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CYFS welcomes two postdoctoral research associates

Katherine Cheng

Name: Katherine (Kat) Cheng

Title: Postdoctoral Research Associate

Doctoral degree and university: Ph.D. in Family and Human Development (Specialization in Measurement and Statistical Analysis) from Arizona State University

Research areas of interest: My research focuses on motivation and socio-emotional regulation for optimal youth outcomes in the family and educational context. I am interested in addressing psychosocial factors for well-being and stress regulation in youth using salivary bioscience methods. Full Article

Dizona receives APA award for assessment research

Paul Dizona

Paul Dizona, CYFS graduate assistant, has received the Psychological Assessment Young Scholars Award from the American Psychological Association.

The award recognizes his research poster, titled “Pre-K Measurement Triangulation Using Caregiver and Directly Assessed Measures of Cognitive Ability,” which Dizona will present at the 2017 APA Convention Aug. 2-6. Full Article

White receives dissertation award to study early childhood self-regulation

Andrew White

Andrew White, CYFS graduate assistant and doctoral student in school psychology, recently received a dissertation award from the Society for the Study of School Psychology. His thesis is titled “Using Self-Regulation to Predict Preschoolers’ Disruptive Behavior Disorders.” Full Article

Study examines use of grounded theory in mixed methods research

From left: Wayne Babchuk, Michelle Howell Smith, Timothy Guetterman and Jared Stevens.

Michelle Howell Smith, CYFS research assistant professor, and Jared Stevens, CYFS graduate assistant, are part of a team investigating the use of grounded theory in mixed methods research, which blends qualitative and quantitative approaches.

The team’s study, “Contemporary Approaches to Mixed Methods–Grounded Theory Research: A Field-Based Analysis,” was published June 1 in the Journal of Mixed Methods Research. The team includes Timothy Guetterman, assistant professor of family medicine at the University of Michigan, and Nebraska’s Wayne Babchuk, assistant professor of practice in educational psychology. Full Article

Study aims to support Brazilian early childhood development

Leslie Hawley and Natalie Koziol

Identifying what is developmentally normal for young children—and what is not—can lead to earlier interventions and better outcomes. Two Nebraska researchers are addressing this need for the world’s fifth most-populated country: Brazil.

Leslie Hawley, CYFS research assistant professor, and Natalie Koziol, CYFS postdoctoral scholar, are creating a screening tool to detect developmental delays in Brazilian children. They are collaborating with Denise Ruschel Bandeira, a professor at Brazil’s Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, as part of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln/Brazil Early Childhood Initiative. Full Article

Study explores how to support caregivers affected by Zika virus

Natalie Williams

The mosquito-borne Zika virus has left hundreds of Brazilian families grappling with a new reality: caring for disabled infants and toddlers.

Natalie Williams, assistant professor of child, youth and family studies, is joining Brazilian researchers to explore how to support caregivers whose children have been affected by Congenital Zika Virus Syndrome, a neurological condition associated with cognitive and physical disabilities. Full Article

CYFS hosts ‘Getting Ready’ training for special education providers

Lisa Knoche presents during the June 6 Getting Ready training in Lincoln, Nebraska. CYFS faculty and staff are training Nebraska special education providers in the Getting Ready approach, which focuses on strengthening relationships between parents and children, and parents and early education professionals.

CYFS faculty and staff hosted ‘Getting Ready’ training sessions June 6-9 in Lincoln, Nebraska, for early childhood special education providers, service coordinators and supervisors across the state.

Developed by CYFS faculty and affiliates, Getting Ready is a research-based program that enhances school readiness for children birth to age five. It focuses on strengthening relationships between parents and their children, as well as parents and early childhood professionals. Full Article