy. The age of Empire Formation is Late Miocene (5.3-11 million years), determined by magnetostratigraphy and diatom biostratigraphy. To obtain the age of the Quillayute rocks, a comparison of age ranges of each of the correlative species was made. Results of this identified 15 species from the Quillayute Formation that also occur in the Empire Formation, and are apparently restricted to the Miocene. Six species are in common with the fauna of the Quinault Formations and those are still-living taxa.

Foraminifera are a diverse and extensive group of marine shelled protists that are found all over the world, including Puget Sound. Because foraminifera are relatively abundant, short-lived and susceptible to environmental change, they have the potential to be inexpensive and effective environmental monitoring tools for local estuaries. Since Puget Sound exploits its water ways for industrial profit, foraminifera could prove to be useful tools for environmental monitoring. Thus it is surprising that, to date, no one has ever catalogued and observed foraminifera in the Sound to search for any changes in structure, abundance or diversity that could indicate a change in the environment. In fact Puget Sound is the only industrialized waterway that has not done this. The purpose of this project is to assemble an atlas of the foraminifera found in Puget Sound, from Bellingham Bay to south Sound. This atlas contains photographs, and in-depth descriptions of each foraminifera species. A catalogue such as this is a useful tool because it helps to better understand the foraminifera of Puget Sound and furthers the understanding of the organisms and their ecosystem.  This atlas can also be used as a quick and easy reference to compare any changes discovered among foraminifera and their communities. Ultimately, the complete atlas will be submitted to Paleontologica Electronica for publication.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of different pollutant sources in Sinclair and Dyes Inlets, both located in Puget Sound, Washington. Puget Sound is a fjord-like waterway extending from Olympia, Washington to the Canadian border. Sinclair Inlet and Dyes Inlet are connected by the Port Washington Waterway near Bremerton in Kitsap County, Washington. Bremerton is the home of Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. This naval base is a Superfund site that discharged large amounts of industrial pollution into Sinclair Inlet. In comparison, agricultural and residential pollution are deposited in Dyes Inlet from streams surrounding the perimeter of the inlet. This study aimed to analyze foraminiferal assemblages to determine if environmental changes through pollution and other factors have affected the health of the Bremerton area marine ecosystems. Foraminifera are shelled single-celled marine microorganisms that react to environmental stresses, thus they act as good indicators of environmental change. Foraminifera were collected from a total of 21 samples provided by the Washington State Department of Ecology from 1998-2009. Thirteen of these samples were taken from Dyes Inlet and 8 were taken from Sinclair Inlet. This study focused on examining the density and diversity of foraminifera from 1998-2009. Our results show that Dyes Inlet contains a low diversity of foraminifera with 7 different species found. However, 2 samples did not contain any foraminifera and several samples from more recent years only contained one species. In Sinclair Inlet, 15 species were identified in total, but diversity was nearly cut in half over the time period studied. The dominant species in both inlets was Elphidium hannai. By comparing foraminiferal assemblages from our locations with samples from less anthropogenically impacted locations in the Puget Sound, we can begin to analyze the potential effects of different types of pollution on the health of Puget Sound.

The purpose of this study was to do a temporal investigation of the benthic forminifera in northern Puget Sound, specifically Semiahmoo Bay north of Bellingham Bay, to correlate any fluctuations in species diversity or abundance with environmental parameters. Semiahmoo Bay is influenced by an influx of both sediment and water from the Fraser River as well as mixing with ocean waters that travel in through the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The area is of interest because it is less impacted by anthropogenic activity than the rest of the Puget Sound and this allows for comparisons with other areas that are more heavily industrialized. Foraminifera are single celled, marine protists with specific habitat requirements. The sensitivity of these animals to their ecosystem allows us to use them for environmental monitoring. This study examines the foraminiferal genera and species present in sediments from this region spanning twelve years; from 2001 to 2012. The samples used were collected by the Washington Department of Ecology annually in April. Results of this investigation show an average of 15 species of foraminifera were present each year with three species dominating the samples. These species are Bucella frigida, Elphidium frigidum and Elphidium hannai, which are present in every sample. There are 10 to 12 other species that occur in small numbers present in most samples. One species, Cassidulina limbata, which is intolerant to pollution, indicates that this water is clean. There are only a few agglutinated species found in Semiahmoo Bay which is in contrast to the high abundance found in Bellingham Bay. This is significant because the dominant agglutinated species in Bellingham Bay are known to be opportunistic colonizers of polluted waterways. Thus, the foraminiferal assemblage in Semiahmoo Bay corroborates the hypothesis that the area is not subject to the degree of environmental stress as other embayments of Puget Sound.

