Discretely shrinking targets in moduli space

We consider the discrete shrinking target problem for Teichm\"uller geodesic flow on the moduli space of abelian or quadratic differentials and prove that the discrete geodesic trajectory of almost every differential will hit a shrinking family of targets infinitely often provided the measures of the targets are not summable. This result applies to any ergodic $\mathrm{SL}(2,\mathbb{R})$--invariant measure and any nested family of spherical targets. Under stronger conditions on the targets, we moreover prove that almost every differential will eventually always hit the targets. As an application, we obtain a logarithm law describing the rate at which generic discrete trajectories accumulate on a given point in moduli space. These results build on work of Kelmer and generalize theorems of Aimino, Nicol, and Todd.Comment: 18 pages, no figure

It takes a village to break up a match: a systemic analysis of formal youth mentoring relationship endings

BACKGROUND Although early closure of formal youth mentoring relationships has recently begun to receive some attention, more information about factors that contribute to premature endings, and how those factors interact, is needed so that empirically-based program practices can be developed and disseminated to prevent such endings and to ensure that youth reap the benefits mentoring can provide. OBJECTIVE This qualitative interview study applies a systemic model of youth mentoring relationships (Keller in J Prim Prev 26:169–188, 2005a) to the study of mentoring relationship endings in community-based mentoring matches to understand why these matches ended. METHOD Mentors, parents/guardians and program staff associated with 36 mentoring matches that had ended were interviewed about their experiences of these relationships and their understanding of why they had ended. Thematic analysis of the interview transcripts and mentoring program case notes for each match followed by systemic modeling of the relationships yielded three major findings. RESULTS A strong mentor–youth relationship is necessary but not sufficient for match longevity. The mentor–youth relationship, even when relatively strong, is unlikely to withstand disruptions in other relationships in the system. Agency contextual factors, such as program practices and policies and staffing patterns, have a critical role to play in sustaining mentoring matches, as they directly influence all of the relationships in the mentoring system. CONCLUSION These findings highlight the importance of considering not just the mentoring dyad but also the parent/guardian and program context when trying to prevent match closures. They also point to several program practices that may support longer mentoring relationships.Accepted manuscrip

Senior Recital, November 6, 2021

Kemp Recital Hall November 6, 2021 Saturday Afternoon 3:00 p.m

Empowerment, young people and health

This study has examined concepts of empowerment as they relate to young people's health.\ud Beginning with an analysis of recent theories of power, the thesis offers a critical\ud exploration of the conceptualisation of empowerment and identifies how current uses of\ud the term appear to have moved away from many of their original theoretical underpinnings.\ud Identifying these theoretical tensions provided the impetus for an empirical enquiry which\ud sought to critically question the relationship between empowerment and young people's\ud health. The goal of the investigation was to reveal the possibilities for, and limitations of,\ud empowerment among young people.\ud Informed by an interpretivist epistemology and drawing upon ethnographic methods, data\ud were collected from young people aged 15-16 years through focus group discussions,\ud individual interviews and observational data in a school and surrounding community\ud settings. Themes drawn from the research were analysed for their implications for `emic'\ud conceptualisations of health and empowerment. Key findings pointed to young people's\ud preference for more positive understandings of young people and their health. Participants\ud described how dominant perceptions of young people as 'immature' and 'risky' negatively\ud impacted on their health; shaping subsequent possibilities for, and limitations of, their\ud empowerment. Based on study findings and informed by Steven Lukes' (2005) tripartite\ud perspective on power, the thesis offers a new conceptual framework for understanding the\ud concept of empowerment and its relationship to young people's health

Comparing the Effectiveness of Cannabis Use and Opioid Use in Palliative Care Patients

