Accepted Presentations

Congratulations to our accepted presenters!

 

Kristofferson Culmer, Benton Berrigan, Jesse

University of Missouri

Title: The Grad Wellness survey: Using Data to inform your Leadership, and Improve Relations with University Administrators

Abstract: Two years ago, The Graduate Professional Council (GPC) at the University of Missouri conducted a Graduate Wellness Survey among its constituents to assess then needs and the general state of the graduate-professional student body on its campus. The motivation for the survey came from the fact that typical campus climate surveys were biased towards assessing the needs of undergraduate students and thus, could not adequately be used to capture the pulse of the graduate-professional student body. GPC created and deployed its initial wellness survey in the Spring 2017 semester and got some expected and unexpected results. Some of the results of the survey have been: more tailored programming from GPC to better address student needs, improved collaboration between GPC and campus administration, improved advocacy efforts, and more.

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Lakelyn Taylor

University of Central Florida

Title: Working Overtime: Navigating the Challenges and Abuses of Graduate Assistants’ Allocated Work Time

Abstract: When graduate students are awarded the opportunity to be Graduate Assistants (including Graduate Teaching Assistants and Graduate Research Assistants), it comes with the promise of tuition waivers, health benefits, and stipends. The only caveat is the requirement for these students to work, at most, 20 hours a week. Balancing graduate student classes and life with this 20-hour work responsibility is already an arduous task. Unfortunately, GAs can easily be taken advantage of, often working over 20 hours a week even though they do not get paid to do so. In such situations, some GAs have reported feeling pressure to work more hours under threat of having their admission or graduate status revoked. This dilemma is especially true for international students who may not know what options are available to them. Yet another twist is the fact some GA positions (i.e. Speech and Debate, lab work, etc.) inherently require more than 20 hours. This session strives to more thoroughly explore the causes and effects associated with overworked graduate students and advocates solutions to this conundrum ravaging graduate programs throughout the nation

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Nana Amma Berko Asamoah

 University of Arkansas 

Mathematical Sciences 

 Title: Trend Analysis of financial support for full time students in Science and Engineering” 

Abstract:  A major concern for graduate students around the world is financial support, whether for research or for the cost of the degree and so in the process of application, it is one factor that is considered by most graduate students. This paper seeks to address an oft undiscussed part of the school search in the United States – which regions of the country (as partitioned by the US Bureau of Economic Analysis) receive more funding for graduate students in Science and Engineering. To address this gap, this paper will examine the trend of support given in the past forty five years and build a predictive model to predict support that will be given to graduate students in Science and Engineering. It will aggregate the data obtained from the National Science Foundation Survey of Graduate Students and Post doctorates into the different kinds of support received, including but not limited to Scholarships, Fellowships, Teaching and Research Assistantships. It will also explore the relationships between the funding received by each region and the economic status of the region. Ultimately, the results of this study could be a guide for graduate students interested in receiving fellowships, scholarships and other forms of support and also choosing graduate schools in the United States if financial support is a major determinant. It will also answer the question for policymakers if funding given to graduate students has a positive impact on the economy of the region.

 

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LeighAnn Larkin 

Matthew Diasio Basak Ozaslan, Samantha Perez, Kassandra Grimes 

University of Virginia 

Graduate Engineering Student Council 

Title: Quality of Life Survey for Graduate Engineering Students at University of Virginia 

Abstract: The rigorous and taxing demands of graduate school can often cultivate feelings of dissatisfaction among graduate students. In fact, recent studies have demonstrated that graduate and professional students are at an increased risk for mental health issues compared to the general population, and the risk is even more prevalent when students experience poor professional and social support systems [1,2]. This statistic is a call for action to investigate what resources are needed or need to be expanded to better serve the graduate student population. At the University of Virginia, the Graduate Engineering Student Council (GESC) has a mission to advocate for and provide graduate engineering students with programs and services to enhance their graduate experiences, assist with the completion of their degrees, and prepare them for future careers. As the UVA graduate engineering program continues to increase in size, the diversity of that population is simultaneously increasing. To better understand the needs of our population, GESC developed a comprehensive survey that spans six categories: 1) demographics, 2) international student experience, 3) academic experience, 4) professional development, 5) safety, health and well being and 6) awareness of resources. GESC will share this survey with all graduate students in the School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS) at UVA to be filled out anonymously. This study will produce important knowledge about the graduate student experience and how it is impacted by the varying engineering programs, personal identities (including racial and gender identity) and career goals. The data will inform what intervention strategies are needed to uplift and empower the different graduate student populations. Finally, this will allow us, the Graduate Engineering Student Council, to better advocate for graduate students in order to create a more inclusive and supportive environment. [1] A. Sverdlik et al., International Journal of Doctoral Studies, 13 (2018). [2] T.M. Evans et al., Nature Biotechnology 36 (2018).

