Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Policy Analysis Report: Later Class Start Time For Adolescents, Lee Anne Brannon

Journal of Multicultural Affairs

This policy analysis offers possible solutions to the problem of early school start times across the United States. The average start time in middle and high school campuses is earlier than the recommended start time outlined by medical professionals. This report offers the rationale and research-based evidence to help schools understand the need for later start times, as developmentally appropriate for adolescent students.

Bridging The Cultural Gap, Trish Ramos

Journal of Multicultural Affairs

Multicultural education is about teaching people about each other without bias. Banks, C. (2016) states “Teachers need to understand their students’ community and home life (pg. 278).” As teachers it is our duty to ensure that every student that enters our classroom leaves with a sense of worth and knowing that each of them matter regardless of ethnicity, religion, gender or cultural.

How To Be An Anti-Racist Educator: A Book Review Through An Educational Perspective, Maria Cristina F. Soares, Melanie Morales

Journal of Multicultural Affairs

The authors reviewed the book How to be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi (2019) while reflecting on how Kendi’s brilliant dismantlement of racism and discrimination would help educators become conscious of how racism operates in our society, their schools, and their communities. Kendi’s book could motivate teachers to self-reflect on intrinsic feelings and misconceptions about race and culture built over time, allowing them to adopt new attitudes towards their students and school community. The authors considered the need to reevaluate systemic racism in schools as research has, for instance, found evidence of discriminatory practices towards African American boys (Gregory …

Rural Social Work Practice: Trauma-Focused Interventions Social Workers Use, Jose Carbajal

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

This research study examines rural social workers’ level of trauma knowledge and trauma treatment self-efficacy and the use of evidence-based interventions (CBT, TF-CBT, CPT, EMDR and PE). A retrospective design was used to examine Texas rural social workers’ use of evidence-based interventions. The Texas rural social worker sample (N=19) was extrapolated from a larger study (N=1007) conducted in 2014 examining Texas social workers’ trauma treatment and their use of evidence-based interventions. Descriptive and correlation statistical procedures were implemented to analyze the data for the current study. The results show social workers’ knowledge of trauma and treatment self-efficacy scores are above …

Affective Depression Mediates Ptsd To Suicide In A Sample Of Treatment-Seeking First Responders, James Whitworth, Jeanine Galusha, Jose Carbajal, Warren Ponder, Donna Schuman

Faculty Publications

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the associations of comorbid

posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), affective or somatic depression, and

suicide among first responders (FRs). Method: We used baseline data from

FRs (N = 232) who sought services at a nonprofit mental health agency specializing

in treating trauma exposed FRs. We conducted two PROCESS simple

mediation models with PTSD as the predictor, affective depression and somatic

depression as the mediators, and suicidality as the dependent variable.

Results: Affective depression significantly mediated the relationship between

PTSD and suicidality, whereas somatic depression did not. The direct effect …

Bridging The Cultural Divide: A Single Case Study Exploring Connections Between Multi-Cultural Education, Identity, Self-Esteem And Leadership, Amy Britton

Journal of Multicultural Affairs

This qualitative single case study explores connections between multicultural education, identity development, self-esteem, and leadership. The study focuses on the lived experiences of a lifelong learner, educator, and leader in higher education with the pseudonym, Rachel. The interview with Rachel traced how she experiences diversity within her academic experiences as a learner and her professional experiences as an educator and leader.

The Emerging Scholars Issue: Insights On Teaching And Leading Through Reshaping Policy And Practice, Lakia M. Scott, Taylor D. Bunn

Journal of Multicultural Affairs

The Emerging Scholars program began at the 2019 Texas-NAME conference with five graduate students, four of which were enrolled in a doctoral program. Students participated in preconference workshops on establishing a research agenda, understanding academia and higher education institutions, and creating a network as an education researcher. Since its inception, the program has continued introducing students to collaborations and publication opportunities through Texas-NAME. This special issue provides doctoral students (some of whom have since graduated) with an opportunity to be single-authors in their scholar. Organized in three distinct sections, readers will be exposed to research and policy briefs and critical …

Doctoral Studies As Learning To Rename The World, Hyleen Mariaye

Journal of Multicultural Affairs

The reflective experience documented in this paper engages with doctoral learning from Freire’s (1968/2000) conceptual lens of naming the world. Written from the narrative lens of the supervisor, it considers how doctoral level studies in education can position both the supervisor and the candidates as agents actively reconstructing their understanding of the world and their place in it. The doctoral journey is viewed as praxis compelling researchers to expand their frames for reading the world, accommodating the other, including multiple voices and thus demonstrating commitment to a global and yet constantly contested notion of citizenship.

