The article describes the founding principles, work program, and accomplishments of a Reference Group with both expert and layperson stakeholders for the corrosion of copper canisters in a proposed deep repository in Sweden for spent nuclear fuel. The article sets the Reference Group as a participatory effort within a broader context of…

This paper presents findings of a study that examined the role of social networks in promoting or inhibiting student achievement. The study was based on the convoy model--a "convoy" is a dynamic, hierarchical structure of social relations that provide the individual with a supportive base from which to develop personal competencies. The premise of…

A study was conducted to compare the social network characteristics of persisting and nonpersisting students who transferred from the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). In addition to determining the composition, durability, and intensity of these students' social relationships, the…