College of Health and Human Services (HHS)

2012 Undergraduate Research Award (URA)

Brandon Hall, Kinesiology: Athletic Training

Faculty Mentor: Prof. Erik Swartz, Kinesiology

Topic: Velocity and Acceleration of the Head and Torso during Emergency Shoulder Pad Removal

 

Samantha Scarneo, Kinesiology: Athletic Training

Faculty Mentor: Prof. Summer Cook, Kinesiology

Topic: Physiological Effects of Acute Bouts of Aquatic and Land Based Sprinting

 

2012 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Abroad

Kelly Morris, Occupational Therapy

Faculty Mentor: Prof. Kerryellen Vroman, Occupational Therapy

Research Site: Dunedin, New Zealand

Topic: A Cross-Cultural Examination of the Readiness and Self-efficacy of Students Entering Occupational Therapy Programs in the USA and New Zealand

 

2012 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) USA

Neil Baroody, Kinesiology: Exercise Science

Faculty Mentor: Prof. Timothy Quinn, Kinesiology

Topic: The Effect of a Barefoot Running Training Program on Running Economy and Performance

 

Devon Casey, Occupational Therapy

Faculty Mentor: Prof. Susan Merrill, Occupational Therapy

Topic: Using Qualitative Description to Understand How Mothers of Adolescents with Autism Experience and Prepare for their Child's Post-High School Transition

 

Dina Milano, Kinesiology: Exercise Science

Faculty Mentor: Prof. Summer Cook, Kinesiology

Topic: Effects of Blood Flow Restricted Exercise on Neuromuscular Recovery in Elderly Females

 

Emily Reddy, Occupational Therapy

Faculty Mentor: Prof. Robert McGrath, Health Management & Policy

Topic: The Relationship between Opportunity, Participation, and Social Capital for Adolescents

 

2012 International Research Opportunities Program (IROP)

Sofia Cadime, Nursing

Research Site: Gaza, Mozambique

Faculty Mentor: Prof. Gene Harkless, Nursing

Foreign Faculty Mentor: Ms. Emilia Cumbane, Self employed Midwife  

Topic: Learning from Tecnicos de Cirurgia and Enfermeiras de Saude Materna

 

2012 Research Presentation Grant

Amy Ma, Occupational Therapy

Project Title: A Comparative Analysis of Occupational Therapy Following Upper Extremity Therapy

Conference: American Occupational Therapy Association’s Annual Conference & Expo

 

Kristen Manning, Nursing

Project Title: A Community Approach: Improving the Health and Wellness of People with Intellectual Disabilities

Conference: International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual Disabilities World Congress

 

Briana Terrill, Nursing

Project Title: Identifying Gaps in Perceived Ability: Promoting Exercise in Young Adults with Disabilities

Conference: International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual Disabilities World Congress

 

2012 Honors Thesis Grant

Liana Newcombe, Nursing

Jessica Hinkley, Nursing

Faculty Mentor: Prof. Carolyn Tobin, Nursing

Topic: Understanding the Experience of Body Image & Weight Gain in Adolescent Pregnancy

 

Courtney Petzold, Family Studies

Faculty Mentor: Prof. Kerry Kazura, Family Studies

Topic: Community Building in a Kindergarten Classroom

 

2011 Undergraduate Research Award (URA)

Katie Hallam, Nursing
Faculty Mentor: Prof. Gerard Tobin, Nursing
Topic: Hospice Nurse Perceptions of the Hospice-Nursing Home Relationship

Bethany Murphy, Kinesiology: Exercise Science
Faculty Mentor: Prof. Summer Cook, Kinesiology: Exercise Science
Topic: Neuromuscular Adaptations to Occlusive Resistance Training

Kathryn Vollinger, Kinesiology: Outdoor Education
Faculty Mentor: Prof. Jayson Seaman, Kinesiology: Outdoor Education
Topic: Successful Leadership in Adventure Education with Diverse Groups

2011 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) USA

Christine Curtin, Occupational Therapy
Faculty Mentor: Prof. Sajay Arthanat, Occupational Therapy
Topic: Examining the Effectiveness of the iPad as an Educational Tool for Children with Developmental Disabilities

