This Is My Story: A Qualitative Narrative Inquiry of The Lived Experience of African American Faculty Members at Predominantly White Institutions

2024With the continued rise in the call for more diversity, equity, and inclusion in society, colleges and universities are not exempt. Specifically, Predominately White Institutions (PWIs) face the urge from students, faculty/staff, and administrators to answer this call. Unfortunately, while many institutions of higher learning are adjusting to attend to diversity, equity, and inclusion, they miss a key factor – their African American (AA) faculty. Having AA faculty helps AA individuals feel that representation does matter, and supporting AA staff aids in recruitment, retention, and overall wellbeing. While there have been many studies on the impact that microaggressions have on AA faculty, none have been conducted to explore the impact of microaggressions and microaffirmations on AA faculty. This qualitative phenomenological study focused on filling the gap in the literature by exploring the lived experience of AA faculty at PWIs and looking at the microaffirmations and microaggressions they experience from students, peers, and administrators. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to gather the participant’s perceived experiences at it relates to microaffirmations and microaggressions, in the hopes of painting a fuller picture of their experiences. The results found that AA faculty experienced varying levels of microaggressions and microaffirmations at past and current PWIs, which dictates how they feel about themselves, their abilities, and trust with peers. It was further noted that there is a level of emotional labor disparity experienced by AA faculty, due to what has been coined as assumptions of dynamism.Redmond, Donald BLane, W DavidBrown, Tavari TD.Phil

Books at Birth

Proposal and final report of a Service Scholars project "to provide appropriate, high-quality literature to children to encourage parent-child bonding through engaged reading and enhance reading time to increase cognitive and language development.

THE POTENTIAL POWER OF PEER FEEDBACK: A QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL EXPLORATION OF GIFTED MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF PEER FEEDBACK AS AN INSTRUCTIONAL TOOL TO IMPROVE SCIENCE LEARNING

2024This study investigated how peer feedback as an instructional tool might increase the engagement of gifted middle school science students, potentially impacting their academic performance in science. It specifically addressed gifted students’ perceptions of peer feedback in science. Furthermore, it explored how peer feedback could be considered a potentially effective learning strategy to increase student’s engagement and learning from their peers in the science classroom. In this quantitative study, the researcher examined the independent variable, which was comprised of three peer feedback conditions: learning condition, rubric condition, and line condition, to see how students’ perceptions of the usefulness of peer feedback were in science. A one-way repeated measures ANOVA was used to understand if there were any changes in student perceptions during peer feedback conditions through a STEM prosthetic hand project. All students participated in each stage of the study design by learning about the peer feedback conditions (learning, rubric, and line-by-line condition) and completed each survey at the conclusion of each condition. Within each peer feedback condition, students were learning how to give, receive, and apply peer feedback (the peer feedback cycle). However, the results of statistical analyses revealed no significant differences among the three peer feedback conditions. These findings challenge much of the available literature on peer feedback and suggest that these different conditions may be influenced by factors not accounted for in this study. There is evidence to suggest that there is enough promise in utilizing peer feedback, specifically using peer feedback in science and STEM courses. Future research should explore the potential impact on study results if the peer feedback cycle is applied after engaging in extensive community-building, in non-gifted learning environments, and with a control condition over a longer implementation period.Allee, Karyn AFord, Deana JAllaire, Franklin SLuther, Vicki LD.Phil

Protecting the Hidden Victims: Increasing Family Bonding Throughout Incarceration

Final report of a Service Scholars project to provide family-friendly visitation areas in correctional facilities

ASIAN AMERICAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER WOMEN AND WORK: A BUFORD HIGHWAY SAFETY ASSESSMENT

2024National data shows Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) women are experiencing a rise in workplace hate incidents since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. During the Atlanta Spa Shootings in March 2021, six AAPI women were murdered in their metro Atlanta workplaces. This spurred demands for data on AAPI women’s intersectional experiences with workplace harassment. Since the Atlanta Spa Shootings, there has not been an assessment of AAPI women’s workplace safety in Atlanta. The Buford Highway Corridor, located within metro Atlanta cities Chamblee and Doraville, GA, has a concentrated and diverse mix of Korean, Japanese, Chinese, and Vietnamese-owned businesses, making it an area of interest for this study. This study was guided by the Asian Critical Theory to address the question: What are the characteristics of AAPI women’s experiences with harassment incidents in the workplaces located along the Buford Highway Corridor in Chamblee and Doraville, GA? An online exploratory structured survey questionnaire was developed for this study by adapting domains from previous studies on anti-AAPI hate incidents. Convenience sampling was used to recruit study participants through social media and community canvassing. Participants were AAPI women aged 18 years and over, who can read and write in English and have experienced a workplace harassment incident while working in a Buford Highway Corridor workplace within Chamblee or Doraville, GA. The final sample included 24 eligible participants. The study found sex and race/ethnicity were reported as the most common sociodemographic factors for being targeted in a workplace harassment incident. Verbal harassment/name calling and sexual harassment were the most common harassment types experienced by participants. White male co-workers were the most common harasser identified by study participants. Each participant experienced a unique emotional response after being harassed. This study provides researchers with a framework for studies involving AAPI women and harassment incidents. This study advanced the utilization of Asian Critical Theory, expanding its scope into the public health field. A practical application of the findings for public health is the development of a culturally competent intervention to train AAPI women in the study location to identify and report workplace harassment incidents.Sultan, Dawood H.Carr, Kimberly N.Willis, Leigh A.Dr.P.H

Bethel Baptist Church Minute Book, 1874-1942

Church record book that includes regularly recorded meeting minutes and church membership lists for Bethel Baptist Church in Wilkinson County, 1874-1942

