Strategic Growth Areas (SGAs)
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Similar to Destination Areas in structure, Strategic Growth Areas are smaller and aim for regional or national leadership. Strategic Growth Areas represent additional areas of strength, identified by a faculty survey conducted in January 2016. SGAs may mature into Destination Areas.
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- Gender Inequality and the Division of Household Labor in the United States and Sweden: A Socialist-Feminist ApproachCalasanti, Toni M.; Bailey, Carol A. (University of California Press, 1991-02)In this paper, we offer a socialist-feminist framework for exploring the persistence of gender inequality in the division of household labor. The inconsistent results generated by the relative resources, gender-role ideology, and time-availability hypotheses speak to the need to examine the structural bases for power relations based on gender. Emphasizing the relative autonomy and interrelations of capitalism and patriarchy, socialist-feminism posits that different forms of patriarchal capitalism have varying effects on the division of household labor. (We thus examine the usefulness of this approach by exploring the relationships expressed in three traditional hypotheses about gender inequality and the performance of five household tasks in the United States and Sweden.) The results of our regression analyses indicate that previous perspectives do not adequately examine the power differential embodied in gender relations and that socialist-feminism may give us insights into why gender inequities in the home are maintained despite progressive legislation.
- An Empirical Analysis of International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) Annual SurveysWeisband, Edward; Colvin, Christopher (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2000-02)
- Testbed Evaluation of Virtual Environment Interaction TechniquesBowman, Douglas A.; Johnson, D.; Hodges, Larry F. (Department of Computer Science, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, 2001)Testbed Evaluation of Virtual Environment Interaction Techniques
- Using Pinch Gloves(TM) for both Natural and Abstract Interaction Techniques in Virtual EnvironmentsBowman, Douglas A.; Wingrave, Chadwick A.; Campbell, J. B.; Ly, Vinh Q. (Department of Computer Science, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, 2001)Usable three-dimensional (3D) interaction techniques are difficult to design, implement, and evaluate. One reason for this is a poor understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of the wide range of 3D input devices, and of the mapping between input devices and interaction techniques. We present an analysis of Pinch Gloves™ and their use as input devices for virtual environments (VEs). We have developed a number of novel and usable interaction techniques for VEs using the gloves, including a menu system, a technique for text input, and a two-handed navigation technique. User studies have indicated the usability and utility of these techniques.
- Development of a Collaborative Design Tool for Structural Analysis in an Immersive Virtual EnvironmentSetareh, Mehdi; Bowman, Douglas A.; Tumati, P. (Department of Computer Science, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, 2001)This paper contains the results of an on-going collaborative research effort by the departments of Architecture and Computer Science of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, U.S.A., to develop a computer visualization application for the structural analysis of building structures. The VIRTUAL-SAP computer program is being developed by linking PC-SAP4 (Structural Analysis Program), and virtual environment software developed using the SVE (Simple Virtual Environment) library. VIRTUAL-SAP is intended for use as a collaborative design tool to facilitate the interaction between the architect, engineer, and contractor by providing an environment that they can walk-through and observe the consequences of design alterations. Therefore, this software can be used as an interactive computer-aided analysis of building systems.
- Pinch Keyboard: Natural Text Input for Immersive Virtual EnvironmentsBowman, Douglas A.; Ly, Vinh Q.; Campbell, Joshua M. (Department of Computer Science, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, 2001)Text entry may be needed for system control tasks in immersive virtual environments, but no efficient and usable techniques exist. We present the pinch keyboard interaction technique, which simulates a standard QWERTY keyboard using Pinch Gloves™ and 6 DOF trackers. The system includes visual and auditory feedback and a simple method of calibration.
