The faculty research committee announced the grant awards for ten BHSU faculty members. Faculty will use their awards, in amounts ranging from $900 to $2,390, to conduct research in their respective area of interest. Two faculty members were also awarded release time to pursue research.

Brian Smith, College of Arts and Science assistant professor, "Re-introduction of the Antiguan Racer (Alsophis antiguae) to Off-shore Islands in the Caribbean Nation of Antigua and Barbuda," in the amount of $3,000. In an on-going effort to re-introduce this snake, Smith plans to monitor the re-introduced snake populations on Great Bird Island (Antigua.) Smith and two BHSU graduate students will also monitor snakes that have been fitted with radiotelemetry devices.

Charles Lee, College of Business and Technology assistant professor, "Assessing Training Needs in Deadwood Tourism Industry," in the amount of $1,173. The specific purpose of the study is to analyze the training needs of gaming industry in Deadwood as perceived by both managers and line employees. The continuing success of any hospitality business is determined by the customers’ satisfaction with the service they receive. The researcher will use systematic survey and interviews with local tourism leaders and human resources managers.

Timothy Martinez, College of Arts and Sciences associate professor, "A Phenomenology of Republicanism," in the amount of $2,390. Martinez is seeking to develop a non-essentialist theory of politics and republicanism and will examine the usefulness of a phenomenological approach to theorizing about republican politics. He is completing a paper which examines the relation between freedom and Hannah Arendt’s analysis of public space. He plans to travel to the University of California’s Berry Philosophy Library and the Doe Main Library to review primary texts by phenomenologists.

Roger Ochse, College of Arts and Sciences associate professor, "An Examination of the Democratic Thought of Walt Whitman," in the amount of $1,708. Ochse will study the manuscripts and unpublished writings of Walt Whitman in the Frenberg-Whitman collection at the Library of Congress to analyze the author’s democratic thought. Ochse has studied and taught Walt Whitman for nearly 15 years. This research will include a better understanding of the democratic thought of Walt Whitman and provide additional information on the evolution of his democratic ideals.

Rena Faye Norby, College of Education assistant professor, "Does Positive Role Modeling increase Native American High School Students’ Choices of Science and Technology-Related Jobs?" in the amount of $1,500. The issue of under-representation of minorities in science and technology related careers continues to impact efforts to promote equal opportunities for individuals. Norby’s research endeavors to identify factors that can encourage Native American children into these careers. Previous research by Norby indicated young women and African-Americans were more likely to choose a science or technology related career if they had a role model. It is an extension and reinforcement of that previous research to ask more role modeling questions of young people on reservations in South Dakota, Nebraska, and Wyoming.

Richard Carter, College of Arts and Sciences professor and BHSU Indian Studies director, "Santiam Kalapuya Grammar," in the amount of $1,332. Carter’s research is an on-going effort to write a descriptive grammar and compile a dictionary of Santiam Kalapuya, a language formerly spoken in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. Completion of this project is dependent on access to unpublished materials held in the archives of the University of Washington. He will use grant money to research some 2000 pages of raw notes, both hand-written and typed. Carter then plans to write a book-length study of Santiam Kalapuya grammar, including sections on phonetics, phonology, morphology and syntax/semantics. The workings of the grammar will be exemplified by two fully analyzed texts, one a myth, and one with ethnographic content.

Lidan Lin, College of Arts and Sciences assistant professor, "Jacques Lacan and the East" in the amount of $1,000. Jacques Lacan (1901-1986) is a French philosopher and psychoanalyst, who made important contributions to humanities and social sciences. His theories have been widely appropriated by cultural critics, feminist critics, and clinical psychologists within both divisions. Lin will examine the extent to which Easter influence has become an informing factor in shaping Lacan’s theory of subjectivity.

Steve Anderson, College of Arts and Sciences associate professor, "The Formation of Tumuli on Basaltic Lava Flows," in the amount of $1,600. The objective of this research is to modify existing models of tumuli formation on lava flows. Tumuli are areas on a lava flow that rise topographically above the rest of the flow, resembling "blisters" that dot the flow surface. The research should provide a better understanding of how pressure is distributed within a lava flow and could enable geologists to better predict hazards associated with lava flow advance.

Monty Robinson, College of Business and Technology assistant professor, "Earth Homes," in the amount of $2,815. Robinson’s research will involve the study of energy efficiency of existing earth sheltered homes in the Black Hills region as compared to typical construction of residential homes. A database will be developed of earth homes in the region as to their longitude, latitude and elevation and each home’s energy usage history will be identified and recorded. The research is intended to make more efficient use of the world’s limited energy supplies and to disseminate information regarding earth homes to building and consumers through a BHSU web page.

Mark Gabel, College of Arts and Sciences professor, will use release time in the fall 2000 for work on newly discovered fossils from Argentina. The fossils should allow a better understanding of the environment of Northern Argentina during the time the organisms were alive and provide additional information on the evolution of the charophytes.