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Moen earns dissertation grant to study partnerships

Amanda Moen

Preschool represents many firsts in a child’s education. For parents, it is often their first interaction with a classroom teacher.

CYFS graduate assistant Amanda Moen is studying preschool teachers’ influence on these early partnerships. With dissertation grant awards from the University of Nebraska’s Buffett Early Childhood Institute and the Society for the Study of School Psychology, Moen will test a measure used to assess teachers’ confidence in promoting family-school partnerships. Full Article

CYFS joins UNL-Brazil early childhood partnership

CYFS faculty and affiliates are embarking on a new early childhood research partnership with Brazil. Faculty involved in the initiative include, back row, from left, Greg Welch, Soo-Young Hong, Lisa Knoche, Christine Marvin and Cody Hollist, and front row, from left, Natalie Williams, Michelle Howell Smith, Kathleen Rudasill and Amanda Witte. Not pictured are Carolyn Pope Edwards, Helen Raikes and Paul Springer.

CYFS joined the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in launching an early childhood research initiative with Brazil during a meeting held May 18-19 in São Paulo.

The working meeting drew 60 early childhood scholars, policymakers and educators from Brazil and UNL with the purpose of forming collaborative teams to conduct future research. UNL’s representation included 13 faculty members from CYFS and the College of Education and Human Sciences. Full Article

Study reveals benefits of UNL robotics program

Robots are inspiring the middle school students who may one day engineer them, while also benefitting those who pursue other career paths, according to a new University of Nebraska-Lincoln study.

Led by CYFS faculty affiliate Brad Barker and Gwen Nugent, CYFS research professor, the study examined findings from a student robotics project developed at UNL and implemented across the country—including one site in Cuba. Funded by the National Science Foundation, the project delivered robotics and geospatial mapping curriculum to after-school clubs and summer camps. The curriculum also supported youth robotics competitions. Full Article

Methodologists discuss cross-cultural measurement

Leslie Hawley, Betty-Jean Usher-Tate and Sara Gonzalez.

The Nebraska Academy for Methodology, Analytics and Psychometrics continued its Methodology Applications Series on Friday, April 15. The series is free and open to the public.

The April 15 presentation, titled “Evaluating Measurement Invariance with Cross-Cultural Sensitivity,” was led by Leslie Hawley, CYFS research assistant professor, and doctoral students Betty-Jean Usher-Tate and Sara Gonzalez. Full Article

Fritz invited to Penn State for methodology presentation

Matt Fritz

CYFS faculty affiliate Matt Fritz was invited to give a presentation at The Pennsylvania State University on March 23 as part of the Prevention and Methodology Training colloquia series. He shared a presentation titled “The mediated effect is significant, so I’m done, right? Thinking critically about testing and interpreting mediated effects in prevention interventions.” Full Article