The Poor/Working-Class College Students’ Challenges and Resiliency Factors Scale: Developing the P/W-CRF

Social class encompasses the preferences, lifestyles, and behaviors of people in various social class groups in conjunction with the structural privileges that accompany certain social locations (Smith, 2010). Class-privileged college students typically come to campus with greater amounts of cultural capital (Bourdieu, 1980) that afford them the luxury of understanding how to navigate the middle-class environment of college (Tett, 2000). Students from poor/working- class backgrounds are, on the other hand, often without the benefit of knowing the behavioral codes and expectations of college, which can lead to negative psychological outcomes in the form of lowered self-esteem, depression, and stress. As a construct, resiliency provides a framework for understanding how some poor/working-class students are able to succeed despite these potential negative outcomes and persist through college. The study aimed to measure the class-related challenges and resiliency factors that correspond to different levels of psychological outcomes using a scale called the Poor/Working-Class Challenge and Resiliency Factor Scale (P/W-CRF). Data was collected using a sample of 253 four-year college students who identified as coming from a poor/working-class background. Participants filled out an online survey consisting of a demographic survey, original challenge and resiliency factor items, psychology outcome measures (self –esteem, depression, and stress), a social desirability scale, and previously validated classism and resiliency scales. Through factor analysis, two scales were generated. The first scale represented the challenges faced on campus, which was a 20-item, four factor scale with a good fit. The second, resilience scale, was a 24-item, eight factor scale with a poor fit. The overall challenge scale was found to show convergent validity with the depression, stress, and classism scales, and divergent validity with the self esteem and social desirability scales. The resilience scale demonstrated convergent validity with the self esteem and resilience scales and divergent validity with the depression and stress scales. In an effort to explore a stronger model fit for the two models, post hoc analysis offered a possible 18-item, six- factor resilience model, with a slightly improved model fit. The document will explore potential strengths and weaknesses of using these models. Finally, implications and suggestions for future research are provided in the following areas; a) Research; b) Theory; c) Clinical Practice; d) Student Affairs or Services; e) Policy; and f) High School College Counseling

Assessment revision of ‘perceptions of disabled veterans in the civilian workforce’

As there continues to be limited research related to perceptions of disability status in the workforce, specific to the veteran population, the importance of employer understanding as well as willingness to provide accommodations is necessary to help promote change. This study carefully reviewed the assessment tool used by Reed (2016) to measure perceptions towards hiring disabled veterans as they enter the civilian workforce. To help support validity and/or reliability of the tool previously used, two professional experts were interviewed to provide feedback on the data tool in support of revisions. The vignettes, job attainment questionnaire, and demographics questionnaire were revised for future pilot sample collection

Event-Related Potential Studies of Error Monitoring to Affective and Non-Affective Stimuli in Adolescents and Emerging Adults

It is hypothesized that prefrontal cortex (PFC) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) function may be still under development in adolescents. As the generator of the error-related negativity (ERN) and the N2, the ACC is expected to be sensitive to the degree of development with age. In adults, these top-down control areas ideally serve to direct attention to goal-relevant information, which can increase the likelihood of making a correct choice, even in fast-response laboratory based tasks. However, adolescents may show increased susceptibility in these top-down control areas when the stimulus is social and emotional. In the first study, event-related potentials were recorded while adolescents (15-17 years and adults (25-35 years) completed both a traditional letter, and emotional face flanker task. The results generally showed that behavioral performance on the tasks in adolescents was similar to adults, while ERP evidence showed age-related immaturities in the emotional face flanker task, but not the traditional letter flanker task. Using the same methods as the first study, the second study tested the utility of ERN and N2 as biomarkers of risky behavior. Self-report measures of behavior associated with risk-taking such as the Sensation Seeking Scale, were correlated with the ERN and N2 in an independent sample of 18-25 year olds (emerging adults). The results generally showed that the ERN and N2 were not good predictors of questionnaire outcomes. Overall, the lengthy paradigm employed in the current studies may have decreased sensitivity to the effects of emotion on self-regulation, by both ego-depletion and habituation

Experiences of Secondary Social Studies Educators: The Redheaded Stepchildren of Education

