MSU Research roundup -Burn index -Whirling tips -Afternoon sigh – Royal writers

Burn index

Are forest fires burning hotter than they used to? What kind of
restoration should be done in a burn site? Answers to these and
other questions land managers face could come from a new
database being developed by a group of federal scientists. Called
the National Burn Severity Mapping Project, the database
represents a way of assessing fire severity that can be applied to
any wildfire in the country, said Carl Key. Key is a geographer at
the Glacier Field Station of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Northern
Rocky Mountain Science Center based at MSU. The project
focuses on Park Service and adjoining lands throughout the U.S.,
beginning with fire-year 2000.

Whirling tips

Whirling disease has now been found in more than 100 bodies of
water in Montana, says Dick Vincent, whirling disease coordinator
with the Fish, Wildlife & Parks Research office based at MSU. To
prevent further spread of the disease, the Whirling Disease
Foundation suggests: Never transport live fish from one body of
water to another. Don’t use trout, whitefish or salmon parts as cut
bait. Don’t dispose of fish entrails or skeletal parts in a kitchen
disposal. (Whirling disease spores can survive wastewater
treatment.) Rinse all mud and debris from equipment and wading
gear, and drain water from boats before leaving an infected
drainage. If fishing in heavily infected waters, rinse, then
thoroughly dry boots, waders and other fishing equipment.

Afternoon sigh

Perhaps you’ve heard of the "3 p.m. sigh." That’s when parents
who work away from home realize their children are about to get
out of school and no one will be in the house waiting for them.
Many parents feel torn between their employer and their kids, says
Dan Moshavi, MSU assistant professor of management. "There’s
stresses around ‘Can I be there for my child as much as I would
like to be?’" Employers can reduce that stress and improve
customer satisfaction at the same time by offering family-friendly
policies like flexible hours or the chance to work from home a
couple days a week, Moshavi said. Research has shown a direct
link between employee satisfaction and customer satisfaction,
particularly in service companies.

Royal writers

Lady Arbella Stuart, a claimant to the British throne, was one. So
was King James’s daughter, Elizabeth of Bohemia. Both were
17th-century female writers from the Cavendish-Talbot family. The
family was associated with a number of turbulent events such as
the English Civil War. How did the Cavendish-Talbot women help
shape these historical events and cast themselves as characters
when writing about them? Sara Jayne Steen, head of the English
Department at MSU, is working on a book that explores these
women who were not silent about what they experienced. Steen
received one of just four grants this year from the Renaissance
Society of America to continue her studies at archives in Europe.

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