Sexual Health Education Series

Proposal and final report of a Service Scholars project to conduct sexual education workshops with Mercer University incoming freshme

EVALUATING CROSS-SECTOR COMMUNITY COLLABORATION FOR PARKINSON’S: THE HEALTHY PARKINSON’S COMMUNITIESTM (HPC) NETWORK

2024SUSANA MARLYN CARLOS EVALUATING CROSS-SECTOR COMMUNITY COLLABORATION FOR PARKINSON’S: THE HEALTHY PARKINSON’S COMMUNITIES (HPC) NETWORK Under the direction of SUZIE MADDEN, DrPH, MPH Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a significantly increasing public health concern, and the neurodegenerative disease requires a holistic, collaborative approach to addressing all aspects of the disease as well as working toward prevention. Many national, statewide, regional, and local Parkinson’s-oriented organizations exist, and there is little effort to coordinate these players toward improving the local community. The objective of the study was to evaluate individual local-level coalition-building efforts, utilizing a survey and interview process to measure success factors and areas for improvement. The research question was, “How to measure existing collective action effectively?” The two main tools utilized for the study included the Community Coalition Action Theory (CCAT) and the Wilder Collaborative Factors Inventory (WCFI). The survey expanded upon the WCFI to assess the outlined factors, and the interviews helped define these factors qualitatively for future community development. A total of 14 community leaders participated in the survey, of which 5 were also interviewed. Statistical Rho correlations were conducted to test the association between success factors within a category, against the category, and against outcome data. The first series of correlations for success factors within each category resulted in one significant pairing between mutual respect and the ability to compromise (under membership characteristics). The second series of correlations for each category with its relative success factors yielded significant correlations for at least one success factor for each category. The third correlation for categories and outcome variables highlighted membership characteristics, and resources stood out as substantial categories highly associated with the outcomes tested using linear regressions. The linear regressions resulted in one significant outcome where the category of resources predicted access to resources and programs (F(1,10) = 8.10, p < 0.01, R2 = 39%). In addition, the two tools utilized (WCFI and CCAT) have not been employed together to define coalitions and pose a significant research pathway that maps information visually and with data.Madden, Suzie LHilts, AsantaCloud, Leslie JDr.P.H

Re-engaged Youth Attending A Secondary Alternative School: A Cluster Analysis

2024The purpose of this quantitative cluster analysis was to create a profile of students attending, graduating, and withdrawing from an alternative high school located in Georgia. Using a hierarchical cluster analysis method, clusters were formed based on the clustering variables of age overage, poverty, Multilingual Learner status, student achievement, Carnegie credits earned, discipline incidences, school attendance, and gender from a current student population of 2,497 and 1,861 graduates. Prior research has demonstrated that not all students excel in traditional secondary schools due to various factors. However, there is a scarcity of empirical research examining the suitability of alternative pathways for attaining a high school diploma. Given the significant numbers of youth dropping out of school prematurely, it is crucial to investigate alternative routes to high school education to assess their appropriateness and effectiveness. The results of this study suggest that there are shared traits among student cohorts attending and graduating from this alternative high school. These insights, coupled with the distinctive attributes of the alternative education environment, should guide school guidance counselors and administrators in providing support and advice to students who are struggling to thrive in a traditional secondary setting. Future research should prioritize gathering firsthand accounts from students who are thriving in alternative secondary schools to gain deeper insights into the factors contributing to their success, particularly among those who did not finish their secondary education in a traditional setting.Morrissey, SusieKeese, JeffCastanheira, BrittanyD.Phil

A RETROSPECTIVE EPIDEMIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS USING SECONDARY DATA: INVESTIGATING THE INFLUENCE OF ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCE ON BREASTFEEDING AMONG AFRICAN AMERICAN MOTHERS

2024Breastfeeding offers significant health benefits for both infants and mothers, yet disparities in breastfeeding initiation persist, particularly among African American mothers. These disparities are not merely the result of individual choices but are deeply rooted in factors including Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), which have been shown to impact health behaviors and outcomes across lifespans. Nonprofits and community-based programs, such as Reaching Our Sisters Everywhere, Inc. (ROSE), work to increase breastfeeding rates by providing healthcare provider training on breastfeeding support but lack awareness of ACEs' influence on breastfeeding behaviors. This study investigates the influence ACEs has on breastfeeding behaviors among African American mothers in Georgia from an epidemiological perspective. The objective of this research is to analyze ACEs and breastfeeding data of African American mothers to contribute to the understanding of the correlation between ACEs and breastfeeding behaviors. Other objectives are to determine if significant differences exist in ACEs based on region and to determine if the region is associated with breastfeeding behaviors. This study analyzes BRFSS self-reported ACEs data and demographics of African American women ages 18 and older with the CDC WONDER breastfeeding data about infants breastfeeding or not breastfeeding at the time of discharge. Data collected from this query system is specific to African American mothers in Georgia. Binary logistic regression and ANCOVA are the statistical analyses conducted using SPSS for Windows. The study revealed that even when demographic variables are controlled for, there are no significant regional variations in breastfeeding behavior among African American women in Georgia, nor in the overall ACEs scores. This study also provides evidence-based recommendations for including the findings in the curriculum used during the Healthcare Provider Training initiative at ROSE, Inc. The results of this study add to the literature through the investigation of breastfeeding behaviors and ACEs in African American mothers in Georgia. Overall, the study contributes towards closing gaps in maternal and child health disparities in the U.S., adding value to the body of knowledge needed to address the critical public health issue of low breastfeeding rates in African American women in Georgia.Gaddis, CherylBarnett, NadiaBugg, KimarieDr.P.H