Christina Vogt

Abstract Large numbers of students depart from engineering programs before graduation. For example, in fields such as engineering and computer science, students have commented on the inaccessible or unapproachable nature of faculty. To evaluate this problem, this study gathered data across four research universities. Using structural equation modeling, it measured environmental effects, i.e., academic integration or faculty distance on (a) self‐efficacy, (b) academic confidence and (c) self‐regulated learning behaviors effort, critical thinking, help‐seeking and peer learning, and (d) GPA. Results showed that faculty distance lowered self‐efficacy, academic confidence and GPA. Conversely, academic integration had a positive effect on self‐efficacy, which in turn had strong positive effects on effort and critical thinking. Consequently, ongoing educational reform efforts must encourage engineering faculty to understand the significance of their student/professor relationships and seriously undertake measures to become personally available to students.

Because educational theorists have maintained that classroom environment strongly predicts academic success, we utilized Bandura's (1986) model measuring environment, self, and behavior to GPA using approximately 700 engineering students. A structural equation analysis indicated that discrimination affected females more frequently while academic integration had more positive effects on females' self-efficacy, perceived helpseeking, effort, and critical thinking.

Macrophages derived from unstimulated and unseparated mouse bone marrow cells cultivated on hydrophobic foils can release hemopoietic regulator molecules into the surrounding medium. To prove that one of these regulators exists in macrophages in vitro, in situ hybridization using a 1.2-kb erythropoietin (Epo) gene probe was employed. The probe was biotinylated and the signal developed using a streptavidin-gold reagent. Observation was performed using reflection-contrast microscopy. The results indicate that from a 98% pure population of macrophages, 34% F4/80 (mouse, macrophage-specific antigenic determinant)-positive macrophages exhibited Epo gene expression. The technique was also applied to normal, steady-state mouse bone marrow in which approximately 10% of the cells are F4/80-positive and of which about 3% demonstrated simultaneous Epo gene expression. As positive control, kidneys from anemic mice were hybridized with the biotin-labeled Epo DNA. A second positive control utilized biotin-labeled actin DNA hybridized to cultured macrophages and normal bone marrow cells. The accumulating information, demonstrating that the unstimulated kidney does not express the Epo gene, indicates that Epo is produced in other areas of the body under normal, steady-state conditions. The present results show that 1) macrophages can express the Epo gene, 2) this function is carried out by a subpopulation of macrophages, and 3) bone marrow macrophages in vivo may be responsible for the Epo production-target cell mechanism evoked by short-range and/or cell-to-cell interactions under normal, steady-state conditions.

Click to increase image sizeClick to decrease image size Additional informationNotes on contributorsChristina M. VogtChristina M. Vogt is a Senior Scholar in Residence at the National Academy of Engineering in Washington, DC. Dennis Hocevar is a clinical professor at the University of Southern California. Linda Serra Hagedorn is Chair of the Department of Educational Administration and Policy at the University of Florida.Dennis HocevarChristina M. Vogt is a Senior Scholar in Residence at the National Academy of Engineering in Washington, DC. Dennis Hocevar is a clinical professor at the University of Southern California. Linda Serra Hagedorn is Chair of the Department of Educational Administration and Policy at the University of Florida.Linda Serra HagedornChristina M. Vogt is a Senior Scholar in Residence at the National Academy of Engineering in Washington, DC. Dennis Hocevar is a clinical professor at the University of Southern California. Linda Serra Hagedorn is Chair of the Department of Educational Administration and Policy at the University of Florida.