Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Stem Integration Through Environmental Data Analysis For Real-World Problem Solving, Abigail Erskine

Indiana STEM Education Conference

Integrating authentic, environmental-based data can make STEM instruction more meaningful. As part of a broader high school STEM curriculum, I designed a lesson that connects mathematical and statistical concepts, technology, and environmental data through environmental data analysis to develop real-world problem solving. Using local deer mortality data, I examined how descriptive statistics and data interpretation could reveal population and ecological patterns. Designing with real data highlighted how mathematics can serve as a lens for understanding environmental issues and promote connections across STEM disciplines. This research brief focuses on the instructional design and reflection as the lesson designer.

From Coursework To Research: A Scalable Model For Student-Industry Ai Collaboration, Hyeong Kyun Park, Andrew Joon Cha

Indiana STEM Education Conference

Preparing students for advanced technical careers requires more than foundational theory; it demands a shift to genuine research methodology. With the rising need for university-industry partnerships in AI innovation, this case study dissects a successful student-industry AI engineering collaboration project and transforms it into an essential preparation model easily adopted by technology personnel. The student participants include undergraduate and graduate engineering, data science, and computer science students working directly with practicing industry AI engineers. While universities publish most AI research and generate higher-novelty work, industry contributes state-of-the-art models, large datasets, and computational resources. Students gain research readiness, data literacy, and …

Document Analysis: Indiana Doe Stem School Certification Process Through A Liberatory Lens, Steve Heinold

Indiana STEM Education Conference

The Indiana Department of Education awards a STEM School Certification (IDOE, 2024) to schools that exhibit priorities for integrated STEM education. Currently over one hundred schools in Indiana have received this certification, including many that represent communities of color and under-resourced communities. While the STEM certification process has thus far been representational for low-income and Black students (Duarte, 2025), many disparities and deficits remain in closing opportunity gaps for students of color in STEM in the state of Indiana. This research brief, utilizing BlackCrit theory in education, analyzes Indiana’s STEM School Certification process for addressing the systemic barriers that under-represented …

The Influence Of Teachers And Career Counselors Of Middle School Students' Interest In Pursuing Stem Careers, Damilola Ayokanmi, Paul Asunda

Indiana STEM Education Conference

At the front of every STEM classroom, teachers hold more than just textbooks, they hold the potential to shape students’ aspirations, confidence, and perceptions of what is possible in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Beyond teaching content, they nurture problem-solving skills and position STEM careers as attainable (Dare et al., 2021). Career counselors complement this work by providing career-related information, exposing students to STEM professions, and guiding them through academic pathways (Rottinghaus et al., 2018). Together, these educators form an essential support system influencing students’ early career awareness (Murcia et al., 2020). This ongoing qualitative study examines how teachers …

The Cross Cultural Study Of Self-Ideation: Eastern Vs Western, Florencia Suhartono

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Self-Ideation behavior, a topic that although is increasing in awareness, is also increasing in victims as well. One thing is very clear however, both the Eastern and Western countries still see suicide and its related attitude in a taboo perspective. Regarding this, factors of various customs of each respective country will be further explained; taking note on how their contrasting cultural differences may potentially feed on the self-harming attitude that each victim may have developed. It will continue on explaining the more specific details on how each side of the world reacts when a person declares their self-ideating thoughts, studying …

Long-Term Effect Of Aces On Children’S Mental Health, Substance Abuse, And Education, Annalisa M. Lobello, Kayla A. Kemer

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This honors project will aim to discover how adverse childhood experiences (ACES) affect a child’s mental health, substance use, and education. ACES are potentially traumatic events that occur between ages zero to seventeen (Centers for Disease and Control Prevention, 2024). Some examples could include experiencing violence, abuse, neglect, having a family member attempt or die by suicide, growing up around substance use, mental health problems, parental separation, and household members being incarcerated. ACES are widely recognized as powerful predictors on long-term outcomes of children. This proposal will highlight the importance of recognizing ACES within children, trauma-informed care, and appropriate interventions …

A Look Deeper Into Ohio’S Opioid Crisis And The Lasting Political Effects Of The Issue, Robert C. Dunn

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This research studies how the opioid crisis deepened partisan divisions in Ohio from the late 1990s to the present. By investigating political responses from both policy-makers and voter behavior following the introduction of OxyContin. This study will focus on the relationship between addiction and overdose rates, which influences those ideological divides. Using qualitative research, such as political rhetoric and legislative responses, and quantitative research, such as election results, to find a correlation between the opioid crisis and partisan polarization. This project aims to highlight how politically motivated decision-making can prevent proper bipartisan responses.

