Faculty, Students Present Scholarly Work at Research Day

From kinesiology to communications, and literacy to languages, faculty and students presented research projects they have been conducting for the University of La Verne’s annual Research Day on May 8.

The celebration of scholarly and creative activity included poster board, PowerPoint and video presentations all inside the Campus Center ballroom.

“It’s always great to share what I’m working on with my colleagues,” said Dr. Soomi Lee, Professor of Public Administration.

Most of the projects have been shared outside of the University at conferences or through publications. Many students participating in the event displayed senior thesis projects.

Assistant Professor of Management Dr. Loren Dyck presented his research on Total Quality Management training at the Western Academy of Management 2015 Conference in Hawaii in March. His study focused on the impact the training had on employee behavior and attitude at a Hawaii hospital. Bringing his research to La Verne was “a really wonderful opportunity.”

Professors say Research Day is a nice change of pace because focusing on classes often keeps them isolated in their classrooms and offices at the University.

“I’m impressed by the level of research here and you don’t always hear about it because we’re in our silos on campus,” said Associate Professor of Broadcast Journalism Valerie Cummings.

Seeing what other professors are researching has even been a catalyst to collaborative projects across disciplines. Cummings says she is interested in working with a faculty member in the College of Education and Organizational Leadership on a future project.

Students also participated in the event, either showing support for their professors’ projects, or giving presentations of their own.

Sophomore Nick Muscato, who works as a biology lab intern, came to support the Natural Science Division.

“I think it’s really important to not only teach it in the classroom, but to also apply it to real-world examples,” he said.

Seniors Hope Allen and Alyssa Guerrero, both kinesiology majors, presented senior thesis research alongside their professors.

Allen’s data focused on insulin and glucose levels related to the Freshman 15 – a phenomenon relating to the number of pounds freshmen sometimes gain in their first year of college.

Seven students were analyzed for insulin and glucose levels and another 10 were surveyed for weight gain. The study showed students gained an average of 11.7 pounds in the fall semester alone. Allen suggested if the Lifelong Fitness class became a freshman requirement, it could help counteract this issue.

Guerrero, whose project showed the effects of aquatic therapy on students with Autism Spectrum Disorder, enjoyed seeing the broad spectrum of research at the event.

“You can tell that everyone is very proud to be here and it’s great to see research is taking place across the University, not just my department,” she said.

Literacy Center Director Dr. Janice Pilgreen and Assistant Professor of Special Education Dawn Witt presented a study on counteracting the “Summer Slide,” a term that describes the educational ground children lose during summer break.

The pair examined a control group at a middle school and an experimental group from the Literacy Center. Middle school students received 3.75 additional hours of instructional time in small group sessions five times per week, while Literacy Center students received the same instruction, but only 1.5 hours once a week and one-on-one. The results revealed the experimental group had better success.

“The one-on-one intensive (instruction) is more effective than the in-class small group,” Witt said.

Engaging in research is important for faculty, particularly because of the University’s core value of lifelong learning.

“It’s just so nice to be involved with an event where we can share our love of learning, love of research and show our dedication to continuing the scholarship that’s necessary to create a thriving academic environment that contributes to and informs our teaching,” Witt said.