The purpose of this multi-case phenomenological study is to understand the unique experiences of secondary social studies teachers. The number of participants was bound to six secondary social studies teachers from a public school district in a mid-Atlantic state and the experience of the researcher. Data was gathered through in-depth interviews using Seidman’s (2006) Three Step Interview Series and individual profiles were written. The phenomenological data analysis was guided by several methods including Hycner (1985), Moustakas (1994), and Seidman (2006). From the participants’ experiences several themes emerged: similarities in personal learning habits, a dislike for mandatory assessments and curriculum, and a sense of an inequitable status among teachers of core disciplines. Additionally, the data was analyzed utilizing Fallace’s (2017) model of three social studies orientations—traditional, disciplinary, and progressive. Taken as a whole, the participants aligned to both traditional and disciplinary orientations, but many described themselves as leaning toward a progressive orientation of teaching social studies. Findings indicate a need for future research of implications when instruction, curriculum, and assessment are not aligned to a sole orientation or purpose of social studies

Out of Print, Out of the Closet: Building a Library and Community through Queer Translation

Graduate winner: 1st place, 2022, 35th Annual Carl Neureuther Student Book Collection Competitio

Education Interventions to Prevent Readmission of Heart Failure Patients

More than 5.7 billion people in United States have been diagnosed with heart failure (HF). Non-adherence to self-care measures necessary to manage HF is associated with exacerbation and readmission. A 27% 30-day readmission rate for Medicare patients with HF can lead to reduced Medicare payments and penalties. HF hospitalizations contribute to over half of the $39 million annual HF cost. Almost half of HF admits will be readmitted within six months of discharge. The purpose of this study is to determine the best heart failure discharge education content and method of delivery in order to promote patient self-care and prevent readmission

Germination and Growth of Native and Invasive Plants on Soil Associated with Biological Control of Tamarisk (Tamarix spp.)

Introductions of biocontrol beetles (tamarisk beetles) are causing dieback of exotic tamarisk in riparian zones across the western United States, yet factors that determine plant communities that follow tamarisk dieback are poorly understood. Tamarisk-dominated soils are generally higher in nutrients, organic matter, and salts than nearby soils, and these soil attributes might influence the trajectory of community change. To assess physical and chemical drivers of plant colonization after beetle-induced tamarisk dieback, we conducted separate germination and growth experiments using soil and litter collected beneath defoliated tamarisk trees. Focal species were two common native (red threeawn, sand dropseed) and two common invasive exotic plants (Russian knapweed, downy brome), planted alone and in combination. Nutrient, salinity, wood chip, and litter manipulations examined how tamarisk litter affects the growth of other species in a context of riparian zone management. Tamarisk litter, tamarisk litter leachate, and fertilization with inorganic nutrients increased growth in all species, but the effect was larger on the exotic plants. Salinity of 4 dS m 1 benefitted Russian knapweed, which also showed the largest positive responses to added nutrients. Litter and wood chips generally delayed and decreased germination; however, a thinner layer of wood chips increased growth slightly. Time to germination was lengthened by most treatments for natives, was not affected in exotic Russian knapweed, and was sometimes decreased in downy brome. Because natives showed only small positive responses to litter and fertilization and large negative responses to competition, Russian knapweed and downy brome are likely to perform better than these two native species following tamarisk dieback

Epigenetic Aging and Cognitive Health: A Pilot Study

Chronological age is the strongest risk factor for disease, disability, and death. However, same-aged individuals may be differentially at risk because chronological time is an imperfect proxy of a person’s biological age. One promising approach to quantify biological aging is epigenetic biomarkers that use DNA methylation data to derive a person’s “epigenetic age”. Older epigenetic age, above and beyond chronological age, has been associated with increased risk of premature mortality and morbidity, however, links between epigenetic and cognitive aging are less well characterized, despite the burden of cognitive decline and dementia. The proposed pilot study aims to gather preliminary data in support of an external grant application that examines the longitudinal associations between epigenetic and cognitive aging across midlife, while addressing previous limitations in measuring epigenetic and cognitive aging. This project will leverage an existing longitudinal cohort of midlife adults with two waves of data collected 10-16 years apart to test whether accelerated epigenetic aging is predictive of future cognitive decline. In order to be competitive for this larger grant, preliminary data are needed to establish whether and to what degree (1) cognitive function and (2) epigenetic age change over the length of the 10-16 year follow-up provided by this cohort, and (3) to provisionally test in a subset of participants whether changes in epigenetic age are associated with changes in cognitive function over the follow-up interval. This pilot study, designed to provide the needed preliminary data, will examine cognitive and epigenetic aging using an extreme groups approach to identify two subgroups of individuals with different cognition trajectories over 10-16 years, and will use stored blood samples to quantify DNA methylation to estimate epigenetic age. A final aim of this project is to provide a rich training experience for undergraduates by immersing them in cutting-edge, hypothesis-driven health and aging research