Reconnecting The Body With Nature: Inspired By Advances In Biomimicry, Elyse M. Orosa

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Reconnecting the Body with Nature: Inspired by Advances in Biomimicry will visually address the symbiotic relationship between nature and humans. The drawing series is inspired by the growing design field of biomimicry and its technological and architectural innovations influenced by nature’s systems and physical adaptations. Just as nature is limited by human misuse, humans are physically and neurologically limited by the state of the environment, and with this, form and function of both nature and humans will be equally represented and explored throughout the body of work presented. Biomimicry can help solve environmental issues such as rising CO2 emissions and …

The Influence Of Familial Substance Use Disorder On Perceptions And Attitudes Towards Substance Use Disorders And Participant Substance Use Behavior Among Emerging Adults, Elijah M. Lefeld, Jennifer Stanley

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This research project explores how the lived experience of having an immediate family member with a substance use disorder (SUD) influences a person’s perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors related to substance use. Rather than focusing on the individual diagnosed with SUD, the study examines the reciprocal impact on family members within the social subsystem. Using a quasi-experimental design, the project will compare participant responses using with and without a familial connection to SUD. Data will be collected through Qualtrics surveys distributed via SONA. These measures will record demographic information, personal substance use habits, attitudes toward addiction, perception of substance use disorders, …

Words Taking Root: The Psychological Effects Of Eco-Poetry On Eco-Anxiety And Connectedness To Nature, Erika Anderson

Psychology | Student Research Posters

Eco-anxiety is fear and disorientation about climate change (Budziszewska & Jonsson, 2022) and is related to nature connection and pro-environmental behaviors (PEB; Curll et al., 2022; Jalin et al., 2024). Poetry therapy has aided a patient in developing new perspectives for coping with their eco-anxiety (Raile, 2024), but there is no research on the effects of eco-poetry on eco-anxiety. In the present study, participants read eco-poetry and reported their eco-anxiety, connectedness, and emotions relating to nature. I hypothesize that an optimistic eco-poem will lower eco-anxiety and increase nature connection, and the more participants engage in eco-poetry, the higher their eco-anxiety …

Words Taking Root: The Psychological Effects Of Eco-Poetry On Eco-Anxiety And Connectedness To Nature, Erika Anderson

Psychology | Senior Theses

Eco-anxiety is fear and disorientation about climate change (Budziszewska & Jonsson, 2022) and is related to nature connection and pro-environmental behaviors (PEB; Curll et al., 2022; Jalin et al., 2024). Poetry therapy has aided a patient in developing new perspectives for coping with their eco-anxiety (Raile, 2024), but there is no research on the effects of eco-poetry on eco-anxiety. In the present study, participants read eco-poetry and reported their eco-anxiety, connectedness, and emotions relating to nature. I hypothesize that an optimistic eco-poem will lower eco-anxiety and increase nature connection, and the more participants engage in eco-poetry, the higher their eco-anxiety …

Machine Learning For Economists, John Luke Gallup

Economics Faculty Publications and Presentations

Explication of machine learning algorithms and their usefulness for economic research. The prediction algorithms of Random Forest, Gradient Boost Machines, Neural Networks and Support Vector Machines are built from simple steps applied at large scale to generate surprisingly precise nonlinear estimates. Although useful for processing and interpreting new forms of data, their application to economics research is limited because they do not provide readily interpretable evidence of the causes of outcomes.

Associations Between Oral Hormonal Contraceptive Use, Digestive And Other Health Symptoms In Young Women, Silviana E. Buzatu

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Oral hormonal contraceptives (OHCs) are widely used among reproductive-age women; however, their gastrointestinal (GI) side effects remain understudied. The present study examined associations between OHC use, GI, physical, and psychological symptom burden in a large sample of undergraduate women. Participants (N = 669) aged 18 to 25 years were recruited from UCF’s SONA system and classified into three groups based on self-reported contraceptive status: no birth control, combined estrogen–progestin OHC, and progestin-only OHC. Participants completed GI questionnaires, as well as physical and mental health symptoms ones.

