Evaluating UVM\u27s Career Interest Group Model: A Study Of Engagement, Self-Efficacy, And Benefits

Career services practitioners at the University of Vermont (UVM) – and manyinstitutions across the country – are no longer acting as gatekeepers (filtering access to opportunities/employers) but rather serving as professional networkers (facilitating access to opportunities/employers/alums). Working from the premise that universities need to do better at helping their graduates successfully navigate today’s complex and rapidly changing world of work, the UVM Career Center advanced its service delivery model in the fall of 2019 with the launch of Career Interest Groups. Four years later, it was time to assess if Interest Group members were benefiting from the new model. Specifically, as the Director of the Career Center, I wanted to know how much members were engaging in the networking activities of their IGs (e.g., connecting with people, opportunities, and resources), how confident they felt networking (e.g., their level of networking self-efficacy), and what short-term (proximal) benefits they were realizing. As the IG model was specifically designed to promote equitable access to connections and experiences for all students, regardless of background or social capital (through bridging networks rooted in shared interests), I also wanted to know if their engagement, self-efficacy, or benefits were moderated by their social identities (i.e., gender, race/ethnicity, first-generation status), or if any relationship existed between identity, engagement, and self-efficacy on benefits. Lastly, I asked members how they would describe the purpose of an IG to a classmate to understand what sense they were making of the IGs. Backed by Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy, I hypothesized that those who reported higher levels of confidence and engagement would also report greater benefits. I further hypothesized that social identities would moderate these benefits and that members whose understanding of the IG purpose aligned with the intended design would engage more. This study thus provides a thorough program evaluation of the Interest Group (IG)model. In the spring of 2024, I surveyed 307 Interest Group (IG) members (undergraduates and 2023 graduates). I found, in short, that 1) IG members have a fairly solid understanding of the purpose of these networks, 2) IG members were neither highly engaged nor very confident, 3) IGs members with higher engagement levels did report greater benefits, 4) gender had a moderate effect on networking self-efficacy, 5) race had a medium effect on networking benefits, and 6) that there was indeed a relationship between social identity, IG engagement, and networking self-efficacy that accounted for 41% of the variance in proximal networking benefits. This research provides foundational information to help the university understandhow IG members are making sense of the IGs, how confident they feel, and how they are (or are not) engaging with their groups and benefiting from the IG model. This empowers Career Center staff – and colleagues across campus – to make data-informed decisions regarding how to adjust and evolve the IG model (and career offerings more generally) to realize increasing success

Combinative Strategy To Advance Target-Based Anticryptosporidial Drug Discovery.

Cryptosporidiosis is a prevalent diarrheal disease characterized by infection of the small intestine by apicomplexan Cryptosporidium parasites. These intestinal parasites effectuate life-threatening diarrhea in young children and immunocompromised patients such as those on long-term immunosuppressants, or people living with HIV/AIDS. There are presently no vaccines to prevent cryptosporidiosis in humans. Unfortunately, the only FDA-approved treatment, nitazoxanide, lacks efficacy in immunocompromised patients but shows moderate efficacy in children, populations in which cryptosporidiosis is most severe and persistent. To engage the obvious paucity in the availability of novel anti-Cryptosporidium therapeutics, large-scale phenotypic screenings of compounds made available by Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, led to the identification of pyrazolopyrimidine human phosphodiesterase (PDE)-V (hsPDE-V) and 1,5-naphthyridine phosphatidylinositol-4 kinase (PI4K) inhibitors with potent in vitro anticryptosporidial characteristics and in vivo efficacy following oral administration in C. parvum-infected immunocompromised mouse models of cryptosporidiosis. The lead phosphodiesterase inhibitor (PDEi) and phosphatidylinositol-4-kinase inhibitor (PI4Ki) series showed comparable anti-C. parvum and C. hominis potency, are fast-acting in tissue culture, and have minimal off-target effects in a preliminary safety screening assay panel. Our main objective was to validate the molecular targets of the novel PDEis and PI4Kis lead series in Cryptosporidium. By extension, we sought to uncover the mode-of-action of these novel lead series in C. parvum and highlight important target-based strategies that can be exploited for drug target identification in anticryptosporidial drug discovery. We demonstrated the mode-of-action of the lead series by employing life-cycle phenotypic assays which identified the parasite egress stage as the key life stage blocked by the PDEi and PI4Ki series. Subsequently, we utilized in vitro enzyme assays to confirm on-target engagement of our lead PDEis and PI4Kis against recombinant CpPDE1/CpPDE3 and CpPI4K enzymes, respectively. Guided by in silico analyses, we identified two residues (Val900 and His884) in the CpPDE1 active site predicted to be important for pyrazolopyrimidine PDEi binding. We produced a CRISPR-engineered C. parvum CpPDE1-V900A transgenic strain which exhibited altered susceptibility to our lead PDEi series, providing genetic support for CpPDE1-pyrazolopyrimidine PDEi interaction. Our findings suggest that CpPDE1, a validated pyrazolopyrimidine molecular target, can be exploited for target-based lead optimization in our anticryptosporidial drug development scheme. Furthermore, to genetically validate CpPI4K as a molecular target of the novel naphthyridine PI4Ki lead series, we overexpressed the wild-type CpPI4K gene in wild-type C. parvum to confirm the development of a resistance phenotype in the CpPI4K over-expressing transgenic strain. The expression of an additional copy of the wild-type CpPI4K gene conferred a moderate resistance phenotype in the presence of a naphthyridine PI4Ki and a separate imidazopyrazine PI4Ki by about 3-fold. These results provide compelling evidence that CpPI4K is a molecular target of the imidazopyrazine and novel naphthyridine PI4Ki lead series. In summary, we have identified and validated CpPI4K and CpPDE1 as molecular targets of our PI4Ki and PDEi lead series, respectively. Our target identification efforts on CpPDE1 marks the first characterization of the CpPDE1 as a druggable target in C. parvum. Meanwhile, our genetic validation of CpPI4K druggability will build on existing research in the anti-Cryptosporidium drug discovery field. Collectively, the results from this work will inform medicinal chemistry lead optimization efforts to advance anticryptosporidial drug development

