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Our Potential: A Collection Of Essays From Aggie First Scholars, Volume 2, Aggie First Scholars

Our Potential

A collection of essays from first-generation college students at Utah State University.

[Letter From Lianna Etchberger, Associate Vice President And Professor], Lianna K. Etchberger

Moab Time Capsule 2022

Greetings from 2022! I hope the campus is thriving and folks are excited to retrieve the time capsule.

Model Of Evidence-Based Family Practice: Female Domestic Violence Victims In Rural Communities, Elizabeth Korver, Megan Slagter

Student Projects

Research has concluded that about 1 in 3 women reported experiencing severe physical violence from an intimate sexual partner during their lifetime (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022). Women living in rural communities may be more significantly affected due to their geographic isolation. This study examined several theories and models to effectively treat this specific population. The researchers developed a treatment curriculum based on cognitive-behavioral therapy to treat women living in rural communities who have experienced domestic violence. This study determined cognitive-behavioral therapy used in a group therapy setting is effective for increasing a client’s self-esteem and decreasing depression …

Hidden Homelessness: A Trauma-Informed Narrative Approach To Treating Rural Families Facing Homelessness, Benjamin Akers, Kara Richard

Student Projects

Housing is a crucial part of survival and one’s ability to engage in life. There is an increasing population of both individuals and families who live without safe, quality, stable housing. Housing insecurity is a concern in both urban and rural areas, with rural homelessness presenting unique characteristics and challenges. To better understand rural homelessness and its effect on families, research was conducted on many factors including: population statistics, characteristics and common issues, problems, risk factors, engagement, terminology, and frameworks. It becomes evident that homelessness has severe implications physically, emotionally, and mentally for both children and adults. This synthesis of …

Making An Impact: The Process Of Planning And Organizing An After-School Program In A Small Community, Benjamin Akers, Elizabeth Korver, Emilee Danner, Megan Slagter

Student Projects

To be their best, people need relationships. Social support systems are at the base of what makes a successful individual. Whether that be through sports teams, clubs, or any other facet, social support is the driving force for a healthy lifestyle. After-school programs offer students another opportunity to receive mentorship and build relationships that can impact the trajectory of their lives. This paper highlights Impact 180 – an after-school program located in Orange City, Iowa. The involved researchers used and discussed different community organizing methods and techniques to advocate for and raise funds for the durability, sustainability, and flourishing of …

Caregivers Of Alzheimer’S Patients, Meridith Hochstetler, Amber Theis

Student Projects

No abstract provided.

Lessons Learned From Covid-19: Provider Suggestions For Improving Service Delivery In Sexual Violence Resource Centers And Children's Advocacy Centers In Kentucky, Whitney Cassity-Caywood, Matthew Woodward, Austin Griffiths, Alecia Hatfield

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented unique challenges for human service providers, especially as face-to-face services were limited by both formal and informal efforts to protect public health. Telehealth has emerged as a main strategy to ensure continuity of care. This study explored adaptations to services in child advocacy centers (CACs) and sexual violence resource centers (SVRCs) across the Commonwealth of Kentucky, particularly using telehealth. This study highlights respondents’ suggestions about improving these service delivery systems and the particular emphasis on challenges and strengths of telehealth for reaching those in rural areas.

Fostering Healthy Therapeutic Relationships: Foster Parent Education Program, Sydnie Barboza

OT Student Capstones

Background: Children who have been placed in the foster care system due to trauma often have difficulty coping with past experiences. These traumatic experiences can often affect their development, physically and mentally, and emotional regulation, relationships, and attachment. As of April 2021, more than 13,400 children were placed in the foster care system in Arizona. While removing children from their birth home to a safer environment is critical, it brings along many challenges such as emotional trauma and inconsistent caregiving. Methods: The foster parent educational program described in this paper, “Fostering Healthy Therapeutic Relationships,” is a foster and adoptive parent …

Reimagining Public Safety, Brandon Hasbrouck

Scholarly Articles

In the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder, abolitionists were repeatedly asked to explain what they meant by “abolish the police”—the idea so seemingly foreign that its literal meaning evaded interviewers. The narrative rapidly turned to the abolitionists’ secondary proposals, as interviewers quickly jettisoned the idea of literally abolishing the police. What the incredulous journalists failed to see was that abolishing police and prisons is not aimed merely at eliminating the collateral consequences of other social ills. Abolitionists seek to build a society in which policing and incarceration are unnecessary. Rather than a society without a means of protecting public safety, …

