Focused on building and expanding early childhood research across the University of Nebraska system and beyond, the Nebraska Academy for Early Childhood Research recently co-hosted a networking event with Nebraska Extension to share examples of their collaborative efforts.
Name: Rae Bullinger
Hometown: Minnetonka, Minnesota
Program: School Psychology
Year: First year
Project: Specialization in Toddlers with ASD Program
What kind of work have you been doing with the project?
I’m just starting on the project, but I am excited to learn more about diagnosing ASD and how to implement treatments in the coming semesters.
Name: Emily Camp
Hometown: St. Louis
Program: Counseling Psychology
Year: First-year doctoral student
Project: Coaching Science Inquiry
How did you become interested in your field?
I became interested in the field of psychology, generally, after being a Jumpstart tutor through AmeriCorps my freshman year of college. I worked with a student who faced several barriers to education, some of which were related to his experiences in foster care. I became curious about how the cultural, social and familial contexts of learners impact their academic experiences and well-being in the long-term. This experience led me to pursue jobs within schools, group homes and other care facilities, both nationally and internationally, as I developed an interest in the effect of trauma on individuals.
The Nebraska Academy for Early Childhood Research has developed a new online resource for faculty and students involved in early childhood research across the University of Nebraska system.
The Student Research Opportunities website enables NU faculty to advertise opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students seeking work experience in early childhood research. Students can browse available positions and filter them by campus location, academic level (i.e., graduate or undergraduate), position type (e.g., assistantship, paid, volunteer) and the age group being researched.
Gregory is having a bad day. A school field trip has been canceled, and he is angry.
He is joined by a teacher and a kindergartner, who together discuss ways Gregory might cope with his emotions and keep his behavior under control.
“These are some things he might want to do,” the teacher says. “But there are other things he could do instead.”
The Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families and Schools presents the first Signature Event of the 2018-19 academic year, featuring Nancy Gonzales, foundation professor of psychology and dean of natural sciences in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Arizona State University.
Name: Cassie Hermiller
Hometown: Ottawa, Ohio
Program: School Psychology
Year: First year (just completed)
Project: Concussion and mTBI Management Traineeship
What have you been doing with the project?
With the traineeship, I have been learning about various aspects of concussions and accommodations in school for kids with concussions. We visited the Brain Injury Conference in Kearney and spoke with concussion and TBI survivors and other practitioners in the field, and learned what it was like to live or work with survivors.
Name: Renata Trefiglio Mendes Gomes
Hometown: São Paulo, Brazil
Program: Early Learning Network
Year: First year (just completed)
Project: My Ph.D. project is “Professores e Pais como Parceiros: A Cross-cultural Adaptation and Implementation Effectiveness of the Teachers and Parents as Partners Program to a Brazilian sample.” As a graduate research assistant, I am supporting both the Early Learning Network and the Nebraska Academy for Early Childhood Research.