Natalie Gatlin, Occupational Therapy
Faculty Mentor: Prof. Lou Ann Griswold, Occupational Therapy
Topic: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Interventions for Social Interactions among Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Christopher Logan, Kinesiology: Exercise Science
Faculty Mentor: Prof. Dain LaRoche, Kinesiology: Exercise Science
Topic: Influence of Dynamic Joint Stiffness on Walking Economy in Obese and Normal Weight Older Adults

Amy Ma, Occupational Therapy
Faculty Mentor: Prof. Barbara Prudhomme White, Occupational Therapy
Topic: A Comparative Analysis of Occupational Therapy following Hand Injuries

Megan E. Murnane, Occupational Therapy
Faculty Mentor: Prof. C. Douglas Simmons, Occupational Therapy
Topic: Benefits of Team Sports for Adolescents with Learning Challenges

Lisa Armstrong, Nursing
Christina Polito, Nursing
Faculty Mentor: Prof. Gerard Tobin, Nursing
Topic: Two Cultures of Caring: A Comparative Study of Nurses’ Perceptions and Experiences of Caring for People within a Hospice Context in the United Kingdom and the United States

2011 International Research Opportunities Program (IROP)

Rebecca Keyes, Nursing
Research Site: Kibuku/Pallisa District, Uganda 
Faculty Mentor: Prof. Gene Harkless, Nursing
Foreign Faculty Mentor: Mr. Denis Medeyi, Salem Brotherhood 
Topic: Helping Babies Breathe: Testing Its Implementation in Rural Uganda

Kristen Manning, Nursing  
Research Site: Ulster, Northern Ireland
Faculty Mentor: Prof. Joan Hahn, Nursing   
Foreign Faculty Mentor: Dr. Owen Barr, University of Ulster  
Topic: Perceptions of Learning Disability Nurses and People with Learning Disabilities on Nurse/Patient Interaction

2011 Research Presentation Grant

Lauren Campbell, Occupational Therapy
Project Title: Analyzing the Effect of Teacher- Directed Structure on Social Interaction of Children Using the ESI
Conference: American Occupational Therapy Association Annual Conference

Mary Foley, Occupational Therapy
Project Title: Comparison of Social Interaction of Deaf Children and Their Hearing Peers
Conference: American Occupational Therapy Association Annual Conference

Bethany Murphy, Kinesiology: Exercise Science
Project Title: Acute Effects of Blood Flow Restricted Exercise on Muscular Function and Central Activation
Conference: American College of Sports Medicine

Cathryn Reynolds, Kinesiology: Athletic Training
Project Title: Pre-Hospital Emergency Removal of Football Helmets Using Two Techniques
Conference: Eastern Athletic Trainers Association Conference

Heidi Shumila, Kinesiology: Exercise Science
Project Title: Influence of Obesity on Gait and Metabolic Cost of Walking in Older Adults
Conference: New England American College of Sports Medicine

Samantha Townsend, Occupational Therapy
Project Title: Finding My Place: Promoting Change in School-Based Practice
Conference: American Occupational Therapy Association

2011 Honors Thesis Grant

Ashleigh Alario, Nursing
Faculty Mentor: Prof. Pamela DiNapoli, Nursing
Thesis: Caffeine Knowledge of Pregnant Women and the Influence on Caffeine Consumption during Pregnancy

Valerie Cartier, Nursing
Faculty Mentor: Prof. Pamela DiNapoli, Nursing
Thesis: Caffeine Knowledge of Pregnant Women and the Influence on Caffeine Consumption during Pregnancy

Amanda King, Family Studies
Faculty Mentor: Prof. John Nimmo, Family Studies
Thesis: Being Different: How Attitudes and Values toward Diversity Impact Bullying in Elementary Schools

2010 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship

(SURF) USA

Lauren Campbell, Occupational Therapy
Faculty Mentor: Prof. Lou Ann Griswold, Occupational Therapy
Project: Analyzing the Effect of Teacher-Directed Structure on Social Interaction of Children Using the Evaluation of Social Interaction (ESI)

Mary Foley, Occupational Therapy
Faculty Mentor: Prof. Lou Ann Griswold, Occupational Therapy
Project: Comparison of Social Interaction of Deaf Children and Their Hearing Peers

Amy Ma, Occupational Therapy
Faculty Mentor: Prof. Barbara White, Occupational Therapy
Project: The Analysis of Intervention on Stressed Pregnant Women's Social Networks

