New Orleans Projects (2010-2011)
McMaster Fellows
Douglas Kane, Faculty, Biology – This project will modify the Planktonic Index of Biotic Integrity that Kane developed for Lake Erie and apply it to the Lake Maurepas/Lake Pontchartrain ecosystem. It will also determine water quality parameters, plankton community composition, and the correlation between the two for this ecosystem.
McMaster Associate Fellow
Michael Gallagher, Faculty, Accounting – This project will investigate the strategic planning process at the Family Justice Center in New Orleans and compare it to the process used at the Family Justice Center of Defiance in hopes of developing future partnerships.
McMaster Scholars
Jenna Deskins, Senior, Business Administration – This project will observe and analyze how the Family Justice Centers can provide new approaches to their operations domestically and around the globe. A comparative model will be created that focuses on the centers’ strategic planning process.
Phoenix Golnick, Sophomore, Restoration Ecology – This project will work to modify the Index of Biotic Integrity for Lake Pontchartrain. This involves collecting species samples from a variety of areas, comparing the data collected with water quality data to seek a correlation between the species found and the water quality in the area.
Lynn Haller, Junior, Accounting – This project will observe, analyze and compare the operations and process of various Family Justice Centers to create a comparative model that will explain and provide techniques that FJC’s can incorporate into their organizations. This project will particularly work with the Family Justice Center of New Orleans.
Andrew Kibler, Sophomore, Biology – This project will map the shoreline loss in a small section of coastal Louisiana using a GPS system to trace the gains and losses of shoreline as compared with previous GPS tracings.
Taylor Tuttle, Sophomore, Molecular Biology – This project is focused on water quality testing specifically nitrates, phosphorous, and ammonia in relation to phytoplankton blooms. The project will conduct tests in Lake Maurepas, Pass Manchac, Lake Pontchartrain and Chef Pass.
