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Faculty affiliate Allen co-develops app for autism

Many scholars envision that their countless hours of research will ultimately yield practical applications. CYFS faculty affiliate Keith Allen recently went a step further by co-developing one – for smartphones and tablets.

Allen, a professor of psychology and pediatrics at the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s Munroe-Meyer Institute, has co-created the MySocius app to help parents foster communication and social interaction skills in children with autism. Full Article

Knoche, affiliates studying economic impacts of early childhood investments

As the federal government wrestles with the age-old issue of spending versus saving, three CYFS researchers have embarked on a study to pinpoint the economic value of Nebraska’s investments in early childhood.

CYFS Research Associate Professor Lisa Knoche has teamed with new Faculty Affiliates David Rosenbaum and Eric Thompson to evaluate the fiscal benefits of funding the state’s early childhood education and programs. Full Article

Lady Gaga’s foundation appoints CYFS affiliate Swearer as head of research board

Susan Swearer
Susan Swearer

CYFS Faculty Affiliate Susan Swearer will lead a new research board to advise Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation on its youth empowerment and tolerance programs, the foundation announced this week.

The group also will work to boost the influence of the foundation’s proposals and apply well-founded research to all of the foundation’s upcoming programs. Full Article

Molfese to lead $1.4 million study of toddler sleep habits

CYFS Faculty Affiliates Victoria Molfese (right) and Kathy Rudasill work with a toddler wearing an actigraph that monitors sleep patterns.
CYFS Faculty Affiliates Victoria Molfese (right) and Kathy Rudasill work with a toddler wearing an actigraph that monitors sleep patterns.

ZZZs don’t always come easy for children still learning their ABCs.

Accordingly, three CYFS faculty affiliates are studying the developmental implications of toddlers’ sleep habits – and the factors that might determine whether they sleep like a baby. Full Article

Faculty affiliate Doll earns APA award

Beth Doll
Beth Doll

CYFS Faculty Affiliate Beth Doll recently received the American Psychological Association’s Jack Bardon Distinguished Service Award during the 120th APA Annual Convention in Orlando, Fla.

The APA grants the award to mature school psychologists who have demonstrated exceptional programs of service and a history of sustained achievement throughout their careers. Full Article

Economics experts named newest faculty affiliates

Early education and child care influence more than just individual futures – they also impact the economic trajectories of communities throughout Nebraska and the United States.

The Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families and Schools recently added two faculty affiliates, Eric Thompson and David Rosenbaum, who are currently researching links between early childhood and the economy. Full Article

Doctoral affiliate Hubel studying risk factors of child maltreatment

The Early Head Start program aims to give young children exactly that. However, the program has fought a recurring battle against the maltreatment of those children by the same low-income families it seeks to assist.

In 2009, CYFS Doctoral Student Affiliate Grace Hubel began working as a mental health consultant with a local Early Head Start center in Lincoln, Neb. Through her interactions with families and conversations with staff, Hubel realized that the program’s children seemed especially susceptible to the neglect and abuse that research has linked with psychiatric disorders, poor communication skills and antisocial behavior. Full Article