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CBCS students recognized for outstanding research projects

Madison Dowdy and Emily Walker

Madison Dowdy and Emily Walker receive USF Sarasota Manatee campus Trailblazer Research Scholarships.

Multiple CBCS students were honored at the Student Research Awards Luncheon, hosted by USF Research and Innovation. 

Yuri Lizardo and Olivia Smith

Yuri Lizardo and Olivia Smith present "Caregiver-Child Interactions at the Children’s Museum: What Facilitates Engagement?"

Florida High Tech Corridor student researchers and Sigma Xi inductees were recognized, as well as recipients of USF Chapter Grant Awards, Undergraduate Research Awards, Graduate Student Research Symposium Awards, USF Sarasota-Manatee campus Trailblazer Research Scholarships, and Postdoctoral Research Symposium Awards.

The Undergraduate Research Scholar Award was presented to Yuri Lizardo and Breanna Zurita, who are both seniors who graduated this spring from the Bachelor of Arts in Language, Speech, and Hearing Sciences program, as well as Magdalena Alvarez.

Hanna Hirano, Isabella Rios, Emely Hernandez, Magdalena Alverez, and Nicole Brborich

Hanna Hirano, Isabella Rios, Emely Hernandez, Magdalena Alverez, and Nicole Brborich present "Overcoming Language Barriers: Developing a Spanish Narrative Language Assessment to Inform Bilingual Intervention."

Other CBCS students participated in the 2023 USF Undergraduate Research Conference, including social work senior Jessica Doiron, who presented her study that examined residual PTSD symptoms among children (ages 4 to 12) after trauma focused treatment. Dorion was mentored by Professor Alison Salloum, PhD, LCSW and Stephanie Evans, LCSW. Seven undergraduate students under the mentorship of Department Child and Family Studies Associate Professor Trina Spencer, PhD, BCBA-D within Rightpath Research and Innovation Center also presented their research at the conference.

Emma Stevenson, a graduate student in the School of Social Work, was selected as the People's Choice Winner in the Social and Behavioral Sciences (including Education) division at the 2023 Graduate Research Symposium. She presented "The Future is Female: Our Need to Research Treatments for Female Sex Offenders & Implications for Social Workers." Her research provides a critical evaluation of the current state of knowledge on treating female sex offenders and informs potential practices for social workers working with this population.

Emma Stevenson

Emma Stevenson presents her research.

"Based on both reports from my supervisors and my experience at this placement showed me that there are not many resources for female sex offenders, which is what sparked my interest into the topic," Stevenson said. "I really enjoyed presenting on this topic at the symposium and being able to share about this niche interest, and folks seemed receptive to the project."

Claire Smith, PhD, a postdoctoral research scholar in the School of Aging Studies, won the Best Poster Award at the 2023 Postdoctoral Research Symposium for her project titled, “Sleep well by design: Designing modern jobs to support and sustain sleep health.” Along with coauthors Assistant Professor Soomi Lee, PhD and Distinguished University Professor Tammy Allen, PhD, Smith also presented this research at the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology annual conference in Boston. 

Everette Coffman, PhD, LMFT, LMHC, a postdoctoral research scholar in the Marriage and Family Therapy program in the Department of Child and Family Studies, won runner-up for the Best Poster Award. His poster was titled, “The Attachment Adaptation Process Model: Developing Attachment Security After Experiencing Addiction in the Family.”

Three CBCS graduate students were named USF Sarasota-Manatee campus Trailblazer Graduate Student Research Scholars. Madison Dowdy, mentored by Michelle Arnold, AuD, PhD, CCC-A, an assistant professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, is one of the three recipients of the scholarship.

The scholarship was also awarded to two criminology students: Taylor Fisher, MS and Emily Walker, MA. Fisher is mentored by Assistant Professor Roberta O’Malley, PhD, and Walker is mentored by Associate Professor Fawn Ngo, PhD and Assistant Professor Dasha Rhodes, PhD, LCSW.

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About College of Behavioral & Community Sciences News

The Mission of the College of Behavioral and Community Sciences (CBCS) is to advance knowledge through interdisciplinary teaching, research, and service that improves the capacity of individuals, families, and diverse communities to promote productive, satisfying, healthy, and safe lives across the lifespan. CBCS envisions the college as a globally recognized leader that creates innovative solutions to complex conditions that affect the behavior and well-being of individuals, families, and diverse communities.