Cox, Alison

Harper, Mary

Zelechoski, Amanda D.

English

ValpoScholar

Valparaiso University
ValpoScholar
Psychology Faculty Publications Department of Psychology
6-2016
Placing Undergraduate Researchers in Juvenile
Detention Centers
Amanda D. Zelechoski
Valparaiso University, amanda.zelechoski@valpo.edu
Alison Cox
Valparaiso University
Mary Harper
Valparaiso University
Follow this and additional works at: http://scholar.valpo.edu/psych_fac_pub
This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Department of Psychology at ValpoScholar. It has been accepted for inclusion in
Psychology Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of ValpoScholar. For more information, please contact a ValpoScholar staff member at
scholar@valpo.edu.
Recommended Citation
Zelechoski, A. D., Cox, A. & Harper, M. ( June 2016). Placing undergraduate researchers in juvenile detention. CUR Quarterly, 36(4),
46. doi: 10.18833/curq/36/4/15
See	discussions,	stats,	and	author	profiles	for	this	publication	at:	https://www.researchgate.net/publication/303531349
Placing	Undergraduate	Researchers	in	Juvenile
Detention	Centers
Article	·	June	2016
DOI:	10.18833/curq/36/4/15
CITATIONS
0
READS
20
3	authors,	including:
Amanda	D.	Zelechoski
Valparaiso	University	(USA)
12	PUBLICATIONS			84	CITATIONS			
SEE	PROFILE
All	content	following	this	page	was	uploaded	by	Amanda	D.	Zelechoski	on	31	May	2016.
The	user	has	requested	enhancement	of	the	downloaded	file.
46 C o u n c i l  o n  U n d e r g r a d u a t e  R e s e a r c h
SUMMER 2016 • Volume 36, Number 4
Bridging the Divide Between Biology Educators and 
Disciplinary Researchers
Rachelle M. Spell, Christopher W. Beck
Emory University, rspell@emory.edu
We created a very unusual partnership to foster undergradu-
ates’ exposure to research by bridging the divide between the 
biology education community and researchers in the disci-
pline. A grant from the NSF Research Coordination Network 
in Undergraduate Biology Education (NSF RCN-UBE) al-
lowed members of CUR and members of the Association 
for Biology Laboratory Education (ABLE) to work together 
to assist faculty interested in infusing research experiences 
into introductory biology laboratory courses. Research-based 
instruction provides many of the same benefits of tradition-
al mentored-research and expands access to all biology stu-
dents. A national survey (Spell et al., CBE 2014) about the 
essential components of an authentic research experience 
revealed several themes suggesting two conceptions: one em-
phasizing novel research questions to the exclusion of other 
themes and a separate conception emphasizing the process 
of science. The negative correlation between these themes 
suggested a disconnect between educators and research sci-
entists. This finding inspired workshops for teams made up 
of a researcher and an educator to develop and implement 
a module that incorporates the researcher’s scientific ques-
tions in an introductory biology laboratory course. 
The 2015 faculty workshops were held at the ABLE 
Conference, the Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society 
of America (ESA), and the American Society for Cell Biology 
(ASCB) Annual Meeting. Our website (rcn.ableweb.org) lists 
upcoming workshops at other disciplinary and education 
conferences. For faculty unable to attend our workshops, 
the website also lists resources on developing and assessing 
course-based research opportunities. The responses to our 
workshops have been excellent, attracting applications from 
more than thirty diverse institutions, including community 
colleges, minority-serving institutions, and massive online 
college systems, in addition to liberal arts colleges and re-