Bethany Murphy, Kinesiology: Exercise Science
Faculty Mentor: Prof. Summer Cook, Kinesiology
Project: Effects of Blood Flow Restriction on Central Activation and Peripheral Fatigue during Repeated Concentric Knee Extensions

Cathryn Reynolds, Kinesiology: Athletic Training
Faculty Mentor: Prof. Erik Swartz, Kinesiology
Project: Comparison of Emergency Helmet Removal Techniques

Heidi Shumila, Kinesiology: Exercise Science
Faculty Mentor: Prof. Dain LaRoche, Kinesiology
Project: Impact of Obesity on Gait and Metabolic Cost of Walking in Older Adults

2010 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship

(SURF) Abroad

Carolyn Gilooly, Occupational Therapy
Research Site: Belmopan, Belize
Faculty Mentor: Prof. Kerryellen Vroman, Occupational Therapy
Foreign Mentor: Ms. Lindy Jeffery, National Council on Aging
Project: Elder Care Day Program Development and Community Awareness of Dementia in Belize

2010 International Research Opportunities Program (IROP)

Rachael Butterfield, Nursing
Research Site: Pune, India
Faculty Mentor: Prof. Gene Harkless, Nursing
Foreign Faculty Mentor: Mrs. Jolly Singh, Tehmi Grant Institute of Nursing
Project: Parents as Mediators of Child Survival: A Descriptive Study of Care-Seeking for Sick Children in Pune, India

Maren Gray, Nursing
Research Site: Kumasi, Ghana
Faculty Mentor: Prof. Lynette Hamlin, Nursing
Foreign Faculty Mentor: Ms. Anne Hyre, Kumasi School of Midwifery
Project: A Qualitative Study of Ghanaian Midwifery Students’ and Teachers’ Values and Beliefs Regarding Family Planning and Abortion Services

Lauren Kasparian, Nursing
Research Site: Kumasi, Ghana
Faculty Mentor: Prof. Gene Harkless, Nursing
Foreign Faculty Mentor: Dr. Gabriel Boakye, Anesthesiology and Intensive Care KATH
Project: Sleeping in Safety: A Descriptive Study of Nurse Anesthetists in Ghana

 

2010 Undergraduate Research Award (URA)

Rachel Kralian, Kinesiology: Exercise Science
Faculty Mentor: Prof. Therese Willkomm, Occupational Therapy
Project: The Impact of Assistive Technology on Job Coach Prompting for Adults with Cognitive Disabilities

Elizabeth Mitropoulos, Nursing
Catherine Newkirk, Nursing
Faculty Mentor: Prof. Susan Fetzer, Nursing
Project: Maintaining the Patency of and Unclogging Nasogastric Tubes

2010 Research Presentation Grant

Lindsay Bergmann, Nursing
Project Title: A Qualitative Study of TASO’s Home-Based HIV Counseling and Testing Program in Rural Uganda
Conference: Eastern Nursing Research Society Meeting, Providence, RI

Rachel Kralian, Kinesiology: Exercise Science
Project Title: Visual Acuity, Balance Control and the Automaticity of Walking in Older Women
Conference: New England College of Sports Medicine Conference, Providence, RI

Erica Millett, Kinesiology: Exercise Science
Project Title: Ankle Strength and Stiffness Predict Range of Motion during Walking in Older Adults
Conference: New England College of Sports Medicine Conference, Providence, RI

Allison Reilly, Nursing
Project Title: Cultural Reform in Acute Care: Learning from Australia’s Improving the Culture of Hospitals Project
Conference: Eastern Nursing Research Society Meeting, Providence, RI

2010 Honors Thesis Grant

Kaitlyn Mortimer, Communication Sciences & Disorders
Faculty Mentor: Prof. Penelope Webster, Communication Sciences & Disorders
Thesis: Technology’s Effect upon Non-Verbal Communication: Looking at How Text-Based Communication Has Affected Tone of Voice Perception

Katie Parrish, Family Studies
Faculty Mentor: Prof. Kerry Kazura, Family Studies
Thesis: Sis for School, and a Second Untitled Book

Krista Stalzer, Family Studies
Faculty Mentor: Prof. Dora Chen, Family Studies
Thesis: The Value of Recess in Elementary Schools