Multivariate analyses indicated that overall GI symptom profiles did not differ significantly by birth …

Self-Reported Psychological Effects Of Rock Climbing In Adults On The Autism Spectrum, Brennan Gleason

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Background: Prior research has shown rock climbing to have considerable therapeutic potential through such mechanisms as boosting self-esteem, promoting mindfulness, and creating a supportive social community. (Liu et al., 2022, Osborne et al., 2025). Meanwhile, autistic adults experience mood disorders at a significantly higher rate than the general population; upwards of 54% are diagnosed with a psychiatric condition (Croen et al., 2015). Many of the issues negatively affecting autistic adults align with the benefits of rock climbing, including low self-esteem, inadequate social support, and anxiety.

Objective: This study aimed to find differences in mental health outcomes between autistic adults who …

Health Care Governance And Structural Exclusion In Florida: A Human Rights Analysis Of Access For Latinx Communities, Natalie Medrano

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Access to health care in the United States is a complex system shaped by statutory programs and the discretionary powers of state governance. This thesis examines how Florida’s healthcare system structures access through administrative design, with particular attention to its impact on Latinx communities. Although formally race-neutral, Florida’s reliance on Medicaid non-expansion, managed care delivery, and complex eligibility processes produces systemic barriers that limit access for low-income populations. Drawing on the international right-to-health framework articulated in General Comment No. 14 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, alongside Latinx Critical Race Theory (LatCrit), this study analyzes how …

Gen Z Perspectives On Mental Health Service Interaction: A Qualitative Content Analysis Of Reddit Discourse, Victor A. Aguiar

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Compared to prior generations, Generation Z engages with mental health and mental health service interaction in distinct ways, frequently using social media platforms to share experiences, concerns, and opinions. Previous research has examined mental health discourse on Reddit; however, much of this work relies on inductive thematic approaches and offers limited focus on mental health service interaction and the factors influencing utilization. Guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), this study examines how Generation Z discusses mental health service use through online discourse. Public Reddit posts authored by users identifiable as Generation Z, based on self-reported age, school enrollment, …

Socioeconomic Stressors And Their Association With Anxiety And Depression In Undergraduate And Graduate Students, Shreyaashri Selvakumar

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Socioeconomic status (SES) is a social determinant of mental health that may influence the prevalence of anxiety and depression in undergraduate and graduate students. Students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds often encounter financial, academic, and social stressors, which may contribute to poorer mental health outcomes. This study investigates the association between SES-related factors and symptoms of anxiety and depression in undergraduate and graduate students. Data were collected from a large national survey of students in various degree programs and included measures of financial circumstances, food and housing insecurity, access to mental health services, and other demographic variables. Symptoms of depression and …

Green Energy Innovation As A Theme For Integrated Stem Curriculum In K-8 Out-Of-School Learning, Humphrey Chinenye Ochulor, Paul Asunda, Swagata Sarkar, Comfort Temitope Aje, Deepanshu Gupta

Indiana STEM Education Conference

In this project, we developed a theme of Green Energy Innovation (GEI) for K-8 integrated STEM (iSTEM) out-of-school learning that includes scientific concepts, engineering design, mathematical measurement, and data collection. Anchored in engineering design (English, 2016), the researchers designed a curricular unit that included simple and complex solar car models. The researcher-designed solar car prototypes serve as STEM kits that support students’ iSTEM-based engineering design activities.

More Than A Design Task: How Questions Shape Student Attention And Learning, Isaiah Kent-Schneider

Indiana STEM Education Conference

Incorporating engineering design activities into education has the potential to transform learning and students' educational experiences. However, when teachers implement engineering design without asking purposeful questions to focus students' attention, students tend to focus on the task but miss out on the intended learning of underlying science and math concepts. This research brief provides practical examples of questions teachers can use to focus student attention during engineering design activities.

