Research and Education
http://www.albany.edu/mumford/
Throughout his long life, Lewis Mumford wore multiple hats, including those of a prolific author, accomplished chronicler of urbanism, and social critic. In 1988, a group of scholars from the University of Albany visited Mumford and his wife to discuss a plan for an academic center whose work would be both "comparative and historical in scope." The fruits of this initial idea became the Lewis Mumford Center for Comparative Urban and Regional Research at the University of Albany. Headed by Professor John R. Logan, the Center has a number of research projects, including a global neighborhoods initiative and the research network of professionals concerned with working on the study of urbanization in contemporary China. For those interested on the changing demographics in the United States, the center's research reports, drawing on 2000 U.S. Census, will be particularly useful, as they cover such topics as racial segregation in the Boston region and the Muslim world in metropolitan America. [KMG]
Formed in 1946, the International Council of Museums (ICOM) is a non-governmental organization that maintains formal relations with UNESCO and that is "committed to the conservation, continuation and communication to society of the world's natural and cultural heritage, present and future, tangible and intangible." To that end, the ICOM has developed this website which pays close attention to the main themes of its work, including the training of museum professionals, the dissemination of knowledge of museums, and the advancement of professional standards. At the About ICOM section, visitors can learn about day-to-day operations, read latest press releases, and peruse the ICOM Code of Ethics for Museums. The Activities area features materials about International Museum Day, a calendar of ICOM-sponsored events, and information about the triennial ICOM General Conference, which will be held next in 2004. Finally, the site also contains a number of valuable publications dealing with museum standards that may be downloaded for further consideration. [KMG]
http://www.aspeninstitute.org/
The Aspen Institute was founded by Walter Paepcke, a Chicago businessman, in 1950 after he was inspired by the natural beauty of Aspen, Colorado. The basic mission of the Institute is "to foster enlightened leadership, the appreciation of timeless ideas and values, and open-minded dialogue on contemporary issues." With locations around the United States and various partner locations in Europe and Japan, the Institute sponsors a number of ongoing seminars, policy programs, and leadership initiatives. While the site does provide information on seminars and the like, most visitors interested in public policy will want to move to the section that describes the Institute's policy programs. Thematically, they include groups devoted to exploring communication and society, the nonprofit sector, and economic opportunities, to name but a few. Within each theme, users can learn about the staff members working on each project, and download a number of working papers and reports on these respective subjects. The site is rounded out with materials on employment opportunities at the Institute and an online bookstore of publications from the organization. [KMG]
Given the paucity of knowledge regarding the true numbers of marine life, an examination of the Census of Marine Life Portal website could not be more timely. The Census itself is a global network of researchers from more than 45 nations currently engaged in a ten-year initiative "to assess and explain the diversity, distribution, and abundance of marine life in the oceans-past, present, and future." To get some sense of the various projects that the Census is undertaking, visitors will want to read the project descriptions, which range from the History of Marine Animal Populations project to the Natural Geography in Shore Areas project. Visitors can also read about the progress of the Census in their most recent report, "The Unknown Ocean: Baseline Report for the Census of Marine Life." Finally, the site also has some nice media resources, including recent news reports on the Census, a list of experts, and a number of images and video clips. The site is also available in a number of languages, such as German, French, Japanese, and Spanish. [KMG]
Started in 1993 after a government white paper called for more coherence in the reporting and collection of higher education statistics in the United Kingdom, the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) is "the central source for higher education statistics." Not surprisingly, the site features a detailed area devoted to publications and data sets available from the HESA, some of which are available for no cost on the website, and others which may be ordered on CD-ROM. There are also a number of data sets available at no charge that may be viewed and printed, or downloaded for free. The data sets are mostly from 1994 to 2002, and include statistics on students (such as ethnicity, subject of study, and institution level), staff, and institutional incomes and expenditures. The site is rounded out with a collection of related links that lead to related government bodies and funding councils. [KMG]
http://www.asme.org/events/flight/
December 17, 2003 marks the 100th anniversary of the Wright Brothers' historic achievement, and to commemorate the event the American Society of Mechanical Engineers has developed this site. Several notable stories of flight are documented, including the Enola Gay, the Concorde, and the Boeing 767-80, which was "the prototype for most jet transports." Teacher resources and news articles related to the centennial of flight are available. An archive of paper airplane models is also included to give children and adults something to do in their spare time. [CL] This site is also reviewed in the November 7, 2003 NSDL MET Report.
The National Center for Social Research is widely considered to be Britain's premier research group specializing in social surveys and qualitative research for the development and evaluation of public policy. Much of the centre's work is done on the behalf of various public organizations, such as research councils, charitable trusts, and foundations. At the homepage, visitors can read about the centre's various research units (such as the Survey Methods Centre), its respective methodologies and approaches, and recent work that has been conducted. One strong highlight of the site is the inclusion of a number of reports, organized thematically into such areas as leisure, housing, political attitudes, social security, and health. The papers truly run the gamut of social science research, including works titled Attitudes Towards Discrimination in Scotland, Low-Income Families and Household Spending, and Methodological Review of the Survey of English Housing (2003). [KMG]
Launched by Professor David Gauntlett of the University of Bournemouth in January 1999, this site provides an interesting introduction to the vast world of media theory. Visitors looking for materials on media theories (and their accompanying theorists) will want to move their browsers to the section that contains resources on such individuals as Anthony Giddens, Judith Butler, Michel Foucault, and a number of other scholars whose work has directly influenced the ideas of media theory, either directly or indirectly. Equally intriguing is the set of trading cards developed by Gauntlett that provide brief facts about such concepts as psychoanalysis, postmodernity, and girl power. After reading through the materials on media theory located here, visitors may also elect to take a sixteen-question quiz, featuring visual clues. [KMG]