 

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 Victoria Osinski

 University of Virginia

 Graduate Professional Council, Vice Chair

 Title: Cross-University collaborations to increase diversity in graduate science and engineering programs

Abstract: Bioscience and engineering doctoral programs are frequently lacking in students of underrepresented minorities (URM). Students and faculty within the bioscience graduate programs at University of Chicago (U Chicago) and bioscience and engineering graduate programs at University of Virginia (UVA) are addressing the identified need for increased diversity and inclusion in their programs. Over the past three years, graduate students from the Biosciences Division (BSD) of the University of Chicago have developed the Graduate Recruitment Initiative Team (GRIT) to enhance diversity and inclusion across BSD programs. In order to accomplish this, GRIT has focused its efforts on three main initiatives: recruitment, retention, and sustainability. Thus far, GRIT’s programming has resulted in a substantial increase in URM student application and admission in the BSD programs at U of Chicago. On September 5th, 2018, two of GRIT’s Co-Directors, Mat Perez-Neut and Cody Hernandez, visited the University of Virginia to share information about GRIT and its efforts with UVA graduate students and faculty from the Biomedical Sciences, Engineering and Applied Science, and Biology doctoral programs. The visit included presentations from Mat and Cody, break out sessions for graduate students and faculty, and a summary and discussion at the end to develop action items for UVA to implement GRIT effectively. Following the collaborative meeting, UVA’s graduate students have begun developing their own grassroots efforts to enhance recruitment and retention of a diverse and inclusive population of graduate students within their respective graduate programs. Currently, UVA is establishing GRIT under the leadership of two graduate students – Brittany A. Martinez and Kristopher D. Rawls. GRIT@UVA is identifying faculty and students that seek change to better implement the core initiatives of GRIT (recruitment, retention, and sustainability) to establish a structure specifically to house three different biomedical and physical science programs, their students, and their faculty. Once established, GRIT@UVA hopes to collaborate with the Graduate and Professional Council at UVA to share their methodology with other graduate and professional programs on Grounds.

 

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 Shima Bahramvash Shams

Washington State University

Senator GPSA

Title: International Students and the challenge of advocacy

 Abstract: International students make a huge contribution to any graduate school, but they often are challenged with unique issues. Continually changing federal policies affect international students, often negatively. To be their advocate, one needs to know about the exact consequences of these policies on their lives, and therefore getting information about their lives is important. One of the most common approaches to obtain information about their lives and challenges is asking them to share their stories. However, international students are often reticent for a number of reasons. In a research study, we investigate the following questions: what are the barriers that adversely impact international graduate student at WSU? What are the resources utilized by international students to address adverse issues they face? What are the factors that deter or encourage students to utilize resources at WSU? The study had two steps, focus group and photovoice session. First, in a focus group international graduate student from Washington State University discussed their concerns, different approach to reach out, and the importance of advocacy. Second, in a separate session, participants were asked to take some photos about their concerns and explain to the group how each photo is tied to their problems. Our results show that not having enough information about their own rights, being shy, being afraid of unknown consequences to them are among the reasons international students hesitate to share their stories. Photo-voice was found very helpful for participants to elaborate their problems and discuss them comfortably.

 

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Juan Garcia Oyervides

 University of Colorado Boulder

 United Government of Graduate Students

 Title: Colorado Federation of graduate students, a model for state level advocacy

 Abstract: This session invites reflection on the value and possibilities for state level networking and advocacy for graduate and professional student governments.