- Gender Disparity in Third World Technological, Social, and Economic DevelopmentAkubue, Anthony I. (Epsilon Pi Tau and Virginia Tech Libraries, 2001)Despite their seemingly intractable problems, Third World countries have made remarkable progress in improving the well-being of their people in recent decades… A troubling concern, however, is the notion that gains from progress have not been equally beneficial to the genders… This article is about Third World women in relation to technological and socioeconomic progress. It examines the differential gender outcome of this progress and probable causes…
- Making design work: Sustainability, Product Design and Social EquityWalker, Stuart; Dorsa, Edward A. (Kluwer, 2001)This paper discusses the relationship between the product designer, sustainability and the creation of good quality work within the manufacturing sector. When the principles of sustainability are applied to the nature of employment it points to a new direction for design and product production where ethics, environmental issues and social wellbeing become far more important criteria for ‘success’ than is currently the norm. Awareness of the relationship between ‘work’ and sustainability is not generally being addressed, but needs to become a part of a comprehensive approach to sustainability in design school curricula.
- Testbed evaluation of virtual environment interaction techniquesBowman, Douglas A.; Johnson, D. B.; Hodges, Larry F. (MIT Press, 2001-02-01)As immersive virtual environment (VE) applications become more complex, it is clear that we need a firm understanding of the principles of VE interaction. In particular, designers need guidance in choosing three-dimensional interaction techniques. In this paper, we present a systematic approach, testbed evaluation, for the assessment of interaction techniques for VEs. Testbed evaluation uses formal frameworks and formal experiments with multiple independent and dependent variables to obtain a wide range of performance data for VE interaction techniques. We present two testbed experiments, covering techniques for the common VE tasks of travel and object selection/manipulation. The results of these experiments allow us to form general guidelines for VE interaction and to provide an empirical basis for choosing interaction techniques in VE applications. Evaluation of a real-world VE system based on the testbed results indicates that this approach can produce substantial improvements in usability.
- What About Elders Who Have No Informal or Formal Support?Blieszner, Rosemary; Roberto, Karen A. (Virginia Tech, 2001-06-30)Telephone interview data from a representative sample of 2,034 rural elders showed that 26.3% had limitations in abilities to perform daily activities (cooking, walking, cleaning, driving, etc.). Of these, many received informal assistance from family and friends or formal help from community agencies. However, 64 persons who had needs received no routine assistance from anyone. What are the effects of lack of support on their well-being? What coping strategies do they use in relation to their needs for assistance with everyday tasks? These elders did not differ from the others on demographic characteristics or psychological well-being. They demonstrated both resilience in current coping strategies and potential vulnerability in terms of risk to their physical health and psychological well-being in the future. Community service providers must address unexpressed needs in order to prevent exacerbation of problems and must educate elders and their families about the availability of services.
- Well-being and Coping Strategies of Elders Without Informal SupportBlieszner, Rosemary; Roberto, Karen A. (Virginia Tech, 2001-08-25)Telephone interview data from a representative sample of 2,034 rural elders showed that 26.3% had limitations in abilities to perform daily activities (cooking, walking, cleaning, driving, etc.). Of these, many received informal assistance from family and friends or formal help from community agencies. However, 64 persons who had needs received no routine assistance from anyone. What are the effects of lack of support on their well-being? What coping strategies do they use in relation to their needs for assistance with everyday tasks? These elders did not differ from the others on demographic characteristics or psychological well-being. They demonstrated both resilience in current coping strategies and potential vulnerability in terms of risk to their physical health and psychological well-being in the future. Community service providers must address unexpressed needs in order to prevent exacerbation of problems and must educate elders and their families about the availability of services.
- Geriatric Chronic Pain: Issues and Challenges from the Research LiteratureGold, Deborah T.; Roberto, Karen A. (Virginia Tech, 2001-11)Researchers interested in chronic pain in older adults come from multiple disciplines; thus existing information about geriatric pain is widely scattered. To establish a foundation from which to construct future research and interventions for older women and men, we developed a comprehensive, multidisciplinary database of the chronic pain and aging literature published between 1990 and 1998. In this paper, we examined the focus of studies of chronic pain in later life, how chronic pain was assessed and treated, and the influence of chronic pain on older adults’ quality of life. A search of ten electronic databases that index scientific journals yielded 302 articles that focused on chronic pain in later life. Given the disproportionate number of women in many of the study samples, gender comparisons were not always statistically feasible. Because a limited number of studies report gender comparisons in older adults, it is difficult to determine whether older women's experiences with chronic pain are unique and require special attention from health care providers or whether the causes, treatments, and consequences of chronic pain should be considered universal to the older population as a whole.