Health care in third-world countries is often bleak when compared to most industrialized countries. In an effort to close this gap, students and health professionals have taken an interest in ameliorating global health issues by contributing donations, by volunteering, and by conducting research. Among these global health initiatives are short-term medical missions (STMM), which generally take place over 1-2 weeks and provide health-related services to individuals in developing countries. These services include eye examinations, wellness checks, over-the-counter medicine, and surgical operations. While on the surface these programs seem beneficial to both volunteers and to program recipients, we know little about the short- and long-term effects on the recipient community. What, then, are the impacts of overseas educational medical programs on the receiving community? And, more specifically, what program model best ensures positive results on-the-ground? My project evaluates four prominent STMM organizations based on each program's pre-departure training practices, the empowerment of local healthcare workers, the presence of organization-community partnerships, the comprehensiveness of care, and the program’s duration and impact. I conclude that most short-term medical missions are set to do more harm than good in the communities they serve. The primary issue is that these missions aim to temporarily fix the problem instead of preventing problems or establishing long-term, sustainable practices. Funding and volunteers should be utilized by the existing local health care sector to aid in the training and support of local health care workers.

The late Oligocene (~23-28 million years ago) Blakeley Formation of Puget Sound has received multiple interpretations over the past century, ranging from a coastal embayment to a submarine fan. The formation is exposed along an uplifted terrace just south of the Seattle fault zone, in a discontinuous east-west band across Puget Sound. At Alki Point, the formation appears as an asymmetrical northeast plunging anticline and is characterized by fossiliferous siliciclastic siltstone and mudstone, typically in units several meters thick. These fine-grained units are interbedded with limestone in the lower part of our measured section and with sandstone in the upper part. Deposits of reworked volcanic ash and pumice are scattered throughout the section as well. The overall lithology and paleontology of the section suggests that the Blakeley Formation at Alki Point was deposited in a continental shelf environment. Sandstone beds in the upper section are broadly consistent with distal storm deposits, indicating a relatively shallow depth (< 100m). Finer sediment size and the absence of storm deposits in the lower section suggests deposition in somewhat deeper waters, perhaps in a middle to outer shelf environment. Some siltstone beds contain fossil bivalve shells, calcareous concretions, and infilled burrows, which are characteristic of cold methane seep ecosystems. The presence of reworked tephra, possible volcanic flood deposits, plant debris, and the general immaturity of sediment at Alki Point indicate that sediment was probably supplied by a river draining an active, ancestral Cascade volcano. Based upon the abundance of volcanic material in the sediments, it is also likely that the volcano was nearer the open coast than current Cascade volcanoes are. A possible modern analog for the Blakeley Formation of Alki Point might be the eastern Japan-island arc, where rivers deposit sediments from nearby volcanoes onto the continental shelf.

Over the past two decades, inclusion has become a major topic in the field of education. Inclusion means that children with special needs attend school with thypically developing peers. Public schools have undergone significant reconstruction in order to fulfill the vision of inclusive classrooms. Much is known and various research studies exist about the benefit of inclusion for children with disabilities, as well as for typically developing children. Yet, what is the current status of inclusion? My research examines inclusion on a bigger scale and seeks to answer questions such as “what does a successful inclusion program look like?”, “what teaching strategies are important for inclusive classrooms?’, and “how do schools promote inclusive practices?”. As a mixed-methods study, I am conducting a review of research and other artifacts as well as performing semi-structured interviews of teachers who practice inclusive education. The artifacts I review, such as a research study examining principals' perspectives on inclusive education, provide different definitions and applications of inclusion. Other research studies look to see if inclusive classrooms are reaching the goals set by the concept of inclusion, such as membership, relationships, and development. Finally, I interview preschool and grade-level teachers at an elementary school in the Seattle Public School Distict. The teachers' experience varies from teaching inclusive classrooms, resource rooms, and general education classrooms; but all have taught in inclusive settings. My aim is to generate a perspective of the current state of inclusion and use teacher voice to capture experiences.