College of Social & Behavioral Sciences Faculty Accomplishments
Infinite Possibilities
Amida O'Hare, associate professor psychology, recently published in PLoS ONE: "The effects of short interventions of focused-attention vs. self-compassion mindfulness meditation on undergraduate students: Evidence from self-report, classroom performance, and ERPs." O'Hare's publication in PLOS ONE was highlighted in the February 2023 issue of Mindfulness Research Monthly, which is published by the American Mindfulness Research Association. O'Hare utilized the Presidential Innovative Teaching Award to attend the Portenier-Wertheimer Teaching Conference.
Instructor of social work Steven Vigil was the keynote speaker at the Utah College and University Professional Association for Human Resources Conference. Topic: A mindfulness approach to inclusivity.
Huiying Hill, professor of sociology and chair of the Department of Sociology & Anthropology, presented “From ‘Model Minority’ to ‘Model Target’ “ at the Utah Academy of Letters, Arts and Sciences Conference. Hill presented an ongoing research paper “Loud Thunder but Little Rain Fall” at the Annual Conference of Pacific Sociology Association.
Assistant professor of criminal justice Michelle Jeffs Organized a training opportunity for criminal justice students that allowed them to role play as the "bad guys," helping Ogden Police Department investigators improve their investigative techniques and skills.
Gary Johnson, professor of political science, presented "The Colorado: A River in Decline" at the Midwest Political Science Association.
Instructor of social work Heidee Miller was accepted to Baylor University and granted a full ride scholarship to complete her Ph.D. in social work.
Abdulnaser Kaadan, visiting international professor of history, presented "Augusta Victoria Hospital of Jerusalem during the Ottoman Time" at the International Symposium on Health History of Palestine in the Ottoman Era, Istanbul - Turkey. Kaadan presented "The Contribution of Different Religion Physicians in Medicine Development during the Islamic Golden Age" at the Annual WSU Diversity Conference.
Associate professor of political science Stephanie Wolfe published the co-edited book, In the Shadow of Genocide: Justice and Memory with Rwanda (Routledge 2023). Wolfe interviewed for a podcast with New Books Network for her new book In the Shadow of Genocide: Justice and Memory within Rwanda. Wolfe published co-written chapters “Through The Eyes Of Children: The 1994 Genocide Against The Tutsi In Rwanda" and “Rwandan Youth Speak! Memory And Justice Through Poetry" in In the Shadow of Genocide: Justice and Memory with Rwanda.
Leigh Shaw, professor of psychological science, developed a new Associate of Science degree in Psychological Science, effective for the 2023-2024 catalog.
Graduate director and associate professor of social work, Corina Segovia-Tadehara and Master of Social Work (MSW) faculty completed and submitted the final accreditation benchmark for the MSW program.
Matthew Romaniello, associate professor of history, presented "When Russia Became 'Cold': Observations and Experiments in Early-Modern Eurasia" for the History Department of University of Toronto. Romaniello presented "The 'Russian Catarrh' of 1782" at the British Association for Slavonic and East European Studies annual conference held in Glasgow. Romaniello edited "Transnational Approaches to Race and Racism" for the Journal of World History. Romaniello wrote the introduction of "Race and Racism beyond National Borders," Journal of World History.
Professor of social work Kerry Kennedy received a Master of Business Administration degree in Leadership and Innovation from the University of Mount Union.
Cade Mansfield, associate professor of psychological science, and Leigh Shaw, professor of psychological science, presented a poster at the Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development: "Exploring the developmental underpinnings of wisdom in adolescence: A short-term longitudinal study."
Instrucor of criminal justice Jean Kapenda presented "Bridging Two Continents: Finding Lost Cousins Through Historical Data and DNA Research" for the CSBS Black History Month Lecture.
Lizbeth Velazquez, assistant professor of social work, and Corina Segovia-Tadehara, graduate director and associate professor of social work, presented "Authentic Cariño Between Students and Educators: Voices From Latinx Students in Utah" at the Latino Social Workers Organization National Conference.