- Multimodal Interaction in Music Using the Electromyogram and Relative Position SensingTanaka, Atau; Knapp, R. Benjamin (NIME, 2002)This paper describes a technique of multimodal, multichannel control of electronic musical devices using two control methodologies, the Electromyogram (EMG) and relative position sensing. Requirements for the application of multimodal interaction theory in the musical domain are discussed. We introduce the concept of bidirectional complementarity to characterize the relationship between the component sensing technologies. Each control can be used independently, but together they are mutually complementary. This reveals a fundamental difference from orthogonal systems. The creation of a concert piece based on this system is given as example.
- Center for Gerontology Newsletter, Fall 2002(Virginia Tech, 2002)The Center for Gerontology newsletter, published twice annually, provides faculty and project updates, along with recognitions received by faculty and students in the area of age-related research and activities.
- Osteoporosis & The Health of Virginia's Older Women: Issues & Consequences Affecting Quality of LifeRoberto, Karen A. (U. S. Department of Agriculture, 2002)
- Older Families in Rural Communities: Personal and Social Influences on Service UseRoberto, Karen A.; Blieszner, Rosemary (U. S. Department of Agriculture, 2002)The overall goal of this research project was to gather data from older adults and their family caregivers living in rural southwest Virginia to learn how health and community-based services programs can win greater acceptability in these rural communities as a suitable complement to or, when necessary, alternative to family caregiving.
- Spending Behaviors of Older Women Living in an Assisted Living FacilityMcClung, Mary E. (Virginia Tech, 2002-03-02)A major demographic trend in the United States is the increasing older adult population. According to the US Census, the number of persons, ages sixty-five and older has increased approximately 4 million in 2000 and will continue to grow. As the baby boom generation reaches retirement, one issue facing older adults is how to assess and manage their housing and living expenses. An option for older adults that need some support, but are not totally dependent on others for their care is assisted living facilities. There is little public awareness about the cost associated with this housing option. The purpose of this study is to examine the monthly expenditures of older adult women living in an assisted living facility located in rural southwest Virginia. Interviews with the women identified spending patterns and the actual living expenses beyond the base rate residents pay each month. The findings highlight the array of expenses for older adult women living in an assisted living facility.
- Effects of Active Exploration and Passive Observation on Spatial Learning in a CAVEMelanson, Brian; Kelso, John; Bowman, Douglas A. (Department of Computer Science, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, 2002-07-01)This experiment was a modification of Paul N. Wilson's 1999 study entitled "Active Exploration of a Virtual Environment Does Not Promote Orientation or Memory for Objects." It was hoped that changing the immersion level from a standard desktop monitor to a more immersive CAVE environment would change the results of this experiment. All subjects explored a three-dimensional virtual environment in a CAVE. Active subjects were given controls to choose their own path and explore the environment. Passive subjects watched a playback tour through the virtual environment. A unique active subject determined the tour for each passive subject. Each subject was asked to remember the objects they saw, their locations, and the floor plan of the environment. Afterward, subjects were asked to indicate the direction to another location that was not visible from the current location. Other object memory tests required recalling the location of each object and indicating it on a plan view of the environment. Similar to Wilson's experiment, this experiment yielded no significant indication that active exploration or passive observation changes the level of spatial learning.
- Eco-Ethics and Sustainability Ethics (part 1)Cairns, John Jr. (Ethics in Science and Environmental Politics, 2003)This book is part one of a collection of John Cairns, Jr's papers and articles highlighting the importance of eco-ethics and sustainability ethics in protecting the biospheric life support system.
- Elderly & Disabled Waiver Services: What Do We Know About Providers?Glass, Anne; Roberto, Karen A.; Teaster, Pamela B.; Brossoie, Nancy (Virginia Tech, 2003)Little is known about home and community based services (HCBS) and even less about the quality of those services. As part of a “Real Choice Systems Change” grant received by the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services, the Center for Gerontology at Virginia Tech conducted a survey of agencies providing HCBS under the Medicaid Elderly and Disabled (E & D) Waiver. A written survey was sent to 160 providers across the state, based on a sampling plan designed to ensure representation of all planning districts and services mixes. Seventy surveys were returned for a response rate of 44%.