 

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 Kaylynne Glover

 University of Kentucky

 Graduate Student Congress, External Affairs Officer

 NAGPS Director of Legislative Affairs

 Title: The “State” of Advocacy: Bringing Your Legislative Action Local

Abstract: Most graduate student organizations lack the funding to send their students to DC and advocate on behalf of graduate education. But legislative advocacy starts at home. Graduate education is affected by all branches of government, including your city and state. This session is aimed at giving you the tools you need to organize effective local advocacy efforts, from organizing your membership to watching schedules and planning meetings with congressional offices.

Most graduate student organizations lack the funding to send their students to DC and advocate on behalf of graduate education. But legislative advocacy starts at home. Graduate education is affected by all branches of government, including your city and state. This session is aimed at giving you the tools you need to organize effective local advocacy efforts, from organizing your membership to watching schedules and planning meetings with congressional offices.

 

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 Jared Pence, Tufts Graduate Student Council Vice President 

 Ted Alexander, Mai Tran, & Jenna Whalen 

 Tufts University

 Title: Communicating with Different Communities: Exploring the Ways We Communicate with Graduate Students, Faculty, and Administration 

 Abstract: Author and Presidential speech writer James Humes once wrote, “the art of communication is the language of leadership.” To become effective leaders of the graduate and professional students that we work with and represent, it is essential to communicate well. But do the communications skills and methods that we employ with our fellow students work the same when we are communicating with different group of people? We believe that the different groups graduate student leaders work with require specific approaches to communicate. This session will explore techniques we use to communicate with graduate students, with faculty and departments, and with deans and administrators. This session will foster a discussion surrounding best practices for collaborating with these different groups and how to ensure that we communicate with them as effectively as possible. At Tufts we have an established relationship with our graduate school administration and want to be able to share what has been successful for us and how we’d like to improve. In addition, we will also discuss ideas for bridging communication with faculty and department administrators and tactics for communicating with graduate students. From events and in person meetings to social media, this session will explore a variety of communication strategies and host a conversation about what we as graduate and professional students leaders can do to improve the ways we communicate. 

 

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Rachel Renbarger

B. Cassady & T.F. Cockle

Baylor University

 Title: Countering the Graduate School Mess: A Paradigm for Practice

 Abstract: Doctoral production in the United States has increased by a factor of nine since 1950 (National Science Foundation, 2018; Walker et al., 2008). Though expansion of this magnitude might indicate a general trend of success, these numbers tell only part of the story. In fact, recent research indicates “about half of today’s doctoral students are lost to attrition…” and “many are ill-prepared for the full range of roles they must play” (Walker, 2008, p. 2). Stale pedagogical and evaluation tools, shoddy advising, and the overall “professionalization” of graduate education has led to what Cassuto (2015, p. 162) calls The Graduate School Mess. In response to these challenges, our Graduate Student Association worked to identify a path forward. Soliciting feedback from around campus, our team collected student and faculty responses to the question, “What makes an excellent graduate student experience?” Analysis of the data resulted in the following paradigm for practice: GSA believes an excellent graduate experience takes a holistic, integrative approach to graduate education that (1) invites engagement in compelling scholarship and research, (2) facilitates enriching careers, (3) nourishes personal well-being, and (4) cultivates a culture of belonging and collegiality. This fourfold paradigm, which we present each year at New Graduate Student Orientation, sets the trajectory for an excellent graduate student experience. In this session we will expand upon the history and current use of our paradigm including programming ideas within each quadrant.

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Sarah Pesi

 Carnegie Mellon University

Title: Collegiate Food Insecurity & How to Food Pantry

 Abstract: Many students face food insecurity and this is important because food insecurity has impacts on students ability to succeed within the university. Most of the research around this issue has focused on the undergraduate students. The Pittsburgh Community Food Bank along the University of Pittsburgh and other institutions of higher learning in Pittsburgh recently conducted a study of regional schools and found some interesting findings. The findings showed that 19% of CMU students experienced food insecurity and that among them the levels were high in the master student population. Concurrently, in the last fall, CMU GSA has formed a Basic Needs Working Group, whose goal was to focus on food insecurity in its inaugural year. As a result of the work of this group and our partners, CMU is launching an on-campus, need-blind pantry for all our students. This session will provide information on our efforts, challenges and share best practices on undertaking work on this important issue.

