About CYFS
The Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families and Schools (CYFS), housed within the College of Education & Human Sciences (CEHS), is a dynamic interdisciplinary entity with a specific mission, background, goal, and related objectives.
A PowerPoint Presentation on CYFS is now available.
Mission
The mission of the Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families and Schools is to advance the conduct of high quality interdisciplinary research to promote the intellectual, behavioral, and social-emotional development and functioning of individuals across educational, familial, and community contexts. Central to this is enhancing our understanding of how these complex systems work dynamically to support the future of our nation.
Background
The Center was initiated as a Program of Excellence (PoE) to establish an interdisciplinary research climate comprised of researchers from several departments and colleges (College of Education & Human Sciences, College of Arts & Sciences) and includes faculty from the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the University of Nebraska-Omaha.
Goals
Goal 1: Create, nurture, and sustain an environment that will build capacity of researchers to conduct research related to children, youth, families and schools (i.e., in the core domains of early childhood education and intervention; academic intervention, instruction, and learning; youth risk, resilience, and health promotion).
Goal 2: Build intellectual capital by contributing to the development, dissemination, and integration of the scientific knowledge base across research and applied setting as pertinent to children, youth, families and schools (i.e., in the core domains of early childhood education and intervention; academic intervention, instruction, and learning; youth risk, resilience, and health promotion).
Goal 3: Enhance the scope, quality and impact of UNL's grant-supported interdisciplinary research related to children, youth, families and schools (i.e., in the core domains of early childhood education and intervention; academic intervention, instruction, and learning; youth risk, resilience, and health promotion).
These goals are accomplished by bringing together investigators with expertise in these areas who conduct basic and applied research that will inform the design, implementation and evaluation of exemplary, evidence-based prevention and intervention models in field settings. By drawing together resources and expertise, CYFS is a centerpiece for research excellence in Nebraska, benefiting academic programs across the University of Nebraska system.
The Center serves as a catalyst for cutting edge, interdisciplinary research that achieves its objectives by:
- facilitating the development of interdisciplinary collaborative research teams who can author joint publications and compete for large scale grants;
- building capacity by recruiting new members, providing mentors to junior faculty, and training graduate students;
- Increasing grant competitiveness by providing support in proposal development, research methodology, and grant administration;
- expanding research networks, disseminating research findings, and increasing visibility; and
- offering opportunities for interaction with other researchers nationally, internationally and through web-based and traditional strategies for the dissemination of information about the Center, its activities and research programs.
CYFS Faculty and Staff
Susan M. Sheridan, PhD, Director
- Conducts long-term expansion and maintenance activities of the Center
- Provides leadership in establishing and furthering the vision and mission of the Center
- Helps identify and support activities of research teams
- Develops and meets with the steering committee and advisory board
- Oversees Center staff
- Promotes activities of the Center through communications within and outside the Center
- Evaluates proposals in early stages to assure goodness of fit with Center goals and mission
- Assists in writing Center grant proposals to ensure a financial base of support
Proposal Development and Coordination
Todd A. Glover, PhD, Research Assistant Professor
- Promotes and organizes interdisciplinary research teams who foster new basic and applied research related to the Center's mission
- Supports University of Nebraska faculty in project conceptualization and grant proposal preparation
- Organizes faculty development activities to support faculty research and grant writing
- Conducts grant-funded Center research
Gina M. Kunz, PhD, Research Assistant Professor
- Monitors grant funding opportunities (Requests for Proposals, Program Announcements, etc.) as they are released by agencies
- Promotes and organizes interdisciplinary research teams who foster new basic and applied research related to the Center's mission
- Edits grants and assists in proposal preparation and submission
- Coordinates publications produced and disseminated by the Center
- Participates in Center-supported research projects and teams
Gwen Nugent, PhD, Research Associate Professor
- Supports University of Nebraska faculty in preparation of grant proposals to federal and private funding agencies
- Organizes faculty development activities to support faculty research and grant writing
- Assists in grant management of ongoing Center projects
- Participates in Center-supported research projects and teams
- Promotes and organizes interdisciplinary research teams who foster new basic and applied research related to the Center's mission
Office Management and Support
Ronda Alexander, Grant Specialist
- Assists in the development of proposal budgets
- Proposal routing form preparation and processing
- Prepare grants.gov forms
- Assist with budget modification and grant extensions
Melissa Money-Beecher, Research Coordinator
