University of Redlands

Capstone courses serve as a culminating experience in many Environmental Studies and Science (ESS) programs, providing opportunities for students to integrate knowledge and engage in applied or interdisciplinary work. Despite their central role in ESS curricula, there is limited empirical research examining how capstones are structured across institutions and how instructors design them in practice. This study uses a two-stage mixed-methods approach to examine how ESS Capstones are organized across programs, what recurring design considerations instructors describe, and how institutional constraints shape what forms of capstone work are possible. Survey data provide a broad descriptive overview of capstone structures and program characteristics, while follow-up interviews offer deeper insight into how instructors make decisions about course design and the tradeoffs they navigate in implementing these courses. Results indicate substantial variation in the primary forms of student engagement that organize capstone experiences, including original research, stakeholder-engaged projects, internships, and literature-based synthesis. Courses frequently incorporate multiple forms of engagement and a range of assessment strategies, with no consistent alignment between engagement type and assignment structure. Interview findings highlight recurring design considerations—such as topic selection, student work arrangements, course length, and preparatory coursework—as well as structural constraints related to faculty expertise, institutional policies, and available resources. Together, these findings suggest that ESS capstone design is highly context-dependent and shaped by an ongoing negotiation between pedagogical goals, faculty expertise, and institutional conditions. This study contributes a descriptive foundation for understanding variation in ESS capstones and identifies key considerations that may inform future research and program-level reflection on capstone design in interdisciplinary contexts.

ABSTRACT Landscape planners in semi‐arid and arid regions often plant native shrubs to reduce water and fertilizer use; however, landscape management practices might alter shrub resource use and make them more dependent on irrigation and fertilization. Our objective was to assess whether water and nutrient subsidies in managed landscapes affected plant resource use. We measured carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) stable isotopes and tissue N concentrations in leaves of native Mediterranean‐type vegetation growing in adjacent urban and natural areas at six different universities throughout Southern California. These data are used to test the hypothesis that native shrubs growing in natural areas with no or infrequent irrigation would have higher δ13C but lower δ15N values than conspecifics growing in managed landscapes. Leaf δ13C declined as aridity increased across our six campuses, but only for plants growing in natural areas, suggesting that irrigation decoupled water use efficiency (WUE) from natural climate conditions. Plants growing in urban landscapes had lower δ13C values than conspecifics growing in natural areas, suggesting that irrigated plants had lower WUE. Plants also had higher leaf δ15N in managed settings, suggesting that fertilization and irrigation increased N availability and mobility. Our results indicate that semi‐arid plants that normally exhibit stomatal control over water loss in natural areas might be more sensitive to drought if irrigation systems fail or are shut off due to high water costs. Using native plants in urban landscapes may not result in water savings because native plants are less efficient in their water use.

Abstract In some countries, melatonin is sold without a physician’s prescription and dosage is unregulated. Transdermal products have become popular including those marketed for children. We measured consumer assumptions about these products among adult residents of the United States, analyzed lot-to-lot variability, and compared the pharmacokinetics of melatonin administered in oral, lotion, and bath product forms. Survey respondents ( n =199) believed oral melatonin was more effective than transdermal products and that all melatonin products were relatively safe. Melatonin lotion products analyzed by HPLC displayed lot-to-lot variability as well as changes in formulation and product claims. To determine pharmacokinetics, three different treatments (oral tablets, lotion, and bath immersion) were administered to twelve undergraduate participants in a randomized, crossover design. Five additional participants completed bath product treatment only. Participants collected saliva samples up to 48 hours after administration, which were analyzed for melatonin by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Oral ( n =11) and lotion formulations ( n =12) caused maximum salivary melatonin levels within 30 minutes after administration, but bath immersion did not cause increases in saliva melatonin (n=17). The half-life of oral melatonin was 1.17 [0.69 – 1.65] hours versus 5.72 [3.75 – 7.68] hours for lotion treatment ( p = 0.011, effect size r = 0.770). Melatonin lotion may pose a risk to consumers who assume it is safe and less effective than oral tablets, when in fact it may be very potent and remain at high physiological levels into the following day. This study is registered on clinicaltrials.gov ( NCT06382610 ) and was funded by the Sleep Research Society. Statement of Significance We have shown that U.S. consumers assume that over-the-counter melatonin treatments like lotions and bath products are safe and less effective than oral tablets. Melatonin administered in bath product form does not result in melatonin absorbed through the skin. However, melatonin in lotion form contains a high level of the hormone which is absorbed readily and which lasts five times as long in the body than when taken orally. Lotions that are readily available in stores also have different ingredient lists, marketing claims, and amounts of melatonin which are not listed on the bottles. Consumers should be aware melatonin lotion may have a stronger impact than assumed.

Using Social Structure of Accumulation (SSA) theory, I analyze how structural economic changes shaped two cases of US healthcare legislation: the Clinton Health Security Act (HSA) of 1994 and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010. I argue that the failure of the HSA and the passage of the ACA must be understood in relation to their contemporary SSA-the set of dominant institutions and ideas that facilitates capitalist accumulation. In each case of reform, the structures of the proposed policies, as well as their support, opposition, and ultimate legislative outcomes, all reflect the concurrent restructuring of US capitalism. This analysis clarifies the interplay of neoliberal capitalism and US healthcare and contributes to our understanding of the connections between capitalist economic relations and the provision of healthcare.JEL Classification: B5, I18, N32

Throughout time, charismatic leaders have aroused the curiosity of potential and actual followers. There exists a mystique about the many methods, ranging from forceful to subliminal, that they adopt to influence followers. This article employs a dramaturgical approach to examine how gifted leaders use impression management behaviors to create and maintain charismatic relationships with followers. Also discussed are the behaviors of framing, scripting, staging, and performing, which help charismatic leaders to secure and retain their powerful persona. We discuss their use of the impression management strategies of exemplification, promotion, and facework as well. Next, we consider the role of context and the question of how and why followers attribute charisma and come to identify with the leader. We conclude with a checklist of practical recommendations for leaders to apply in cultivating charismatic relationships with their followers.