search universities. Participant surveys reveal a diversity of 
professional identities and suggest that this workshop mod-
el successfully supports their collaborations and may help 
expose a significant number of future introductory biology 
students to research early in their educations. 
doi: 10.18833/curq/36/4/14
Placing Undergraduate Researchers in Juvenile 
Detention Centers 
Amanda D. Zelechoski, Alison Cox, Mary Harper 
Valparaiso University, amanda.zelechoski@valpo.edu 
The importance of getting students out of the lab and into 
the real world to address complex research questions was the 
catalyst for this undergraduate research program. It features 
a unique partnership begun in 2012 between the Valparaiso 
University Psychology Department and the Porter County 
Juvenile Detention Center, located two miles from campus. 
As part of a longitudinal study examining the relationship 
between childhood trauma and youths’ risk for violence 
and recidivism, undergraduate students are trained in clin-
ical interviewing and data collection techniques. They also 
have to deal with complex logistical aspects of satisfying an 
institutional review board and legal liability considerations, 
obtaining informed consent and conducting research with 
one of our most vulnerable and understudied populations, 
incarcerated youth. 
Through this university-community partnership, students 
have the rare opportunity to gain access to a secure facility 
and are exposed to at-risk youth and their parents, as well as 
to correctional staff and institutional culture. In addition, as 
noted above, students learn clinical interviewing and assess-
ment skills, which are typically reserved for advanced grad-
uate students in psychology and related fields. As a result of 
this research program, the participating students have had 
opportunities to present their research at numerous campus, 
regional, and national conferences, as well as to collaborate 
with faculty and juvenile detention administrators on writ-
ten reports, grant proposals, and manuscripts.
One of the primary goals of this community partnership is 
to use the results of this research to inform and enhance the 
mental health and risk assessment procedures currently used 
in the juvenile detention facility, as well as to train detention 
staff to use methods of interacting with the youth in their 
care that are sensitive to the trauma individuals have experi-
enced. The student researchers have been an integral part of 
these ongoing efforts. In addition to the numerous academic 
and professional benefits of being involved in this type of 
applied research experience, undergraduates are also exposed 
to the multifaceted considerations and logistics involved in 
developing a research partnership with a correctional facili-
ty. Finally, students gain familiarity with the additional re-
search ethics, mandatory reporting, and consent procedures 
required with vulnerable populations such as incarcerated 
minors. 
doi: 10.18833/curq/36/4/15
Undergraduate Research and NSF’s Broader Impacts
Linda Blockus, Susan Renoe 
University of Missouri, BlockusL@missouri.edu
All research proposals submitted to the National Science 
Foundation are reviewed on their intellectual merit (ability 
to advance knowledge) and broader impacts (ability to ben-
efit society). NSF suggests nine desired societal outcomes of 
research it supports including: full participation of women, 
persons with disabilities, and underrepresented minorities 
in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathemat-
ics disciplines); improved STEM education and educator de-
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Placing Undergraduate Researchers in Juvenile Detention Centers

