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In recent decades, recruitment and retention efforts to meet workforce demands and broaden participation in colleges of engineering across the country have focused primarily on catering to the needs of first-year, traditional age college students who matriculate from high school into 4-year institutions. While these efforts have moved the needle on enrollment and retention for undergraduate students in engineering, growth and improvement measures have started to taper in recent years. To meet current and future workforce demands for more STEM professionals in the United States, we must be creative about how to move beyond this ceiling effect; and, great potential exists among the growing population of students who begin their pursuit of a higher education at institutions other than 4-year public/private colleges. The purpose of this study is to increase understanding of engineering transfer students and their experiences at both sending and receiving institutions. Part of a larger mixed methods research investigation, this study draws on survey data from a sample of 1,070 engineering transfer students who transferred to one of four 4-year Texas institutions as new engineering students between 2007 and 2014. Research sites include four of the top ten producers of U.S. Hispanic/Latino engineers; and the framework for transfer student capital was used to organize this study's data collection and analytical plan. Structured as a manuscript style dissertation, this investigation offers a synthesis of recent literature on engineering transfer students and yields important findings on engineering transfer student movement through the higher education system at two distinct phases: 1) at the beginning of their higher education pathways in an investigation of students' reasons for starting at another institution and factors that influence their decisions to transfer; and 2) at the phase immediately following transfer in an investigation of the transition experience for students who transfer to a 4-year institution. For each phase, I identify emergent constructs and explore differences across subgroups of engineering transfer students (i.e., type of institution - selective versus open enrollment; type of transfer pathway - lateral versus vertical; student status as Hispanic/Latino; student status as first generation). This research joins and expands the small body of literature on engineering transfer students and brings data to higher education administrators so they can make more informed adjustments to existing institutional policies and practices that impact students as they transfer to engineering programs at 4-year institutions. Last, findings from this study also advance the current state of community college research on transfer students more generally. / PHD / In recent decades, recruitment and retention efforts to meet workforce demands and broaden participation in colleges of engineering across the country have focused primarily on catering to the needs of first‐year, traditional age college students who matriculate from high school into 4‐year institutions. While these efforts have moved the needle on enrollment and retention for undergraduate students in engineering, growth and improvement measures have started to taper in recent years. To meet current and future workforce demands for more STEM professionals in the United States, we must be creative about how to move beyond this ceiling effect; and, great potential exists among the growing population of students who begin their pursuit of a higher education at institutions other than 4‐year public/private colleges. The purpose of this study is to increase understanding of engineering transfer students and their experiences at both sending and receiving institutions. Part of a larger mixed methods research investigation, this study draws on survey data from a sample of 1,070 engineering transfer students who transferred to one of four 4‐year Texas institutions as new engineering students between 2007 and 2014. Research sites include four of the top ten producers of U.S. Hispanic/Latino engineers; and the framework for transfer student capital was used to organize this study's data collection and analytical plan. This investigation offers a synthesis of recent literature on engineering transfer students and yields important findings on engineering transfer student movement through the higher education system at two distinct phases: 1) at the beginning of their higher education pathways in an investigation of students' reasons for starting at another institution and factors that influence their decisions to transfer; and 2) at the phase immediately following transfer in an investigation of the transition experience for students who transfer to a 4‐year institution. For each phase, I identify emergent themes and explore differences across subgroups of engineering transfer students (i.e., type of institution ‐ selective versus open enrollment; type of transfer pathway ‐ lateral versus vertical; student status as Hispanic/Latino; student status as first generation). This research helps administrators, faculty members, and staff at sending and receiving institutions key in on the more problematic aspects of transfer that require additional attention. Moreover, research findings can be used by administrators, faculty members, and staff at receiving institutions to design or customize programs and services to address pressing needs and further enhance engineering transfer students’ perceptions of fit with their new institutions. Lastly, schools of engineering interested in boosting student enrollment can use findings from this study to better position themselves to appeal to and perhaps capture a larger market of engineering transfer students in the future.

The Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) lifecycle is punctuated by distinct ontogenic stages which are routinely manipulated commercially by photoperiod regimes to enable year-round production. As such, light plays a critical role throughout the production cycle, however, it remains poorly characterised and light spectrum and intensity have not been defined optimally yet. This thesis was therefore set out to test the effects of narrow bandwidth light (Blue-λ(max) 444 nm, Green-λ(max) 523 nm, Red-λ(max) 632 nm and White) and intensity in freshwater (FW). Fry-parr development, out-of-season smoltification and ocular and vertebral health were examined as was the long-term effects of FW light regimes on seawater (SW) growth and muscle structure. In addition, the impact of photoperiod regimes on out-of-season smolts following transfer to SW was investigated. 
 Major findings from the trials conducted show that light spectrum and intensity influence parr development with lower intensities performing better than higher intensities. Both the initiation and duration of smoltification was impacted by spectrum. Importantly, this doctoral work showed that daily changes in light intensity, from low during the scotophase to high during the photophase applied for the duration of a standard out-of-season smoltification regime was capable of providing a sufficient cue for the induction of smoltification. Historic FW light exposure impacted SW performance and post-transfer SW photoperiod had significant impact upon growth and maturation development. Results based on changes to the gonadosomatic index provide important guidance for suitable post-transfer photoperiods for smolt transferred to SW around the winter solstice. Importantly, from the parameters tested, exposure to different spectrum or light intensities did not adversely affect vertebral or ocular health. 
 This thesis did not only focus on the physiological effects of light but also aimed to characterise better the pathways involved in light perception and integration. To do so, the neural response to both broad spectrum white light, darkness and Red and Blue light was investigated through deep brain insitu-hybridisation and high throughput sequencing (NGS) of the pituitary gland. Results showed substantial spectral and light/dark changes in the both the deep brain and pituitary transcriptome. Overall, this research provides both scientifically interesting and commercially relevant guidance for the optimisation of lighting systems for use in captive salmon aquaculture. Major findings from the trials conducted show that light spectrum and intensity influence parr development with lower intensities performing better than higher intensities. Both the initiation and duration of smoltification was impacted by spectrum. Importantly, this doctoral work showed that daily changes in light intensity, from low during the scotophase to high during the photophase applied for the duration of a standard out-of-season smoltification regime was capable of providing a sufficient cue for the induction of smoltification. Historic FW light exposure impacted SW performance and post-transfer SW photoperiod had significant impact upon growth and maturation development. Results based on changes to the gonadosomatic index provide important guidance for suitable post-transfer photoperiods for smolt transferred to SW around the winter solstice. Importantly, from the parameters tested, exposure to different spectrum or light intensities did not adversely affect vertebral or ocular health. This thesis did not only focus on the physiological effects of light but also aimed to characterise better the pathways involved in light perception and integration. To do so, the neural response to both broad spectrum white light, darkness and Red and Blue light was investigated through deep brain insitu-hybridisation and high throughput sequencing (NGS) of the pituitary gland. Results showed substantial spectral and light/ dark changes in the both the deep brain and pituitary transcriptome. Overall, this research provides both scientifically interesting and commercially relevant guidance for the optimisation of lighting systems for use in captive salmon aquaculture.