Examining Urban Watershed Resilience In Cities And Gardens: A Spatial Analysis Of Equity Of Green Stormwater Infrastructure Distribution And A Mixed Methods Analysis Of Soil Properties And Sub-Surface Nutrient Leaching From Urban Gardens, In Light Of Gardener Perceptions And Management Practices

Due to the expansion of urban development and land use, impervious surface area coverage has steadily increased across the United States. As urbanization occurs, the expansion of impervious area reduces watershed infiltration capacity, and increases flood events and water pollution via runoff. The heightened intensity of storm events due to climate change exacerbates this urban flood risk, particularly in vulnerable communities that lack adequate infrastructure to manage these challenges. The first chapter of this thesis introduces issues of urbanization, stormwater management, green stormwater infrastructure and connections between watersheds and urban agroecosystems. It also examines how systemic racism, both past and present, has led to Black people living in urban areas that are disproportionately vulnerable to flooding, deprived of climate resiliency measures, and often lacking in access to crucial food system components such as grocery stores. The second chapter explores the equitability of green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) distribution in the US cities of Washington D.C. and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Through spatial and statistical analyses, the relationship between GSI implementation and the sociodemographic variables of percent Black population and median household income are examined in both cities. This research provides additional context to the existing body of literature addressing sociodemographic equity in green infrastructure distribution across US cities and considers “green gentrification” as a factor related to GSI implementation. The third chapter considers aspects of urban agroecosystems that relate to water quality using both natural science and social science methods. Urban gardens provide myriad benefits in social sustainability, particularly bolstering food sovereignty, but the extent to which they contribute to water pollution via nutrient leaching is underexplored. In this study, soil and water samples were collected from residential and community gardeners across urban and peri-urban sites in Chittenden County (Vermont, USA), to investigate the degree to which urban gardens leach soluble reactive phosphorus and nitrate into groundwater. Interviews were conducted with the gardeners to gain insight into their garden management practices and environmental awareness, revealing potential relationships between soil amendment usage and the extent of nutrient leaching within each garden. Through this analysis we gain insight into the potential of urban gardens as not just a means of food production, but as green infrastructure in a hydrological context

Modeling the Pulmonary Mechanics of Jet Ventilation During Rigid Bronchoscopy

Rigid bronchoscopy is a procedure which allows for surgical interventions in the trachea and central airways for which patients frequently require general anesthesia and ventilatory support. Low-frequency jet ventilation (LFJV) is a technique to provide ventilatory support for rigid bronchoscopy in which the anesthesiologist manually delivers jets of air to the patient with a hand-controlled valve. The airway pressures and tidal volumes during LFJV are poorly characterized. We conducted a benchtop experiment using a mechanical model lung and a custom-built sensor array to measure airway pressure and tidal volume and determine the effect of airway resistance, lung compliance, inspiratory time, and expiratory time during LFJV. Median airway pressure was 10.99 cm H2O, range 7.69 – 12.02 cm H2O. Resistance and compliance each had a statistically significant effect on airway pressure, although the magnitude of this effect was small. Median tidal volume was 177 mL, range 43 – 546 mL. Inspiratory time, resistance and compliance all had statistically significant effects on tidal volume, however only compliance had a clinically relevant effect on tidal volume with higher levels of compliance leading to larger tidal volumes. Our data suggests LFJV for rigid bronchoscopy is a low-pressure ventilation strategy where tidal volume is primarily determined by lung compliance