Valparaiso University

Valparaiso UniversityValpoScholarPsychology Faculty Publications Department of Psychology6-2016Placing Undergraduate Researchers in JuvenileDetention CentersAmanda D. ZelechoskiValparaiso University, amanda.zelechoski@valpo.eduAlison CoxValparaiso UniversityMary HarperValparaiso UniversityFollow this and additional works at: http://scholar.valpo.edu/psych_fac_pubThis Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Department of Psychology at ValpoScholar. It has been accepted for inclusion inPsychology Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of ValpoScholar. For more information, please contact a ValpoScholar staff member atscholar@valpo.edu.Recommended CitationZelechoski, A. D., Cox, A. & Harper, M. ( June 2016). Placing undergraduate researchers in juvenile detention. CUR Quarterly, 36(4),46. doi: 10.18833/curq/36/4/15See	discussions,	stats,	and	author	profiles	for	this	publication	at:	https://www.researchgate.net/publication/303531349Placing	Undergraduate	Researchers	in	JuvenileDetention	CentersArticle	·	June	2016DOI:	10.18833/curq/36/4/15CITATIONS0READS203	authors,	including:Amanda	D.	ZelechoskiValparaiso	University	(USA)12	PUBLICATIONS			84	CITATIONS			SEE	PROFILEAll	content	following	this	page	was	uploaded	by	Amanda	D.	Zelechoski	on	31	May	2016.The	user	has	requested	enhancement	of	the	downloaded	file.46 C o u n c i l  o n  U n d e r g r a d u a t e  R e s e a r c hSUMMER 2016 • Volume 36, Number 4Bridging the Divide Between Biology Educators and Disciplinary ResearchersRachelle M. Spell, Christopher W. BeckEmory University, rspell@emory.eduWe created a very unusual partnership to foster undergradu-ates’ exposure to research by bridging the divide between the biology education community and researchers in the disci-pline. A grant from the NSF Research Coordination Network in Undergraduate Biology Education (NSF RCN-UBE) al-lowed members of CUR and members of the Association for Biology Laboratory Education (ABLE) to work together to assist faculty interested in infusing research experiences into introductory biology laboratory courses. Research-based instruction provides many of the same benefits of tradition-al mentored-research and expands access to all biology stu-dents. A national survey (Spell et al., CBE 2014) about the essential components of an authentic research experience revealed several themes suggesting two conceptions: one em-phasizing novel research questions to the exclusion of other themes and a separate conception emphasizing the process of science. The negative correlation between these themes suggested a disconnect between educators and research sci-entists. This finding inspired workshops for teams made up of a researcher and an educator to develop and implement a module that incorporates the researcher’s scientific ques-tions in an introductory biology laboratory course. The 2015 faculty workshops were held at the ABLE Conference, the Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America (ESA), and the American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) Annual Meeting. Our website (rcn.ableweb.org) lists upcoming workshops at other disciplinary and education conferences. For faculty unable to attend our workshops, the website also lists resources on developing and assessing course-based research opportunities. The responses to our workshops have been excellent, attracting applications from more than thirty diverse institutions, including community colleges, minority-serving institutions, and massive online college systems, in addition to liberal arts colleges and re-search universities. Participant surveys reveal a diversity of professional identities and suggest that this workshop mod-el successfully supports their collaborations and may help expose a significant number of future introductory biology students to research early in their educations. doi: 10.18833/curq/36/4/14Placing Undergraduate Researchers in Juvenile Detention Centers Amanda D. Zelechoski, Alison Cox, Mary Harper Valparaiso University, amanda.zelechoski@valpo.edu The importance of getting students out of the lab and into the real world to address complex research questions was the catalyst for this undergraduate research program. It features a unique partnership begun in 2012 between the Valparaiso University Psychology Department and the Porter County Juvenile Detention Center, located two miles from campus. As part of a longitudinal study examining the relationship between childhood trauma and youths’ risk for violence and recidivism, undergraduate students are trained in clin-ical interviewing and data collection techniques. They also have to deal with complex logistical aspects of satisfying an institutional review board and legal liability considerations, obtaining informed consent and conducting research with one of our most vulnerable and understudied populations, incarcerated youth. Through this university-community partnership, students have the rare opportunity to gain access to a secure facility and are exposed to at-risk youth and their parents, as well as to correctional staff and institutional culture. In addition, as noted above, students learn clinical interviewing and assess-ment skills, which are typically reserved for advanced grad-uate students in psychology and related fields. As a result of this research program, the participating students have had opportunities to present their research at numerous campus, regional, and national conferences, as well as to collaborate with faculty and juvenile detention administrators on writ-ten reports, grant proposals, and manuscripts.One of the primary goals of this community partnership is to use the results of this research to inform and enhance the mental health and risk assessment procedures currently used in the juvenile detention facility, as well as to train detention staff to use methods of interacting with the youth in their care that are sensitive to the trauma individuals have experi-enced. The student researchers have been an integral part of these ongoing efforts. In addition to the numerous academic and professional benefits of being involved in this type of applied research experience, undergraduates are also exposed to the multifaceted considerations and logistics involved in developing a research partnership with a correctional facili-ty. Finally, students gain familiarity with the additional re-search ethics, mandatory reporting, and consent procedures required with vulnerable populations such as incarcerated minors. doi: 10.18833/curq/36/4/15Undergraduate Research and NSF’s Broader ImpactsLinda Blockus, Susan Renoe University of Missouri, BlockusL@missouri.eduAll research proposals submitted to the National Science Foundation are reviewed on their intellectual merit (ability to advance knowledge) and broader impacts (ability to ben-efit society). NSF suggests nine desired societal outcomes of research it supports including: full participation of women, persons with disabilities, and underrepresented minorities in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathemat-ics disciplines); improved STEM education and educator de-View publication stats

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