Faculty Research Interests

My research interests lie at the intersection of cell and molecular biology, immunology, and oncology. I have extensive experience in both academic and pharmaceutical research, with expertise in investigating cellular and molecular mechanisms relevant to human health and disease. My technical background includes immunological and molecular techniques such as ELISA, multicolor flow cytometry, cell-based assays, and a variety of molecular biology methods. I also have experience with laboratory automation platforms and conducting research in GMP- and GLP-compliant environments.

I look forward to developing an undergraduate research program that provides students with hands-on experience in modern molecular biology techniques while fostering critical thinking, scientific inquiry, and collaborative research.

My research interests are in the areas of local community engagement and service-learning, international service-learning and clinical education, global health competencies, pro bono service, student leadership development, and oncological rehab.

My research interests include the impact of experiential (e.g. service-learning, diversity) learning on university student outcomes, the development and assessment of literacy programs for youthful offenders, and mental health among justice-involved female youth.

My research focuses on writing techniques in healthcare. I've published three books in this area, as well as numerous journal articles, such as analyses of Medicare manuals for their targeted audience of senior citizens. I am also active in the open education movement. Because many of my courses have experiential components, I've also published and presented on applied projects that benefit our community. Fortunately, my research interests have allowed me to travel throughout Europe—from Spain and Italy in the southwest to Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Poland in central and Eastern Europe. Just like my courses, my research emphasizes the applications of writing in professional contexts.

Although my research interests are broad, most of my research investigates the relationships between psychological factors and adjustment to chronic physical health conditions. These studies have explored relationships among variables such as family functioning, anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress and adjustment, self-management, rehabilitation, and medical outcomes for individuals experiencing diabetes, cancer, spinal cord injury, and cardiac conditions. I am also interested in the development and application of therapies to help individuals, couples, and families who face chronic health conditions, and in the integration of therapeutic methods toward optimal effectiveness for these problems. I have piloted many interventions utilizing imagery as a medium for exploration and intervention. I have also worked in primary care medical settings, specialty care medical settings, and physical medicine & rehabilitation settings over the years, integrating psychological services into the integrated interdisciplinary medical care.

My research interests include the pathology of bacteria, diagnostic bacteriology, pathology of protozoan parasites, electron and light microscopy, and human anatomy and physiology.

My research interests are related to organizational behavior and human resources with specific interests in emotional intelligence, cultural intelligence, social intelligence, and leadership, which are all areas that have current relevance to researchers and practitioners.  More recently, I have found that the cultural intelligence field is such an emerging area that there are many opportunities to create new research streams that I believe I will be focusing more on in the future. Additionally, I have become interested in online social networks and their implications for expatriates and repatriates.  

• Japanese anime
• Music in film and television
• Popular music of the US, UK and Japan (especially of the long 1960s)
• Opera studies
• Music in video games
• Music and identity (gender, sexuality, race, religion, nationality)

My research interests include the use of evidence-based practices in school and community-based settings for individuals with disabilities and teacher training, specifically in under-served communities.

• Person-centered being, doing, connecting, and facilitating
• Experiential learning and experiences
• Integrating mind, body, spirit, and environment in practical ways
• Bringing transpersonal skills to the everyday
• Identity/formulation of Black women and girls
• Women and Girls of Color and their many intersecting identities 
• How women and their collective actions will change the world
• Black daughter-mother dynamics

• The importance of spirituality in Nursing
   

My research interests are focused on the characterization and use of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites as a substitute for steel in reinforced concrete construction. My work encompasses both internal reinforcement for new construction and external reinforcement for strengthening and repair of existing structures, contributing to the development of an innovative technique for mechanically-fastening FRP laminates to the tension soffit of concrete beams.

As a fellow of the American Concrete Institute, I was recently appointed chairman of the ACI international committee that is tasked with developing code language for the design of structural concrete reinforced with FRP bars.

My research focuses on mentoring and parental involvement in the college-going process of African American students pursuing nursing education. Specifically it focuses on how these strategies facilitate the recruitment and retention of minority students in nursing education programs. In addition my research interest includes reducing health care disparities and inequalities by diversifying the nursing workforce and improving healthcare outcomes among this population.

• Trauma
• Social Work in Behavioral Health
• Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
• Intersection of Social Work and Applied Behavior Analysis

Health Promotion across the Life Span; Spirituality and Health; and Faith Community Nursing Outcomes

My current research interests are community and collective models of trauma healing, transformative teaching in social work, mind-body interventions, social work practitioner wellbeing, and collective care and culturally grounded interventions in social work.

We live in a world where employment is an expectation and often a requirement for accessing certain safety net supports, such as TANF. Yet, we are also in an era where stable work may be fleeting at best. Given this situation, my research interests have centered on the effects that this precarious condition can have on families' material and emotional well-being.

Currently, I am studying the relationship between families' economic vulnerability and children's social-emotional competence with a focus on family processes. In future research, I plan a continued investigation of the impact of economic vulnerability on family well-being, expanding this inquiry to gain a richer understanding of individual families' experiences with, and responses to, economic vulnerability and the consequent influence on family and child well-being. I am also interested in better understanding intersectionality of identities, particularly those identities that are outside of the dominant culture, and experiences of precarity.

By identifying the interactive effects that system, family, and individual-level experiences can have on the well-being of children and families, my research is intended to build policymakers' and practitioners' understanding of policies' and conditions' impact on families, thereby enabling appropriate policy and programmatic responses to be identified and implemented. In particular, I aim to conduct research that informs social workers' micro- and macro-level responses (ideally in an integrated manner), and by doing so, facilitates social and economic justice and social change.

My current research interest is how magic was performed on the early modern stage and how magic interacts with gender norms. I also enjoy the work of editing editions of early modern plays.

My research interests focus on bullying prevention, school violence, victimology, and the psychological and emotional impact of bullying and victimization on children, adolescents, and adults. My work also explores school climate and culture, trauma-informed practices, student mental health, social-emotional learning, and the role of educators and school leaders in creating safe, inclusive, and supportive learning environments.

Additional areas of interest include cyberbullying and the impact of digital media on youth behavior, the relationship between childhood trauma and aggressive behavior, bullying prevention and intervention strategies, restorative practices, educational leadership, diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB), and the development of policies and organizational practices that promote student safety and well-being.

I am particularly interested in examining the intersection of psychology, education, and leadership to better understand the causes and consequences of bullying and victimization and to develop evidence-informed approaches that empower students, families, educators, and communities to prevent bullying and promote positive social and emotional outcomes.

My research interests include focus on the health status of adults discharged from an acute care hospital. Additionally, I have become active with educational research which focuses on student learning and improvements to the way we teach and evaluate student success.