On March 10, the Colorado State University Lory Student Center was buzzing with new ideas and interdisciplinary research opportunities. The first annual College of Health and Human Sciences Research Day showcased the variety and quality of research and creative scholarship by students, faculty, and staff.
“We are so excited about the success of the inaugural CHHS Research Day,” said Dean Lise Youngblade, who envisioned the event as a way to spotlight innovative research happening in the college. “I heard lots of great ideas being shared and many new connections being formed. The enthusiasm was amazing.”
Poster session and faculty talks
The event included a morning poster session featuring 142 submissions. Each presenter was responsible for creating a compelling three-minute talk which summarized their ideas and highlighted the important aspects of their research. A lunch followed sponsored by CSU Ventures, with faculty “lightning” talks about their research innovation, integration, and impact. One award-winning faculty member from each academic unit presented a six-minute talk followed by a short Q and A session. Thank you to the following faculty for presenting their research:
Construction Management: Svetlana Olbina, Associate Professor
Design and Merchandising: Jennifer Ogle, Professor
Food Science and Human Nutrition: Chris Gentile, Associate Professor
Health and Exercise Science: Josie Broussard, Assistant Professor
Human Development and Family Studies: Lauren Shomaker, Associate Professor
Occupational Therapy: Andy Persch, Assistant Professor
School of Education: Jill Zarestky, Assistant Professor
School of Social Work: Samantha Brown, Assistant Professor
Keynote speaker
John Schulenberg, Ph.D., professor of developmental psychology at the University of Michigan, gave the keynote address for the CHHS Research Day. “Development Matters: Taking the Long View on Substance Use across Adolescence and the Transition to Adulthood” covered substance use from adolescence through adulthood and focused on how individual differences in trajectories of substance use and misuse impact the way that individuals function and adjust as an adult.
“It would be so awesome if social policy was based on all that we know about adolescent development,” Schulenberg said, quoting a student he’d had in class. He continued, “But how prepared are we as researchers to help inform social policy?”
In his talk, Schulenberg looked at this question and how life course pathways and connections can impact our behavior and the people around us. Data from the national Monitoring the Future study, on which Schulenberg is the Principal Investigator, illustrated differences in youth’s substance use patterns since the 1970s and as a function of multiple contextual factors.
Recognizing excellence in scholarship
CHHS awarded 15 research poster submissions for their contributions to their fields and the quality of their presentations. Please join us in commending the excellence of the following work.
Top Honors – Undergraduate Research and Creativity
Samantha Scott, Human Development and Family Studies
The Association Between Coping Strategies and Sleep: How Age May Make this Association Stronger
Clinical Science Category – Distinction in Research
Lauren Gulley, Human Development and Family Studies
Examining Therapeutic Components of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy in Adolescent Girls at Risk for Type 2 Diabetes
Clinical Science Category – Distinction in Graduate Research
Nate Bachman, Health and Exercise Science
Acute Systemic Rho-kinase Inhibition Reduces Blood Pressure in Healthy Older Adults
Applied Science Category – Distinction in Research
Marcia Moraes, School of Education
U-Behavior App: Generating Visual-Form Learning Analytics from Quiz Usage Data
Applied Science Category – Distinction in Graduate Research
Nate Deming, Health and Exercise Science
Change in Physiological Strain and Cognitive Processing Following Electrolyte and Carbohydrate Supplementation
Basic Science Category – Distinction in Research
Patti Davies, Occupational Therapy
Contributions of State- and Trait-Based Variance in ERP Measurements in Two Visual Go/NoGo Task Sessions
Basic Science Category – Distinction in Graduate Research
Scott Wrigley, Food Science and Human Nutrition
Eating for Two – Your Microbes and You
Community Engagement Category – Distinction in Research
Jessica Gonzalez-Voller, School of Education
Brief Meditation Intervention for Family Caregivers
Community Engagement Category – Distinction in Graduate Research
Ana Altares, Food Science and Human Nutrition
Youth CAN: Cultivating Community Change through Youth-Driven Health Initiatives
Distinction in Creative Scholarship
Diane Sparks, Design and Merchandising
Exploration of Meaningful Integration of Digital Technology with Traditional Surface Design Techniques
Distinction in Creative Scholarship – Graduate Student Award
Kayna Hobbs, Design and Merchandising
Custom Paralympic Shooting Jacket: A Single-Case Product Development Project
Public Health Category – Distinction in Research
Chris Melby, Food Science and Human Nutrition
Nutritional Issues Among Female Small Holder Farmers in the Andes Highlands of Ecuador
Public Health Category – Distinction in Graduate Research
Shivani Kaushik, School of Social Work
End-of-Life Care in Correctional Settings
Social Justice Category – Distinction in Research
Samantha Brown, School of Social Work
Caregiver Behavioral, Mental, and Physical Health Risk as Determinants of Health Outcomes Among Children Investigated for Maltreatment: Implications for Health Screening and Integrated Health Care
Social Justice Category – Distinction in Graduate Research
Nicole Tarcha, School of Social Work
Intergenerational Transmission of Maternal Adversity: Effects on Children’s Exposure to Early Life Stress and Development
Congratulations to all of the CHHS Research Day participants! Please visit our Flickr album to see all the photos from the research day.
