KSU Student Anxiety around Mass Shootings

This research will examine the relationships among generalized anxiety, social anxiety, and fear of mass shootings, particularly for members of minority and low socioeconomic status (SES) groups. Previous research has examined the various types of mass public shootings and which ones receive more media attention. Previous research has also examined potential causes of mass shootings, ways to prevent them, and areas where mass shootings are common. There is little research on different types of anxiety (generalized and social) and how those correlate to fear of mass shootings, especially for minority groups in college. To examine this relationship, we will administer an online questionnaire with demographic questions, questions that examine generalized and social anxiety levels, and questions on fears of mass shootings on campus and off campus. We hypothesize that stronger correlations among generalized anxiety, social anxiety, and fear of mass shootings will emerge amongst participants who belong to minority groups rather than majority groups. Through this research we hope to find trends in anxiety levels amongst these student groups and use the findings to implement effective intervention programs at KSU. The purpose of this study is ultimately to ease anxiety levels among all students, especially those of minority status.This research will examine the relationships among generalized anxiety, social anxiety, and fear of mass shootings, particularly for members of minority and low socioeconomic status (SES) groups. Previous research has examined the various types of mass public shootings and which ones receive more media attention. Previous research has also examined potential causes of mass shootings, ways to prevent them, and areas where mass shootings are common. There is little research on different types of anxiety (generalized and social) and how those correlate to fear of mass shootings, especially for minority groups in college. To examine this relationship, we will administer an online questionnaire with demographic questions, questions that examine generalized and social anxiety levels, and questions on fears of mass shootings on campus and off campus. We hypothesize that stronger correlations among generalized anxiety, social anxiety, and fear of mass shootings will emerge amongst participants who belong to minority groups rather than majority groups. Through this research we hope to find trends in anxiety levels amongst these student groups and use the findings to implement effective intervention programs at KSU. The purpose of this study is ultimately to ease anxiety levels among all students, especially those of minority status

Urbanization and insects: A contrast in trends between latitudinal temperature gradients and the urban heat island effect in cities along the eastern United States

Urbanization is associated with a range of biological stressors, including increased local temperatures due to the urban heat island effect. In individual cities, increasing temperatures are associated with declines in biodiversity. This contrasts with major trends outside cities, where biodiversity generally increases with temperature along latitudinal and elevational gradients. To understand the interaction between the urban heat island effect and latitudinal trends in biodiversity, we quantified species richness of a common urban insect group (ants) in four cities (Boston, Queens, Baltimore, and Raleigh) that span a latitudinal gradient along the eastern coast of North America. We collected ants using baits placed at the base of a single red maple (Acer rubrum) at 128 locations across cities. At each tree, we continuously measured temperature and humidity using iButton temperature loggers over the course of 11 months in 2013. We predicted that species richness would increase along a latitudinal temperature gradient from the coldest (Boston) to the warmest (Raleigh) cities. We also predicted that within cities, there would be a negative relationship between temperature and species richness. Our results supported both predictions, suggesting that the urban heat island effect disrupts large-scale trends in biodiversity along ecological gradients. These findings are relevant to future research concerning the effects of human development on ecological processes and trends, particularly those involving weather and climate disruptions