Library Research Awards

Arianna Hoffman's project, Elementary School Students’ & Staff’s Perceptions & Understanding of Lockdown Drills: A Proposal to Re-Evaluate Practice to Address Emotional Reactions, was completed for the Educational Counseling & Leadership course, EDC 606, taught by Dr. Stephanie Bobbitt.  

Abstract: Incidents of school shootings are increasing, which encouraged many schools to establish lockdown drill practices to best protect students and faculty from the threat of an active shooter. Because lockdown drills simulate a serious situation involving risks to one’s life, many students and educators experience intense emotional reactions to their practice despite their intention of preparing and protecting them. This research serves to identify the thoughts, fears, distress, anxiety, or desensitization students and faculty feel during lockdown drills so they can be addressed in their future practice and maintain schools as safe place for all.

Kaitlyn Sainato's project, Acquired Communication Disorders Following Brain Damage, was completed for the Health Promotion/Public Health Studies course, HE 290, taught by Dr. Jamie Pigman.  

Abstract: Brain damage can generate debilitating health consequences that can drastically obstruct the quality of life for individuals across the lifespan, as it is the leading cause of long-term disability for children and adults in the United States. In analyzing existing research, this literature review paper addresses various types of communication disorders that can be acquired following obstruction to the speech and language regions of the brain. Referenced as an invisible epidemic, communication disorders following brain damage are less detected than other comorbidities, therefore, are often left untreated. Given the risk of misdiagnosis, communication disorders are a vital area of research.