The Role Of Spiritual Intelligence And Differentiation In Predicting Marital Adjustment Of Married Iranian Students, Sedigheh Ahmadi, Richard H. Morley, Faezeh Ghalebi, Hossein Ilanloo, Christine D. Nguyen

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of spiritual intelligence and differentiation in predicting marital adjustment of Iranian students. The participants of this study were 312 married students from Yazd University. The instruments used in this study were the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS) to measure marital adjustment, Differentiation of Self- Inventory, and the Spiritual Intelligence Self-Report Inventory (SISRI). The results of the study demonstrated that spiritual intelligence predicted the marital adjustment of married students (p

Striving Towards Authenticity In The Self Through Dress And Appearance: Stories Of Latina Adolescent Immigrants, Mary Alice Casto, Jennifer Paff Ogle, Maricela Demirjyn, Amanda Morales, Sarah Silvas-Bernstein

Department of Textiles, Merchandising and Fashion Design: Faculty Publications

We sought to explore how Latina adolescent immigrants experience immigration across adolescence as they seek to know and express their authentic selves through dress and appearance. Our work was informed by theories of acculturation, identity, and authenticity. Participants included 12 immigrant women who identified as Latina and who immigrated before age 16. Open-ended interviews focused on participants’ memories of their immigration experiences during adolescence. Data were analyzed using constant comparison processes. Findings revealed that, for participants, the typical challenges of adolescence were complicated by immigration that included constructing an authentic identity at the intersection of two cultures. Immigration produced a …

The Impact Of Intimate Partner Violence On Women's Financial Wellbeing, Rowan Dunton

Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science

Domestic violence and intimate partner violence against women affects all aspects of their health, including physical, mental, emotional, and economic health. When social programs, support networks, and better opportunities exist to improve the lives of female survivors, the financial impact of their abuse can be addressed and reduced in a significant, sustainable manner. Reviewing existing literature on this financial impact of abuse makes it apparent what women want and need to recover from their former, or even ongoing, situations. Effective preventative measures against financial harm include closing the gender wage gap and offering welfare programs for lower-income women to increase …

Making Science Communication Inclusive: An Exploratory Study Of Choices, Challenges And Change Mechanisms In The United States From An Emerging Movement, Sunshine Menezes, Kayon Murray-Johnson, Hollie Smith, Hannah Trautmann, Mehri Azizi

Natural Resources Science Faculty Publications

This qualitative study explores perspectives of U.S.A.-based science communication researchers and practitioners who attended a symposium focused on advancing inclusive science communication (ISC). ISC is a growing global movement that aims to center equity, inclusion, and marginalized perspectives in science communication. Findings underscore the complexity of systemic barriers to ISC, the critical need for resource sharing and network building, and the importance of evaluation frameworks. The authors also highlight critical dialogue as a strategic tool that might help support intentional, reciprocal, and reflexive practices in science communication.

Perceived Self-Efficacy, Confidence, And Skill Among Factors Of Adult Patient Participation In Transitional Care: A Systematic Review Of Quantitative Studies., Andrea Bailey, Jennifer Mallow, Laurie A. Theeke

Nursing Faculty Publications

Introduction: An advancing healthcare system in which patients are often required to self-manage care needs across countless settings and clinicians is increasing focus on participation in care. Mismanagement of care during already risky care-transitions further increases adverse care outcomes. Understanding factors of patient participation in transitional care in an adult population can help guide ways to reduce this burden.

Methods: A systematic review of the literature guided by the PRISMA method was conducted to identify factors of patient participation in transitional care. Quantitative studies in which patient participation was measured as an outcome variable and related statistics reported, and data …

Counseling Children And Adolescents: A Call To Action, Rebekah Byrd, Chad Luke, Sonya Lorelle, Emily Donald, Charmayne R. Adams, Edward (Franc) Hudspeth

Office of Health Promotion Scholarship

The ACA 2014 Code of Ethics clearly states the mandate for counselor competence in C.2.a. It is noted that “Counselor practice only within the boundaries of their competence, based on their education, training, supervised experience, state and national credentials, and appropriate professional experience” (p. 8). Given the importance of competencies, ethical standards, and the emphasis on best practice, the paucity of these factors in regard to training and supervision for counselors working with child and adolescent populations is concerning. This article offers a conceptualization of the culture of childhood leading to the need for cultural competency. It outlines information specific …

Global Center For Human Trafficking Newsletter (September, 2022), Global Center For Human Trafficking

Newsletters and Annual Reports

No abstract provided.

