ABSTRACTS
2019 National McNair Scholars Conference at UCLA
Researcher: Ashley Anaya
Title: An Assessment of Peer Mentoring Programs in Relation to Rehabilitation for Previously Incarcerated Individuals
Research Focus: Public Affairs
School: University of Colorado Denver
Presentation Type: Poster Presentation
The process of exiting prison and reentering society is a social process, yet the current America criminal justice system (CJS) limits individuals to a singular punitive approach (Hlavka, Wheelock & Jones, 2015). As a result, the United States is the only country with a prison population exceeding 2 million, which does not include the 4.5 million individuals involved in the CJS via probation or parole (Kaeble & Cowhig, 2016). A notable method of rehabilitation is peer-to-peer mentoring, which is a resource in American education and a common rehabilitative tool in the United Kingdom. Therefore, this paper will review the literature on peer mentoring to further the discussion on informing policy makers of the need to shift away from a punitive system and move towards rehabilitative approaches. In addition, this paper will provide an analysis of the policy process that engineered mass incarceration via the Multiple Streams Framework, which will explain the role of the policy process in mass incarceration. The policy process and the role of policy makers is a foundational in shifting away from a punitive CJS, while peer mentoring present one of many non-punitive alternatives.
Moreover, an analysis of the survey results on peer mentoring from formerly incarcerated adults and minors located in California, Georgia and Colorado will add to the discussion by including the voices of individuals who have struggled to avoid reentering the CJS.
Researcher: Diarra Dozier
Title: Cultural Competency, Interracial Adoption, and Racial Identity Formation: A Literature Review
Research Focus: The understanding of racial identity formation of non-white children and adolescence in a white family dynamic.
School: University of Colorado Denver
Presentation Type: Poster Presentation
This literature review brings insight to the lack of research focusing on the domestic adoption of Black and Latinx children in The United States and their racial identity formation. The studies found in this examination of interracial adoption primarily look at the parent’s role in the socialization of their non-white children in a white family dynamic. The need for research that gains the perception of racial identity in both childhood and adolescence is highly needed.
Researcher: Anjelique, Morine
Presentation Title: China to Denver: A Comparison of Local Food Consumption and Production
Research Focus: Geography, Food and Agriculture
School: University of Colorado at Denver
Presentation Type: Poster Presentation
We can all relate to and through food. Eating nourishes, is essential for survival and yet, many are not aware of how it grows or where it comes from. Why is this? While there has been a growing demand for locally sourced food- refined, packaged foods have become frequent items in homes internationally. Through literature review and immersive experiences in both North Eastern China and Denver, Colorado, this comparative study further examines local food markets, food cultures, and whether or not there is an economic and/or knowledge discontinuity between purchasing processed foods and local foods in the aforementioned regions.
Researcher: Leah Porter
Presentation Title: People of Color in Higher Education
Research Focus: Focus on the lack of diversity of people of color on higher education
School: University of Colorado Denver
Presentation Type: Poster Presentation
Academia serves to teach a diverse population of students from a variety of backgrounds; thus, we must have a diverse population to teach students, including people of color. My comprehensive literature review reveals evidence that having a diverse faculty, staff, and administration provides a positive influence and experience for students of color. There is a great need for more faculty, staff, and administration of color to support students. The demographics of current and future students have changed dramatically and will continue to do so. The incoming students to higher education would be more diverse than ever, and most of these students are first-generation students who have their own unique needs. My qualitative study sheds lights light on how faculty, staff, and administration having more would support student’s retention and matched our future demographic needs.
Researcher: Samaria Stovall
Presentation Title: The development of children’s resiliency: Relations between parent and child response styles
Research Focus: Child resilience
School: University of Colorado Denver
Presentation Type: Poster Presentation
According to the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, resiliency is defined as positive, adaptive responses in the face of significant adversity. While not all children face significant adversity, all children do face at least intermittent stressors and challenges to which they must respond. Learning positive, adaptive responses to such events is one necessary factor in the development of resilience, yet how are such response styles attained? One of the most important factors that influences children’s emotional and behavioral responses—especially for young children—is the parenting to which they are exposed. While the centrality of the parent here is not surprising, the specific mechanisms by which a parent influences children’s response styles is less clear. Social learning theory would say that parents shape their children’s behavior through modeling.
Yet, a review of the literature provides mixed results on the direct relation between parent and child response styles, at least when focused on direct dyadic interactions between parent and child. Perhaps the field has focused too narrowly on situations directly tied to parent-child dyadic interactions? Instead, our current work takes a more holistic view of the role of the parent. We argue that the influence of the parent is more cross- contextual—across the many settings from which the child is watching and learning, parenting and otherwise. We propose that adult response styles—avoidant and overreactive—are key in the development of child response styles—internalizing and externalizing. We expect that parents holistically impact the development of their children’s resilience.