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 Sarah Pesi

Carnegie Mellon University

 Title: Nuts & Bolts of Providing Free Legal Consultations to Students

 Abstract: Learn about how CMU’s GSA successfully advocated for students to have access to free legal consultations. Learn the nuts and bolts of the legal consultation services that CMU has recently started to offer to its students. Learn about the advocacy process that GSA undertook to institute this program and the various considerations along the way. This will be a presentation followed by a Q&A. 

Tiffany L. Marcantonio, Toby L.W. Klein, Alejandra M. Kaplan, & Kristen N. Jozkowski

University of Arkansas

Sexuality Education and Consent Studies Lab

 

 Title: Sexual Refusals: Understanding how young adults define and refuse sexual behaviors in different contexts

Our understanding of sexual refusals is limited. We conducted three studies to understand how college students refuse sex, if refusals vary in assaultive situations, and how students define refusals. College students completed an online survey. Five different refusal cues emerged from our analysis. Refusal cues did not differ between students in assaultive situations. Students’ conceptualized refusals via feelings and behaviors. Results have implications for sexual assault prevention.

Sexual refusals are a mechanism thought to reduce sexual assault; however, there are several limitations to previous studies on sexual refusal. The goal of this study was to further our understanding of sexual refusals via three studies. First, we examined how college students refuse a range of sexual behaviors. Second, we examined whether the refusal cues varied between students who experienced sex-post refusal or not. Third, we examined how students defined sexual refusals. College students (n = 904) from the U.S. and Canada completed an online survey consisting of 9 open-ended questions assessing how they refused receptive and performative genital touching, oral sex, and vaginal-penile sex. Data were coded by a team of 5 research assistants using an inductive approach (reliability =.80). Study 1: Five refusal cues emerged from our analysis: explicit refusals using the word “no,” indirect internal excuses, indirect external excuses, active behavioral response, and passive behavioral response. Study 2:There was no difference in refusal cues used between students who did and did not experience sex post refusal. Study 3:Students defined refusals as including feelings of unwantedness, behaviors which suggest a “no,” or a combination of both. Findings could be used to inform sexual assault prevention programming as students report they use a variety of cues and are aware of more subtle cues to refuse sex. This talk will be a 50-minute content session.

 Learning Objectives:

1. Describe how college students refuse performative and receptive manual and oral sex, as well as vaginal-penile intercourse
2. Examine differences and similarities in refusal cues used in situations in which sex happens post-refusal compared to situations where it does not
3. Describe how college students define sexual refusals

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James “JD” DiLoreto-Hill, MPA 

Vice President, GPSC; PhD Student, Public Policy; M.S. Student, Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Jacquelyn Wiersma-Mosley, PhD – Associate Professor 

University of Arkansas

Title: The largest impediment to the #metoo movement: University Greek Life

Abstract: Institutions of higher education are facing an epidemic of sexual assault on their campuses. Research indicates that 20-25% of undergraduate women will be victims of attempted or completed sexual assault while they attend university  (Cantor, et al., 2015). Further studies have shown that as many as one out of three campus sexual assaults occur at a fraternity house where alcohol and drugs are being used (Schwartz & DeKeseredy, 1997). As the #metoo movement continues to permeate society at all levels, tens of thousands of young men are entering young adulthood being a part of a culture that exemplifies power and many of the key components that are seen in instances of campus sexual assault.

These attitudes and norms that are perpetuated within homosocial institutions (particularly fraternities) exasperate the campus sexual assault crisis and create institutional barriers for accountability. The literature is extensive on how and why this situation exists. First and foremost, rape myths permeate the Greek culture (Burt, 1980). Second, the ability for women to perceive risk is essentially non-existent due to the imbalance of power that fraternities are provided by their corresponding institutions (Nurius, 2000). Male-support theory provides an understanding into why behaviors and attitudes associated with rape myths remain commonplace within fraternity houses (Schwartz & DeKeseredy, 1997). Fourth, basic criminological theory regarding self-control is also clearly identifiable within this culture (Gottfredson & Hirschi, 1990). Finally, feminist theory establishes the innate difficulties associated with sexual consent and the sexual scripts that dominate consent (or lack thereof) (Jozkowski, Peterson, Sanders, Dennis. & Reece, 2014; Wiersma-Mosley, Jozkowski, & Martinez, 2017; Jozkowski, Marcantonio, & Hunt, 2017).