Global Center For Human Trafficking Newsletter (November, 2022), Global Center For Human Trafficking

Newsletters and Annual Reports

No abstract provided.

2022 Winter Newsletter, Nova Southeastern University

Suicide and Violence Prevention Newsletters

No abstract provided.

“Many People Have No Idea”: A Qualitative Analysis Of Healthcare Barriers Among Yazidi Refugees In The Midwestern United States, Falah N. Rashoka, Megan S. Kelley, Jeong‑Kyun Choi, Marc A. Garcia, Weiwen Chai, Hazim N. Rashawka

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has shed new light on inequities in healthcare access faced by immigrant and refugee communities. To address ongoing disparities, there is an urgent need for ecological approaches to better understand the barriers that hinder and resources that facilitate access to healthcare. This study investigates barriers to healthcare system access faced by Yazidi refugees in the Midwestern United States.

Methods: Informed by the Interpretative Phenomenological Approach, three focus group meetings with a community advisory board were conducted between September 2019 and January 2020. The nine-member focus group included social workers, healthcare providers, and members of the Yazidi …

Understanding Perceptions Of Social Eating During Lunch For Adolescents With Anorexia Nervosa: An Instrumental Case Study, Madelyn Duzyk

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Background: Current literature on adolescents with Anorexia Nervosa (AN) show that social participation is a key factor of community reintegration and long-term recovery (Mekori et al., 2017; Preyde et al., 2017); however, there is little known about the impact of social eating for adolescents with AN.

Purpose: The purpose of this instrumental case study is to more fully understand the meaning of social eating during lunch for adolescents with AN and begin to illustrate social eating’s impact on treatment, community re-integration, and long-term remission.

Methods: A qualitative case-study methodology was developed to gain perceptions of social eating from adolescents with …

Designing With And For Youth: A Participatory Design Research Approach For Critical Machine Learning Education, Golnaz Arastoopour Irgens, Ibrahim Adisa, Cinamon Bailey, Hazel Vega Quesada

Publications

As big data algorithm usage becomes more ubiquitous, it will become critical for all young people, particularly those from historically marginalized populations, to have a deep understanding of data science that empowers them to enact change in their local communities and globally. In this study, we explore the concept of critical machine learning: integrating machine learning knowledge content with social, ethical, and political effects of algorithms. We modified an intergenerational participatory design approach known as cooperative inquiry to co-design a critical machine learning educational program with and for youth ages 9 - 13 in two after-school centers in the southern …

Tipping Toward A New Academic Consciousness, Letizia Guglielmo, Esther Skelley Jordan

Journal of Feminist Scholarship

The COVID-19 pandemic and racial reckoning of 2020-2021 have led many faculty in higher education to see the profession and their place in it in a new light (Walton, 2022). While people are broadly engaged in a large-scale cultural re-evaluation of work, labor conditions, and equity, this awakening has posed an existential threat to many academics’ senses of identity, purpose, and community. Through autoethnographic narratives, the authors make meaning of this tipping point through the feminist intersections of space, power, and consciousness. The authors explore coaching and mutual mentoring as strategies for creating and holding space for disrupting these norms …

Community-Based Accompaniment For Adolescents Transitioning To Adult Hiv Care In Urban Peru: A Pilot Study, Valentina Vargas, Milagros Wong, Carly A. Rodriguez, Hugo Sanchez, Jerome T. Galea, Alicia Ramos, Liz Senador, Lenka Kolevic, Eduardo Matos, Eduardo Sanchez, Renato A. Errea, Karen Ramos, Catherine Beckhorn, Andrew Lindeborg, Carlos Benites, Leonid Lecca, Sonya Shin, Molly F. Franke