This project aims to study the efficacy of the use of marijuana versus opioids for pain management in patients over 65 years old on palliative care. Palliative care is defined as an approach that focuses on improving the quality of care of seriously ill people and their families (Wallerstedt et. al., 2019). Opioids have been a reliable form of chronic pain relief in the past, but since the legalization of marijuana in some states, it has been presented as an alternative. A search was conducted using key words including marijuana, opioids, palliative care, and pain management. Exclusion criteria included articles published prior to 2017 as well as articles written about pain management methods other than opioids and marijuana. The literature indicated that while opioids are a reliable source of pain relief in this population, there are several adverse effects associated with their use including an increased fall risk, increased mental fatigue or delirium, and respiratory depression. An alternative form of pain relief is marijuana, which does not share many of the adverse effects associated with opioids. However, there are barriers to marijuana use in a palliative care setting, including legality of marijuana in certain states, and the related barriers to educating providers about the use of the drug. The alternative of using marijuana for pain relief, indicates a decrease in side effects seen in opioids and adequate pain relief seen in palliative care patients

Valuing Adjuncts as Liaisons for University Excellence (VALUE) Program

Adjuncts are increasingly becoming more important in higher education and make up nearly onethird of VCU’s teaching faculty. While VCU has made strides in increasing the number of tenuretrack and term professors, the size and needs of certain departments will always make adjunct instructors necessary. A number of schools on both the Monroe Park and MCV campuses utilize professionals from the Richmond community to enhance experiential learning, thereby making a university investment in adjunct faculty a means by which to elevate VCU’s strategic mission. Adjuncts often provide a community perspective that comes from the professional work they do outside of the university setting and as a whole are reflective of VCU’s diverse student population. As a result, they serve a critical role in student success and diversity initiatives. Keeping adjuncts connected with campus resources and engaged with the larger VCU community is also an important step in making the university more inclusive. This project will study opportunities associated with the orientation and support of adjunct faculty at VCU on both Monroe Park and MCV campuses. This project is research-oriented and will serve as an important foundation for developing and implementing a plan for institutionalized adjunct support. To develop a detailed proposal for implementation, our team consulted with several key stakeholders including: academic leaders who hire and support adjuncts in the current decentralized process students who have taken classes with adjunct instructors adjunct faculty who have recently taught at VCU Through a combination of methods, we aim to determine how adjuncts are utilized across the university, identify resources currently provided, and assess additional resource needs in an effort to inform a new orientation and support program for adjunct faculty at VCU

Shifting narratives of the Self – students’ experiences of chronicity and multiplicity in the management of chronic illness at university

Drawing on the chronic illness scholarship and identity theories, this article aims to deepen the understanding of the biographical disruptions experienced by undergraduate students living with a long-term health condition. Data are drawn from in-depth interviews with six undergraduate (female) students attending university in England. The analysis highlights the ways chronicity and multiplicity come together to shape students’ health and social identities. The findings reveal three narratives of the Self: the ill Self, the determined Self, and the authentic Self. These distinct, yet interconnected, narratives highlight the complex shifts in the Self as students sought ways to ‘push through’ multiple (academic, health, social) pressures. Maintaining academic and social engagement met with significant challenge, ultimately shaping the emotional and social lives of these students. The article offers a novel contribution to how undergraduate students navigate multiple identities in the face of ongoing illness

(Not) Minding the Gap: A Qualitative Interview Study of How Social Class Bias Can Influence Youth Mentoring Relationships.

This study sought to examine how social class bias may be enacted by mentors and mentoring program staff within community-based youth mentoring relationships and how these biases may influence the mentoring relationship. A narrative thematic analysis was conducted with interviews from mentors, mentees\u27 parents/caregivers, and mentoring program staff representing 36 matches participating in a larger, prospective, mixed-methods study examining factors associated with early match closures. Findings indicate that although some mentors were able to partner with the youth and family to effectively navigate challenges related to the family\u27s economic circumstances, other mentors and some mentoring program staff held deficit views of the youth and their family that appeared to be at least partially rooted in negative social class-based assumptions about attitudes and behaviors. Specifically, we observed tendencies on the part of some mentors and program staff toward (a) deficit-based views of families and youth, (b) individual-level attributions for the family\u27s economic circumstances and blaming of caregivers, and (c) perceiving mentors as being underappreciated by the youth\u27s caregiver. These deficit perspectives contributed to the minimization of parent/caregiver voice in the mentoring process and negative interpretations of parent/caregiver and, in some cases, youth attitudes and behaviors