Grant Awards

Jackie von Spiegel, Program Manager, Dennis Learning Center

This project aims to explore the process of seeking help through academic coaching as a first-generation graduate student. Research indicates that first-generation students, whose parents do not have a four-year college degree, are less likely to seek academic help when they need it and are more likely to have poorer outcomes as undergraduates. However, little is known about the first-generation students who continue their education in graduate school. This study will explore the process of academic help-seeking in first-generation graduate students using a constructivist grounded theory methodology to preserve the participants’ voices and acknowledge the diverse realities of the students in the study. Through semi-structured interviews, the project aims to uncover the experiences surrounding the decision to seek help through academic coaching. The findings of this research project will provide new insights for learning center staff on ways to better support graduate students, as well as adding to the understanding of help-seeking attitudes and behaviors in this student population.

Sanja Ilic, Associate Professor, Human Nutrition

During this project, Sanja Ilic will work with Iowa State University and other North Central Partners as the State Lead to assist in identification of diversified and underserved grower and processor populations that require education, training and technical assistance to ensure successful implementation and compliance with the FSMA Produce Safety rule and Preventive Control for Human Foods rule. The project will involve providing feedback on food safety curriculum for growers and processors, communicating compliance needs, disseminating information and materials about produce safety, and connecting food safety educators in Ohio to the project.

Drew Hanks, Associate Professor, Consumer Sciences

The Data Integration in Food and Agriculture online tool will provide dataset-specific information pertinent to accessing, utilizing, and linking the various data sources used among agricultural and applied economists with other relevant datasets. By designing this tool, the project team will make great strides in improving the data infrastructure to enhance research in food and agriculture.

Steven Stone-Sabali, Assistant Professor, Department of Educational Studies

Homeless youth have negative and discriminatory interactions with social service providers, which may deter them from utilizing important services that help them exit homelessness and prevent the development of substance use disorders. In addition, homeless youth are also challenged by substance misuse, which can lead to developing substance use disorders. This study aims to address a critical research gap by investigating actionable interpersonal strategies that service providers can use to create positive interactions with homeless youth. Furthermore, this study investigates the extent to which key psychological resources (ethnic identity and sexual orientation identity) protect youth from the negative effects of discriminatory experiences and help prevent the development of substance misuse and substance use disorders.

This award provides support under the Research Supplements to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research Program and supplements the Prevention of OUD: The HOME (Housing, Opportunities, Motivation and Engagement) Randomized Trial project.

Project Details

Jay Plasman, Assistant Professor, Department of Educational StudiesJay Plas

Growing research supports that when high school students take STEM career and technical education (STEM-CTE) courses, they have much stronger outcomes. It also shows that teachers matter for students’ success. For example, research has established that teacher education and credentials in STEM fields, as well as years of classroom teaching experiences, are key factors in supporting student success. These two fields remain mostly isolated, however. This project will examine who is teaching STEM-CTE courses and whether the benefits of these courses and pathways are driven or influenced by specific characteristics of STEM-CTE teachers.

The Technical Testing Project, a statewide system that provides data on secondary student technical skill attainment, supports strategic objectives of the Ohio Department of Education Office of Career Technical Education (ODE-CTE). The testing system is aligned to the vision and mission of the Office as articulated in the ODE-CTE strategic plan, including graduation options, post-secondary transitions, local district report cards, and federal reporting. The test delivery system is served to stakeholders across Ohio through an online portal (WebXam) operated by the EHE Center on Education and Training for Employment. Continuing into this new fiscal year, the project team will provide project management and coordination, subject matter expert management, and field communications. They will also provide test development, delivery, and analysis to improve the test taker experience.

Barbara Boone, Program Director of Family Engagement

This project will support Ohio’s Educational Service Centers (ESC) liaisons with professional development, coaching support, evidence-based resources, and a community of practice. This project works to build the capacity of Ohio Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) to engage and support the families of all students, particularly students with disabilities; English learners; migrant, justice-involved and military students; and students experiencing homelessness and foster care. This support is being provided through Family and Community Engagement Liaisons in Ohio’s ESC. The capacity of Liaisons, placed in proximity to LEAs, is being developed to support their provision of accurate and meaningful technical assistance to school administrators and families to improve identification, enrollment and transfers, and increase communication, outreach, and engagement.

Laura Justice, Professor; Executive Director of the Crane Center for Early Childhood Research and Policy (CCEC)

This two-year grant provides additional project support under the NIH Research Supplements to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research Program. The goal of this study is to identify early risk for developmental language disorder (DLD) among young, low- income children, and to determine how caregiver and child chronic stress and interaction quality interact to disrupt language growth among these vulnerable children. Project Details

Jay Plasman, Assistant Professor, Department of Educational StudiesJay Plas

This project collaboration with Johns Hopkins University will explore the specific mechanisms that ultimately impact the labor market outcomes of students who progress through career and technical education (CTE) programs of study in the Baltimore Public School District system. The project team will explore how admission into, and participation in, specific labor market programming in CTE schools with varying degrees of selectivity and focus facilitates progression along the education pathway and into the labor market. The project will examine whether and how CTE participation can help prepare students for college and careers related to their CTE studies.

Matthew Brock, Associate Professor

The LEADERS grant will fund a cohort of five Ph.D. students to study severe disabilities and advanced research methods. This program focuses on studying special education for students with intellectual disability, on the autism spectrum, or with multiple disabilities who have intensive support needs. Students will be trained and advised by leading faculty experts in severe disabilities, advanced quantitative methods, and complex communication challenges. Students will also have opportunities to attend national conferences in special education and receive training and consultation from experts at other universities.