Social Work Faculty Publications

We piloted a community-based intervention to improve outcomes among adolescents living with HIV who were transitioning to adult-oriented care in Lima, Peru. We assessed feasibility and potential effectiveness, including within-person changes in self-reported adherence, psychosocial metrics (NIH Toolbox), and transition readiness (“Am I on TRAC” questionnaire, “Got Transition” checklist). From October 2019 to January 2020, we enrolled 30 adolescents (15–21 years). The nine-month intervention consisted of logistical, adherence and social support delivered by entry-level health workers and group sessions to improve health-related knowledge and skills and social support. In transition readiness, we observed within-person improvements relative to baseline. We also …

Preexisting Psychological Illness And Its Association With Mortality In Lung Cancer Patients With Access To Support Resources, Allison E. Wright, Elycee Sheehan, Fares Qeadan, Lily Stalter, Ali Imran Saeed

Parkinson School of Health Sciences and Public Health

Abstract Introduction: Diagnosis of lung cancer often results in tremendous stress for most patients, especially in patients with underlying psychological illness. Psy- chosocial support (consultation with psychologist, psychotherapist, or social worker) referral is considered standard for quality cancer care; however, which patients utilize these resources and how these resources affect patient out- comes remain unclear. Objectives: We aimed to identify which newly diagnosed lung cancer patients accessed available psychosocial resources and assessed how utilization of these resources correlated with treatment and survival outcomes. Methods: Data were collected from National Cancer Institute-designated can- cer center at the University of New Mexico. …

Catalog | 2022-2023, Jacksonville State University

Announcements, Bulletins & Catalogs | Undergraduate

(2022-2023). In its early years as the State Normal School, JSU produced a variety of publications (announcements, bulletins, and catalogs) that contain course information combined with the types of information that would later be found in yearbooks. Examples include historical information about the school, lists of enrolled students and club officers, photographs of athletic teams and literary clubs, notes on alumni, faculty and campus facilities, and more.

Being Okay With Not Being Okay: Thinking About Mental Health, Caitlin Everhart, Trish Marquez, Jeanette Ortiz

Brain & Behavioral Health Research Day

Thinking About Mental Health is an initiative for youths and young adults which started at Explora during the COVID-19 pandemic. The initial goals of the program were to provide a series of videos with mental health professionals answering questions directly asked by the young adults employed at Explora, as well as an informative, accessible website with further reading and resources. Following these conversations, we evaluated what the teens told us by creating themes around topics. We used these themes to craft questions that would address the majority of the concerns posed by the teens in a concise manner. Since maintaining …

Global Center For Human Trafficking Newsletter (December, 2022), Global Center For Human Trafficking

Newsletters and Annual Reports

No abstract provided.

Traffickers’ Use Of Substances To Recruit And Control Victims Of Domestic Trafficking For Sexual Exploitation In The American Midwest, Erica Koegler, Claire Wood, Lilly Bahlinger, Sharon Johnston

Social Work Faculty Works

This paper describes how traffickers use substances to recruit and control victims of domestic trafficking for sexual exploitation, as reported by service providers working with trafficking survivors in the American Midwest. This data was derived from interviews with 15 service providers in a major metropolitan area. Findings revealed consistencies with previous literature and new insights into the trafficker- substance use dynamic. Traffickers’ use of substances with victims was pervasive when trafficking was for the purpose of sex but not other labour. There were several examples of how traffickers use substances for victim exploitation and recruitment. These include using substances to …

Etsu At-A-Glance - 2021-2022, University Marketing And Communications, East Tennessee State University

ETSU At-a-Glance

No abstract provided.

Use Of Concept Mapping Within A Functional Neuroanatomy Course To Promote Critical Thinking Skills In Occupational Therapy Students, Alissa R. Baker

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Background: Critical thinking involves examining and reflecting on one’s own biases, assumptions, and thinking processes. Within occupational therapy (OT), critical thinking skills are foundational skills to support effective clinical reasoning and decision making; however, there is limited evidence on how these skills can be developed and applied within OT education to support positive student outcomes.

Purpose: The purpose of this research project was to explore the use of explicit instruction on critical thinking paired with concept mapping as teaching methods to support entry-level OT student mastery of content knowledge related to functional neuroanatomy. This study aimed to answer the following …