If the #metoo movement is to witness a true cultural shift, our institutions of higher education must accept responsibility for what the culture of Greek life is perpetuating in young adults.

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Malachi Willis, MA

University of Arkansas

Sexuality Education and Consent Studies Lab

Program Title

Examining the Sexual Consent Communication Cues Modeled in Mainstream Pornography

Conference Program Abstract: This presentation will present different aspects of a project designed to investigate the sexual consent communication cues depicted in popular pornographic films. We will detail our methodological approach, present general and nuanced findings, and discuss the implications of our findings for people—especially youth—who learn about sex from pornography.

Synopsis of Program

Background: Pornography use is common among young people. Indicating pornography’s significance as a sexual socializer, adolescents report that pornography was their primary source for information about sex. But most believe pornography does not adequately model sexual consent. In this presentation, we describe and quantify the types of sexual consent cues modeled in popular pornographic films.

Method: We modified a codebook used in previous research on mainstream films. In this presentation, we will discuss the process of modifying the original codebook to assess sexual consent cue modeling in pornographic films. Once the updated codebook was developed, we coded a 20-minute segment from fifty films randomly selected from the top 100 adult video sales and rentals from December 2014–June 2015.

Results: Approximately 21.8 sexual behaviors occurred on average during each 20-minute scene segment. We found that pornography does not consistently model sexual consent communication before new behaviors begin. When the transition from one sexual behavior to the next was not immediate, we observed a diverse representation of consent cues—explicit and implicit, verbal and nonverbal.

Conclusions: Although pornography is sometimes criticized for its unrealistic frequency of explicit verbal statements, consent communication cues—when depicted—were primarily implicit or nonverbal. The process of consent modeled in pornography may perpetuate traditionally gendered sexual scripts.

Three Learning Objectives

1. Recognize that behaviors modeled in mainstream media can influence young people’s behaviors.
2. Understand important methodological considerations for coding consent cues in pornographic films.
3. Identify different types of consent communication that are modeled in mainstream pornography.

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Anthony Sargenti

University of Arkansas

Ph.D. student – Cultural Studies

Title: “Antisocial Extrovert”: Kendrick Lamar’s DAMN. and the Reconstruction of Cultural Identities.

Abstract: The 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Music was awarded to DAMN., which the jury describes as “a virtuosic song collection unified by its vernacular authenticity and rhythmic dynamism that offers affecting vignettes capturing the complexity of modern African-American life” (“The 2018 Pulitzer Prize Winner in Music”). I take a Cultural Studies approach to read DAMN. as an arbiter of meaning and an authentic, multifaceted cultural product. I position Stuart Hall’s work on identification paradigms, including diaspora, at the center of my inquiry and then explain, through close cultural readings, how DAMN. represents, reconstructs and renegotiates a politics of identity that is multi-accentual, self-referential and contingent. Hall’s politics of identity rejects binary categorization systems and instead accepts new paradigms centered around hybridity and difference. Damn is not afraid of being vulnerable, unsure, unstable or contradictory. In short, it embraces a new politics of identity centered around different, densely articulated subject positions that form a tangible and intelligible whole because they operate within a hybrid and contrasting system. Hall argues for this precise re-articulation of the subject ( “Introduction: Who needs identity?” 2). DAMN. successfully reconstructs a politics of identity that is consistent with Hall’s vision, one conceived and exercised in difference. Its hybrid subject positions contradict themselves. They are not afraid to express fear, angst, rage, confusion, love, pride, loyalty and blood. In short, DAMN. embodies a politics of identity through its diasporic aesthetic. Its meanings reside in its struggle to articulate itself “within fourteen tracks” (“Fear”). Lamar’s conclusion returns to identity, contingency and the power of discourse: “America’s reflections of me, that’s what a mirror does” (“XXX”). In this context, however, the mirror does not simply reflect, but refract, criticizing an identity politics of violent, renegade black men who should be feared. Hall dissects the “black” category, positioning it within history and politics: “Black was created as a political category in a certain historical moment. It was created as a consequence of certain symbolic and ideological struggles,” therefore Hall and Lamar desire to “pluck it out of its articulation and rearticulate it in a new way” (“Old and new identities, old and new ethnicities” 54). This is DAMN.’s and therefore Lamar’s project. Integral to Cultural Studies is the formation of the organic intellectual. Hall, building off of Gramsci, defines organic intellectuals as those who “challenge modern ideologies ‘in their most refined form’ and ‘enter into the task of popular education’” (“Cultural Studies and the Centre: some problematics and problems” 46). Their role is to question the status quo and hegemony, creating a space for new and hybrid identities to coexist. DAMN accomplishes this through its storytelling of plural subjects that have multiple meanings and diverse perspectives that are created and negotiated in difference.