Poetry And Praxis: Lessons From An Activist Educator, Dr. Emmanuel Tabi

Journal of Multicultural Affairs

Drawing on data from a narrative multi-case study based in Toronto, Canada, this article discusses the lived experiences of one Black activist. Utilizing critical race theory, new literacy studies and the rhetoric of cultural production as theoretical frameworks, the article foregrounds the work of Ebele, a Toronto activist whose work supported the educational trajectories and emotional well-being of Black students, many of whom reported being marginalized in school. Through his creative labor, Ebele directly addressed the sociology of anti-Black racism that deeply influences the lives of Afrodiasporic people in Canada. This article continues the conversation about what it means to …

A Molecular Chemodosimeter To Probe “Closed Shell” Ions In Kidney Cells, Rashid Mia

Faculty Publications

Two quinidine-functionalized coumarin molecular probes have been synthesized and have been found to bind metal cations (Cd2+, Co2+, Cu2+, Fe2+, Hg2+, Ni2+, and Zn2+) with high affinity in organic–aqueous media (DMSO–HEPES). The chemodosimeters coordinate with the Zn2+ ions in a two-to-one ratio (molecular probe : Zn2+) with a log β of 10.0 M−2. Upon the addition of the closed-shell metal ions studied, a fluorescence turn-on via an excimer formation is seen at 542 nm due to the quinaldine moiety adopting a syn arrangement when coordinated to the metal Zn2+ ions. Confocal microscopy monitored free Zn2+ ions in the Human Embryonic …

“Living In Trauma 24/7”: A Qualitative Exploration Of Factors Contributing To Secondary Traumatic Stress And Burnout Among Student Services Professionals Working With Marginalized Student Populations, Delia Sanchez, Portia A. Jackson Preston, Christine Vu, Lucia Alcala

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

Higher education professionals are at risk of secondary traumatic stress (STS) as a result of supporting students experiencing trauma, while overwhelming workload, inadequate resources, and unclear role responsibilities may lead to burnout. This study explored contributing factors to STS and burnout and coping efforts among faculty, students, and staff working in a capacity in which they provide non-instructional support to programs or centers focusing on marginalized student populations. Participants (N=56) represented twenty-two U.S. regional universities, and were a subset of respondents to a larger mixed-methods study (n=559). Qualitative responses to three open-ended questions on challenges and coping efforts were analyzed …

Public Libraries As Community Health Partners, Melinda Hodges

Certified Public Manager® Applied Research

Public libraries are a combination meeting space, educational resource, information repository, and community building organization. As such, they are already positioned to act as a valuable partner in the public health arena. This article researches the basic tenets of public health and identifies areas that public libraries could participate in productively. This article also reviews literature about the potential of public libraries as health partners, as well as what is already being accomplished from the perspective of both library/information sciences and public health studies. This will include the benefits that libraries can bring to public health work and the barriers …

An Application Of Differential Mathematical Modeling Techniques To Study The Ongoing Rabies Epizootic In China, Christopher Turner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Rabies remains a global public health issue with a wide variety of neurological symptoms such as confusion, slight paralysis, hypersalivation, and hydrophobia. Rabies is usually fatal once symptoms appear. Many species are reservoirs for rabies, such as foxes, racoons, and wild dogs, which in turn can transmit the disease to humans, leading to complex transmission chains. There is a long latent period of rabies, between 1 to 3 months after infection, which further complicates control efforts. Mathematical modeling is a valuable tool in the study of infectious disease outbreaks and there have been many models applied to rabies outbreaks. However, …

Adaptive Coping For Covid-Related Stress, Sandra Maloy

Undergraduate Research Conference

The restrictions placed on society by the COVID- 19 pandemic for the purpose of limiting spread of the disease appear to have produced a different set of potential chronic health issues. Through lockdown and social distancing measures the general public lost access to key elements of daily life. The literature and qualitative interview data primarily support a negative association between participation in spiritual and physical activity and COVID-19 related stress. These findings are not surprising based on previous research investigating coping and other chronic stressors.