Detox Me? : Environmental Attunement Among My Cancer Kin

This thesis offers an autoethnographic analysis of the digital app Detox Me in a context where I am reading and engaging with environmental toxins literature such as Sandra Steingraber’s Living Downstream: An Ecologist’s Personal Investigation of Cancer and the Environment. I analyze Steingraber’s suggested practice for confronting the carcinogens in our lives, a process she calls “discovering our ecological roots” and describe a new practice that I developed throughout my research and use of Detox Me. I argue that we have outgrown Steingraber’s practice and that a new process is required in order to reflect the experiences of young digital natives like me who are navigating an increasingly toxic world. I weave together my analysis of Detox Me, my personal experiences with cancer and chemicals, and my readings of feminist and environmental literature to develop a new practice for confronting carcinogens. When I completed my weaving, I found that three essential steps emerged from my experience confronting the carcinogens in my life. I conclude that, first, it is essential for me to reject ideas of purity. Next, I have to make stronger connections with human and non-human others in my life. Lastly, I have to open my senses and emotions to a new kind of attunement

Reimagining hiring processes for autistic adults in early employment

Autistic adults desire employment yet face barriers during hiring processes. This phenomenological study explores autistic adults’ early hiring experiences and ways to improve hiring processes. Ten autistic adults with less than five years of employment experience selfselected. Surveys and reflexive thematic analysis were used. Three themes described participants’ experience: Hiring Processes are Anxiety-Provoking; Sometimes the Job Found Me; and Balancing Personal Needs with Meaningful Work. Two themes described ways to improve hiring processes: Acceptance of Neurodiversity and Assistance with Hiring Processes. Findings highlight the importance of connections and the need for further research on improving employment outcomes through networking

2024 Rye Nitrogen Fertility Trial

The interest in growing cereal rye for grain to be sold as cover crop seed, or to other value-added markets (distillers and bakers), has increased considerably across the Northeast region in recent years. This winter- hardy grain has the ability to survive cold winters and can be more tolerant of marginal land not suitable for other crops. As a result, farmers and end-users are requesting yield and quality information on cereal rye varieties. In 2023-2024, University of Vermont Extension Northwest Crops and Soils (NWCS) Program conducted a nitrogen (N) fertility trial to evaluate yield and quality of cereal rye under variable nitrogen application scenarios

Understanding Veterans’ Preferences for Firearm Safety Conversations: Developing Culturally Conscious Approaches to Suicide Prevention

Background: United States military veterans suffer a disproportionately high suicide rate compared to the general population. Firearms represented the majority of lethal means involved in successful suicide attempts in veterans from 2001 to 2022. Communication with firearm owning patients is often difficult with a prevalent distrust of providers during interviews. For the provider, lack of training can lead to hesitancy approaching the topic. Once provided training, providers self-report more confidence speaking to the topic. Methods: A survey and interview guideline were designed using data from a literature search focusing on veteran suicide and firearm owning cultural competency. Data collection was performed with community partners and a convenience sample of veterans, active military, and reservists. Raw data was coded for thematic similarities and trends in themes were analyzed for formal results. Results: 11 total valid responses were obtained. Physician questioning is preferred when there are concerns on safety at home. Veterans are generally in favor of lethal means safety discussions, emphasizing the need for safe and secure storage, especially when children are present in the household. Participants preferred nonconfrontational language that emphasizes firearms being discussed in the same tone as other lethal means like medications. Participants also prefer conversations with trusted providers who have knowledge of veteran culture and of firearms safety. Conclusion: Themes are supported by existing literature on the general population. Further studies should include a larger sample and focus on elucidating cultural touchpoints that firearm owning veterans would find relatable to create and disseminate lethal means safety resources.https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/comphp_gallery/1323/thumbnail.jp

Agriculture Meets Academia: Examining Biosafety Knowledge And Training Among Student Workers On University Dairy Farms

Biosafety education and training are critical components of university-run dairy farm programs, where student workers gain hands-on experience in herd management, animal health, and agricultural operations. Despite the growing recognition of the importance of biosafety, there remains a lack of standardized education on biosafety topics including biosecurity, zoonotic disease prevention, and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) within these programs. This research assesses the current state of biosafety training for student workers at institutional dairy herds and identifies key gaps in knowledge that could impact both animal and human health. Through an evaluation of existing training protocols and experiential learning opportunities, this study highlights inconsistencies in knowledge and attitudes around biosecurity, zoonotic disease risk mitigation, and AMR among student workers. While these farm employment programs provide essential hands-on experience, it is unclear if student workers are being adequately educated on the crucialness of biosafety topics in relation to their work in the agriculture industry. This study underscores a need for a comprehensive, One-Health focused biosafety curriculum within university dairy employment and training programs. A structured approach to biosafety will better prepare students for careers in the agricultural industry, veterinary medicine, and public health. As these individuals transition into careers, their understanding of biosafety practices will be vital in promoting sustainable livestock management and safeguarding public health. By addressing these educational gaps, universities have a unique opportunity to equip future industry leaders with the tools needed to mitigate disease spread, enhance farm biosecurity, and combat the ongoing global threat of AMR