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Jeffery Clark

University of Arkansas

Ph.D. student – Food Science

Title: Comparing Smart Glass-based and Strictly Video-based Food Safety Training: An Embodied Learning Approach

Abstract: Smart glasses, a type of head-mounted visual display and wearable computer, have undergone extensive testing in the medical field to improve training outcomes. Smart glasses could also be utilized in the food industry to train food handlers to execute behaviors that decrease the risk of transmitting foodborne illness, but have not undergone testing in this setting. The present study evaluated simulated, hands on food safety training delivered through smart glasses compared to passive, strictly video-based training. Materials & Methods: A prospective memory design was employed to assess the effectiveness of the smart glasses-based and strictly video-based video training modules at promoting handwashing. Handwashing footage used for both trainings was identical and was filmed by a team of professional videographers. Handwashing performance variables, including frequency and efficacy, were measured along with post-training reactions. Efficacy to wash hands was based on compliance with the CDC 6 steps. To control for prior handwashing habits, frequency was assessed as whether participants remembered to wash hands before handling food and after touching cooked deli meat but before touching vegetables, as instructed by the trainings. Results: Participants in the strictly video-based group (N = 24) were significantly more likely to wash hands compared to the smart glasses group (N = 25), (χ2[1] = 4.86, p = .03). Participants in the smart glasses group had higher post-training reactions, though none of the variables were significantly different from the strictly video-based training group; intentions: t(46) = 1.06, P = .30; perceived utility: t(46) = .99, P = .33; self-efficacy: t(46) = 1.10, P = .28; overall satisfaction: t(45) = 1.78, P = .08. Significance: To the best of the researchers’ knowledge, this was the first study of its kind to assess smart glasses as new instructional platforms to deliver and promote food safety training. This research highlights the need to improve smart glasses-based training by including transition cues, implementing augmented reality intelligence systems that can enforce training outcomes, and finding ways to decrease attention demands. Food safety training transfer of knowledge to behavior can be maximized when smart glasses-based training is conducted at the workstation, rather than through simulation.

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Hawraa Alzouwain

University of Arkansas

Curriculum and Instruction, Second Langage Acquisition

Title: Positioning of English Language Learners and its Power on Classroom Interaction

Abstract: Using the Positioning Theory of Davies and Harre’ (1990), the researcher aimed to explore various types of positionings used by the English Language Learners (ELLs) and their teacher and how these positionings impacted social interactions and learning opportunities between and among the participants in a mid-south US high school. Participants positioned themselves and were positioned as powerful or powerless, responsible or irresponsible, expert or novice, a good learner, and a model student.

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Jennifer Oramous

University of Arkansas

Ph.D. Student – Curriculum and Instruction, Certified Science Teacher

GPSC – Executive Secretary 

Title: Learning Theory in the Science Classroom: A study of pre-service teachers’ use of learning theory in the science classroom – 50 minute content session

Abstract: The results from a two-year study with preservice secondary science teachers (PST) and their use of learning theory (LT) in the classroom will be shared. Using observations and student artifacts, we explored the use and types of LT used in our PSTs during their spring internship. Suggestions for improvement in PST use of LT will be included.

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Amber Webb– College Student Affairs

Morgan Tudor – Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Eastern Illinois University

Title: Student Wellness for Academic and Professional Success

Abstract:When students transition to graduate school, they face the demands of harder course work, assistantships, research, and internships. In addition, the intersection of personal life, mental/physical health, and student life can become overwhelming. The goals graduate students set lead to high self-expectations and potential neglect of overall wellness. When a student neglects self-care, they may not reach their full potential. Universities provide tools to help students achieve overall wellness and professional success. Students need to be aware of and utilize these resources.