Publication Type: Invited Paper
Abstract: Glenda Greenhouse and Mary Mercury have been performing satirical environmental activism since 2005. In that time, they have attempted to debunk myths of environmentalist and feminist humor. This performative inquiry is an ecofeminist restoration, reflection, and reclamation of postmodern satire, performance art, and environmental advocacy. Much research points to a cultural stigma that surrounds environmentalists and feminists: they are not funny. Yet, political humor has historically been used as a tool of advocacy. Humor and the metaphor of compost are at the heart of Glenda and Mary�s songs. The Composters bridge ecofeminism, comedy, metaphors and activism in this invitational journey of connection and conscious action. Glenda and Mary contend that all things lead to compost! The Composters wrote and now tour three 50-minute shows that seek to question our perceptions of death, gender roles, and environmental policy. In each show they sing both original and eco(re)mixes. The first part of this presentation will theoretically squish this stigma, and then Glenda and Mary will offer a song review about our global relations with the environment.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: The question of whether college sports programs make money has been debated for decades (Sperber 2000). A new online data-base provided by the Indianapolis Star essentially answers that question; some programs do, and some do not. This presents scholars with a new research question: what variables predict financial success for Division One universities? This paper attempts to answer that question, through examination of the financial records of 166 D-1 schools. I hypothesize that winning tradition, institutional wealth, positional variables like size, and program quality measures like coaching salary will predict athletic earnings. Regression results bear out many of these hypotheses. Alumni support and athletic endowment are positive predictors of earnings, while over-spending on coaches and facilities – along with reliance on student fees – is a negative predictor.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: We discuss having students make temari balls (Japanese embroidered thread balls) to reify their understanding of Platonic solids and Euler's formula in a mathematics for liberal arts class. The presenter has used this activity successfully in three different semesters.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: Despite the backlash against lesbian and gay rights taking place across the U.S., rapidly growing numbers of corporations, universities, and government workplaces are adopting gay-inclusive policies, particularly domestic partner benefits. I combine social movement theory and new institutional analysis to understand how gay men, lesbians, and bisexuals are achieving these gains. The study entails a multimethod analysis utilizing surveys of targeted organizations, intensive interviews with human resource directors and gay employee activists, and a small number of case studies. In this paper, I adapt political process theory and the literature on cultural opportunities in order to delineate the meso-level institutional opportunities�which I also refer to as organizational opportunities--that exist within the immediate environment of institutional challengers. In particular, I examine the impact of four key elements in the target organization itself. These dimensions of organizational opportunity facilitate favorable policy outcomes or, if absent, constrain activists' chance of success: (1) structural templates that provide access to decision-makers and to institutional resources; (2) organizational realignments that bring more receptive elites or organizations into the issue domain, thereby altering the balance of power; (3) allies who provide assistance as individuals or as coalition partners; and (4) cultural supports such as a diversity-embracing corporate culture or, among elites, preexisting personal ties and "punctuating experiences� that serve to humanize challengers and foster empathy with their struggle. This work fills an important gap by presenting a theoretical framework for understanding opportunities and constraints faced by those who challenge institutions beside the state.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: This paper, written with Lt. Colonel Madelfia A. Abb, (Seton Hall University), Colonel Laurel J. Hummel (United States Military Academy), and Lt Luis A. Rios (United States Military Academy), uses uses a human security approach to better understand the roots of conflict and instability in the Sahel. Just as small ball, not home runs, wins baseball games, we believe that tireless, smart, and patient work based on critical analysis is the way ahead. Specifically, the authors, a political scientist, a biologist, and a human geographer, highlight the strong connection between human survival and the environment. The authors contend, however, that the human security paradigm fosters a holistic and empathetic approach towards understanding the security environment. We use both on-the-ground experience and interviews, political analysis, and geographically-centered research to understand how the environment cuts across all areas of human security (as explained by the UNDP and measured by the 2000 Millennium development goals). Many areas in Africa are already witnessing the impact of serious environmental instabilities. Clearly, not all areas face the same insecurities or combination of insecurities, however, all paths lead back to the environment. By understanding the environmental impact on human survival and ways of life, U.S. policymakers can better frame the strategic discussion and apply appropriate policy tools to complement the international community and host nations’ efforts to address root sources of conflict, not just the symptoms. stifle development and exacerbate social tensions.