Returning What Was Lost: Reengaging And Reconnecting Students Through Community Engagement, Mackenzie Pendarvis, Danyelle Richardson

Undergraduate Research Conference

Humanistic geographers have referred to the theory of sense of place as a personal connection with place, built up over both years of residence and involvement in the community (Hay, 1988). Community engagement activities such as the SFA Stone Fort Museum’s “Esperanza’s Night Out” provided a venue for the students to belong to a place after the pandemic. Students were able to reconnect and reengage through a collaborative event with the university and the local community.

Double Consciousness And Unhealthy Weight Control Behaviors In Young Black And White Adults, Priscillia Ihionkhan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study examined the previously understudied notion that Black individuals are buffered against being dissatisfied with their bodies and in turn developing unhealthy eating and weight control behaviors. Double consciousness, a racially/ethnically sensitive measure of body dissatisfaction, was tested as a mediator of the relation between ethnic identity and unhealthy eating and weight control behaviors in Black and White adults. It was anticipated that unhealthy weight control behaviors would be more common in Black women compared to White women and that double consciousness would mediate the association between ethnic identity and unhealthy weight control behaviors among Black women, but …

Uncharted Territories: Covid-19 And Other 2020 Events That Changed Lives Forever, Justina Ogodo

Journal of Multicultural Affairs

The year 2020 rolled in with pomp and pageantry like any other year in human history. I assume that many like me had high hopes, possibly made new year resolutions. I looked forward to the new year with great expectations—planned trips, events, graduations, weddings, and even new writing goals and aspirations. But the year had its own plan, taking an unexpected turn. I am a science educator, wife, and mother of three black children; I walked into the uncharted territories of COVID-19 and other 2020 events that changed lives forever. I tell this story of my lived experience with a …

Immigration, Politics, And Mental Health: An Undergraduate Independent Study, Abigail O. Akande, Erinn K. Rajapaksa

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

The implications of a polarizing political climate on the plight of immigrants with disabilities in the United States are physiological and emotional. Rehabilitation and human services professionals are inclined to recognize the intersection of the process of immigration with related legislation and the presence of disability. Undergraduate students of relevant disciplines can benefit from the focused investigation that an independent study can provide – particularly because legislative directives evolve so rapidly, are directly associated with service provision and the availability of resources, and draw upon training and continuing education expectations from a variety of practitioner ethical codes.

Critical Pedagogy In The Time Of Covid-19: Lessons Learned, Carol Christine Hordatt Gentles

Journal of Multicultural Affairs

The abrupt closure of universities due to the coronavirus pandemic caused unprecedented challenges for educators. They struggled to transition to online teaching almost overnight. This has raised questions about the readiness of Higher Education for digitalisation and hybridization of learning environments and focused attention on the renewal of teaching and learning models. It is incumbent upon those who practise critical pedagogy to join this conversation; the mandatory transition has raised difficult questions around how to ensure continuity of an agenda to offer students humanistic and democratic learning experiences in the new virtual reality. In this paper I offer a critical …

Book Review: The Death Project: An Anthology For These Times, Ted D. Ayres

Journal of Multicultural Affairs

A book review of The Death Project: An Anthology for These Times.

Ted Ayres, Social Justice And Education Advocate: "Making It Count" With Book Reviews, Kristen P. Erdem

Journal of Multicultural Affairs

This is an interview article with a prolific reviewer of books seen on public television and in print. Ted Ayres had an inspired legal career, and his advocacy continues to this day. The year 2020, like no other year in our recent U.S. history, was a raucous reckoning for an array of social justice issues. As this theme continues in 2021, it is heartwarming getting to know a quiet advocate in our midst. Meet Ted Ayres. Ayres will be a contributor to the journal with book reviews. This is an introduction to the person, Ted Ayres as social justice and …

How The Common School Has Failed Hispanic Children—Witnessing The Severe Regression Of Language English Proficient Learners During A Pandemic: Teaching During Covid-19, Yvonne S. Herrera

Journal of Multicultural Affairs

Personal reflection on the impacts of the common school on Hispanic children during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Hispanic children experienced less opportunities in becoming educated due to lack of accessible technology.

Overview: From The Desk Of The Guest Editor, Tonya Huber

Journal of Multicultural Affairs

Overview from the Guest Editor on this special issue on the impacts of Covid-19 in educational settings. One theme explored in the contents of this issue is the powerlessness many educators felt as the editors set out to hear, comprehend, represent, and amplify their experiences. Other themes include: appreciation and empathy, focusing on what matters, and new ways of teaching with technology.