Identity And Ownership As Predictors Of Stem Career Interest, Jung Han, Hyeong Kyun Park

Indiana STEM Education Conference

This study examined how students’ sense of identity and ownership in STEM relates to their interest in pursuing STEM careers. Using data from 319 middle and high school students, we tested whether students who felt a stronger personal connection to STEM concepts showed higher levels of career interest. Multilevel modeling was employed to account for students nested within classrooms. Sense of identity and ownership of STEM in their place consistently predicted STEM career interest, while gender, class subject, and school location showed no meaningful effects in the final full model. The findings suggest that fostering students’ identity and ownership in …

Tariffs And The Progressive Fiscal Constitution, Lawrence J. Liu, Alex Zhang

Faculty Articles

For more than a century, progressive taxation has constituted the American fiscal state. A resurgent and expanding tariff regime, however, threatens that commitment to progressive distribution. Given the ongoing popularity of tariffs, this Article examines how they might be designed and administered in a way that mitigates their regressive distributive impact. The Article thus develops and assesses proposals to (1) vary tariff burdens in accordance with the consumption of imported goods, (2) reduce income- or payroll-tax burdens on lower-income households, and (3) earmark tariff revenue for specified spending programs. Although none is perfect, we seek to articulate possibilities and highlight …

Acceptability, Usability, And Clinical Integration Of A Clinic-Based Digital Game For Hpv Education: Qualitative Perspectives From Adolescents, Parents, And Healthcare Providers, Elizabeth Reifsnider, Satya Subedi, Nouran Ghonaim, Megan Whaley, Angela Chia-Chen Chen

Ellmer School of Nursing Faculty Publications

Background/Objectives: HPV vaccination is safe, effective, and recommended at ages 11–12, yet uptake remains suboptimal. Serious video games may offer an innovative strategy to deliver brief, engaging education during clinic visits. This qualitative paper, embedded within a mixed-methods study, examined adolescents’, parents’, and healthcare providers’ (HCPs’) perceptions of the acceptability, usability, and perceived clinical applicability of HPV Detective, a tablet-based digital game designed to provide HPV-related education to parent–child dyads during pediatric clinic wait times. Methods: Eight adolescent–parent dyads (N = 16) and three HCPs from university-affiliated pediatric clinics participated in 30–60-min semi-structured Zoom interviews. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and …

The Asymmetric Effect Of Social Connection And The Cumulative Damage Of Comorbidities On Physical And Mental Health Of Older Virginians, Newton Ochoki, Lynn Wiles, Peijia Zha, Vince Falco, Carielle Joy Rio, Jonathan Romero, Leorey N. Saligan

Ellmer School of Nursing Faculty Publications

Objectives

This study explored relationships of social connection with physical and mental health in older adults, specifically examining the effects of comorbidities on these relationships and the influence of sociodemographic variables on the strength of these associations.

Methods

This cross-sectional study enrolled 174 community-dwelling adults aged 60 years and older residing in Hampton Roads, Virginia, USA. Data were collected from April to August 2025. Hierarchical linear regression analyses examined the associations of social connection with physical and mental health. Moderated mediation analysis examined if comorbidities mediated these relationships and whether sociodemographic factors moderate the strengths of these associations.

Results

In …

The Case For Friction In Ai-Mediated Information Seeking And Learning, Susan G. Archambault, Priya Kizhakkethil

Librarian Publications & Presentations

Introduction. This paper challenges the assumption that frictionless AI-mediated information seeking represents progress. We argue that AI systems eliminating productive friction, such as uncertainty, exploration, and reflective processes, undermine intellectual virtues essential for critical thinking in an AI-saturated information environment.

Method. This conceptual article employs a theory synthesis approach, drawing on library information science (LIS) theories of information behaviour, experience, and literacy, virtue epistemology, and human–computer interaction (HCI) friction design literature.

Analysis. We map intellectual virtues such as curiosity, thoroughness, and intellectual humility onto the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education, building …

Causal Effect Estimates Of Online E-Cigarette Marketing Exposure On Future E-Cigarette Harm Perception And Use, Paul T. Harrell, Nicholas T. Williams, Kara E. Rudolph, Rachel Ayala Guzman, Ateeqa Ijaz, Nicole Rychagov, Aaron Null, Silvia S. Martins

Department of Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Background

Globally, over 10 million youth use e-cigarettes; United States use, in particular, dramatically rose in the late 2010's, exceeding year-over-year increases from any other substance in over four decades. This rise has been partially attributed to youth online e-cigarette marketing exposure, but has not been appropriately studied.

Methods

We examined youth data from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) spanning the dramatic increase period (Waves 4, 4.5, and 5; 2016-2019). We estimated average risk differences (RD) for Wave 5 e-cigarette harmfulness perception and use comparing all youth versus no youth reporting past-month online e-cigarette marketing exposure in …

Incorporating New Guidelines Into School-Based Asthma Management, Jessica Michala Jindra, Angela Duff Hogan

Department of Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Purpose of the Review

The aim of this review is to identify barriers and provide solutions to the implementation of inhaled corticosteroid-formoterol as rescue therapy within schools.