- Assists in the development and coordination of campus-wide research partnerships and activities
- Identifies sources of grant funding and summarizes pertinent information related to funding opportunities
- Assists in the maintenance of the CYFS web site
- Conducts data collection and data management
- Conducts data entry and analysis
- Reports and disseminates research and/or evaluation results
Wendy Ross, Center Staff
- Assists with Personnel Activity Report reports
- Analyzes grant budgets and expenditures
- Initiates grant budget reports for PIs
- Reviews and prepares travel vouchers and expense records
- Supports internal operations of the Center
Cindy Schuerman, Grant Management and Post-Award
- Provides information concerning UNL Human Resources appointments
- Prepares Letters of Offer for any new grant or contract employees
- Assists employees with any/all employment paperwork
- Assists with PARs reports
- Analyzes grant budgets and expenditures
- Initiates grant budget reports for PIs
Holly Sexton, Office Supervisor
- Assists with clerical and office support
- Organizes and schedules meetings
- Disseminates information
- Organizes and prepares proposal submissions
- Supports internal operations of the Center
Statistics and Research Methodology Unit (SRM)
Jim Bovaird, PhD, Statistics and Research Methodology ( SRM) Unit Director
- Conducts methodological research to advance sophisticated analytical models
- Supervises complex analytical work of SRM staff
- Organizes methodology trainings and workshops
- Coordinates/oversees all activities of the SRM unit
- Provides statistical and methodological support
Greg Welch, PhD, CYFS Research Assistant Professor
- Provides critical statistical, methodological, psychometric and design support for Faculty and Student Affiliates of the Center
- Provides high-quality database management and analysis for funded projects
- Develops educational material on appropriate statistical and psychometric analyses and best-practice research methods
Kevin Kupzyk, MA, CYFS Statistics and Measurement Consultant
- Consults, assists, or develops methodology sections for grant applications, including research methods, study design, power analysis, sample size determination and prospective data analysis section
- Analyzes, interprets, and writes-up complex statistical and psychometric analyses for grant-funded projects
- Assists the SRM Director in conducting methodological studies, including literature reviews, data collection, data analysis, and scientific writing for publications
- Provides database management for grant-funded projects
- Develops and delivers presentations on advanced statistical, psychometric, and quantitative research methods as part of the Research Methodology Series
Web and Technology Support
Istiaque Ali, Database Developer and Analyst
- Develops, manages, and maintains research databases
- Coordinates, manages, prepares, and analyzes project data
- Creates interactive DVD training modules, information, and documentation
- Develops online surveys, logos, pamphlets, and web sites for Center-based projects
Project Directors
Lisa Knoche, PhD, Research Assistant Professor, Project Director, Getting Ready Project; Co-PI, Pre-3T Project; Co-PI ERF Project
- Develops, implements and evaluates intervention and prevention programming for at-risk children and families, specifically focused on approaches to supporting school readiness for young children during the early childhood period
- Develops research proposals and assists in grant management
- Works with community partners to implement research investigations
- Organizes data collection, manages data files, and conducts data analyses
- Disseminates research findings through peer-reviewed journal articles, professional presentations at local, regional and national conferences
- Supports graduate and undergraduate student development in research through mentorship
Tanya Ihlo, PhD, Project Manager, Nebraska Response to Intervention Consortium for Training and Evaluation
- Collaborates with Nebraska Department of Education representatives to integrate RTI with other statewide initiatives such as Reading First, Title I, and School Improvement
- Works with the RTI Consortium Leadership Team to develop a statewide review process for schools to ensure quality RTI service delivery and eligibility determination statewide
- Develops and disseminates guidance documents for schools to use for quality RTI implementation
- Develops and provides a series of statewide Response To Intervention (RTI) professional development sessions for schools/districts building multi-tiered models of prevention and intervention supports for academics and behavior
- Develops and provides training on concepts related to RTI such as early literacy assessment, effective instruction and intervention, schoolwide positive behavior supports, scientifically based practices, problem solving, and data-based decision making
- Provides training and support to build capacity of Nebraska Educational Service Unit staff to co-deliver RTI professional development and technical assistance to schools across the state
Amanda Witte, MA, School Based Project Coordinator, CBC in the Early Grades Grant
- Conceptualizes, develops, and implements a system for overseeing and organizing CBC implementation
- Coordinates school-based CBC implementation
- Assists in general office and project management
- Assists in dissemination of project information
Dawn Davis, MA, Project Manager for Rural Language and Literacy Connections (Rural LLC) Early Reading First grant
- Conceptualizes, develops, and implements a system for overseeing and organizing the Rural LLC programming and evaluation
- Coordinates Rural LLC implementation with program partners in Grand Island
- Assists in general office and project management
- Assists in dissemination of project information