Deception Of Resistance And The Effects On Muscular Fitness And Perceived Exertion, Tyler Mchenry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Resistance training has been a popular tactic that individuals have used to increase muscular fitness for decades. Muscular fitness includes muscular endurance, strength, and power. However, limitations such as self-efficacy and the Central Governor Theory may influence individual maximal performance ability. One training tactic that has been rarely researched is the deception of resistance during exercise, which is assumed to increase performances in all aspects of muscular fitness and improvements in perceived effort. Inconsistent results have been concluded from previous studies that have examined the same topic. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of resistance …

Microaggressions In The Academy: One Black Professor’S Narrative, Kevin L. Jones

Journal of Multicultural Affairs

For many Black men in academia, predominantly White institutions are the epicenter of racism and hindered success. My first year as an instructor at a predominantly White institution proved to be an experience I will never forget. I had some expectations of what I would encounter, but what actually happened far exceeded anything I could have imagined. Through the lens of a racial microaggressions framework, my personal narrative describes my lived experiences as a Black male preparing for the academy at a predominantly White institution in the south. Consequently, these experiences had a long-term emotional, physiological, and psychological impact. These …

Déjà Vu Or The Repetitive Nature Of Microaggressions: An Account Of Two Life Changing Experiences, 10 Years Apart, Nina M. Ellis-Hervey

Journal of Multicultural Affairs

According to American Psychologist Angela Lee Duckworth (2016), grit is often described as passion and perseverance for very long-term goals, while encompassing courage, conscientiousness, perseverance, resilience, and passion. Embodying such characteristics has supported me in thriving in various conditions and situations as an African American girl, then a woman. Grit further assisted in me overcoming many obstacles while remaining resilient, open-minded, and inquisitive. At various points in my education, more specifically my time in undergraduate and graduate schooling, and further in my pursuit of tenure as a young professor, I was met with overt and covert exposures to microaggressions of …

Predicting Covid-19 Behavior: Is It All Due To Political Orientation?, Caleb Potts

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Adherence to COVID-19 preventing measures is becoming increasingly important as governments across the world realize COVID-19 is not an acute, but a chronic problem. There is, however, disagreement over to what extent COVID-19 is a problem. In the United States, the division appears to be primarily along party lines (Democrat and Republican[1]), though even within parties there is division. This division might be explained by differences in: the behavioral immune system and trust in government. Additional factors to examine include: personality, fear of COVID-19, and religious beliefs. The present study used previously validated self-report measures to assess …

Effects Of Carbohydrate Mouth Rinsing Plus Ingestion On Cycling Time Trial Performance, Henry D. Gebhardt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Due to limited glycogen stores, carbohydrate (CHO) consumption during exercise is effective at improving performance in endurance events lasting longer than 90 minutes in duration. Recent research has established that CHO mouth rinsing may improve performance over shorter durations, independent of actual consumption. However, research is lacking in determining if an extended period of mouth rinsing has any additive benefit in conjunction with typical CHO beverage consumption over longer competition durations, where CHO ingestion/consumption is likely warranted. PURPOSE: Determine the effects of CHO mouth rinsing combined with consumption compared to CHO consumption alone on cycling performance. METHODS: Following …

Expression And Purification Of Hpep Inhibitor Peptide, Olivia Plaza

Undergraduate Research Conference

The enzyme human prolyl peptidase, or hPEP, has been linked to many processes within the brain, including breaking down neural peptides. A bovine milk protein, a-s1-casein (see above), has been found to inhibit hPEP in colon cancer cells. A 68 amino acid long section (bolded) of a-s1- casein containing the inhibitor region was cloned. The casein fragment expression was optimized for expression of the peptide. The purpose for optimizing expression is to have much of it on hand to utilize in further studies on its inhibitory properties on hPEP. By using this fragment of casein, one can study the structure …

A Novel Molecular And Cellular Study On Curcumin, Khang Nguyen

Undergraduate Research Conference

Since the discovery of G-quartet (G4)by M. Gellertin 1962, much attention has been given on G4and C4(also called i-motif) as important drug design targets for the treatment of various human disorders. G4 forming sequences are prevalent in human genome, which includes many important regions of the eukaryotic genome, such as telomere ends, regulatory regions of many oncogenes c-kit, proto-oncogene c-myc, Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (KRas). Curcumin(diferuloylmethane), an antiinflammatory and antioxidant compound, is found in the rhizomes of the plant Curcuma longa. The phytopolyphenolic chemical curcumin has been in the prominence due to its diverse pharmacological activities. Here, we …