Recent findings

GINA guidelines in 2019 and NAEPP in 2020 recommended inhaled corticosteroids combined with formoterol for a rescue inhaler over the traditional short-acting beta-agonist.

Summary

The findings discussed in this article describe the barriers to the implementation of inhaled corticosteroids combined with formoterol for a rescue inhaler in school systems. Traditional asthma action plans, school nursing and parental education, and differences in dosing are some barriers identified. This paper provides solutions for …

Grant-O-Thon: A Designathon-Informed Grant Writing Program To Enhance Research Grant Writing Skills In Low- And Middle-Income Countries, Yusha Tao, Gifty Marley, Lauren Fidelak, Bin Yu, Yusuf Babatunde, Anita N. Walker, Anthony A. Attama, Andrea L. Conroy, Esther K. Afolabi, Dimitrios N. Vatakis, Iheanyi Omezuruike Okonko, Shyngle K. Balogun, Hongyun Fu, Xin Peng, Ijeoma M. Ifeorah, Patience Kukundakwe, Alexandra Cossio, Ifeoma M. Obionu, Ángela Patricia Beltrán López, Matthew Idowu Olatubi, Ucheoma C. Nwaozuru, Yuanyi Chen, Huachun Zou, Eneyi E. Kpokiri, Daniil Wu, Oliver Ezechi, Juliet Iwelunmor, Meredith Labarda, Jason J. Ong, Weiming Tang, Joseph D. Tucker

Department of Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Problem

Early career researchers in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) face substantial barriers when writing research grants and have limited writing support. A designathon approach was applied to organize a grant writing workshop (grant-o-thon) tailored for early-career LMIC researchers. This study describes the planning, implementation, and participant-reported outcomes of the grant-o-thon as a participatory training approach.

Approach

Grant-o-thons were organized in 2023, 2024, and 2025. Consistent with the designathon model, the grant-o-thon was structured in three stages: preparation using co-creation with end-users, intensive collaborative teamwork supported by mentor feedback and weekly writing deliverables, and structured follow-up. Each grant-o-thon consisted of …

Stringency Of Family Firms And Owner-Managers In The Transition To Low-Carbon Emissions, Morten Bennedsen, John Doukas, Halit Gonenc

Finance Faculty Publications

This study examines the relationship between carbon emissions and stock returns, with a focus on the role of family ownership and management. Using a sample of 435 publicly listed firms from 14 Western European countries over the period 2010–2020, we explore whether financial markets perceive family-controlled firms, particularly those led by family-member CEOs, differently in terms of their commitment to sustainable practices. Consistent with prior research, our results indicate that firms with higher emissions earn higher stock returns while simultaneously experiencing lower market valuations, consistent with the presence of a carbon risk premium driven by elevated carbon transition risk. Crucially, …

Tail Dependence: The Impact Of Risk Spillovers On Real Estate Markets In Times Of Economic And Geo-Political Uncertainty, Stanimira Milcheva, Simon Stevenson, Lingshan Xie

Finance Faculty Publications

The first half of the 2020's has seen a degree of economic and geo-political uncertainty not observed since the 1970s. This paper looks at how listed real estate is exposed to capital market shocks by estimating Conditional Value-at-Risk (CoVaR), which captures the sensitivity of real estate returns to extreme movements in broader equity markets. We use threshold Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity (tGARCH) and Copula co-dependency functions to accurately account for tail behavior and dependency structures. We find a significant increase in downside spillovers from capital markets to listed real estate during the Covid period across most countries. However, the response …

Legibility Grabs: Contesting Hegemony And Water Governance In Western Bahia, Brazil, Rowan A. Compton, Gustavo De L.T. Oliveira

Geography

This article examines how irrigated agribusiness interests in western Bahia, Brazil, are capturing the infrastructure of water governance itself — the basin committees, digital monitoring platforms, and fee structures through which water becomes visible and governable. Drawing on Gramscian theories of hegemony and James Scott's analysis of state legibility, we develop the concept of ‘legibility grabs’ to describe how dominant actors appropriate not only resources but the institutional mechanisms that render those resources objects of governance. Based on documentary analysis and 48 interviews conducted during fieldwork in 2024–2025, we demonstrate how agribusiness has waged wars of position within participatory institutions, …