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Showcase Abstract 2020

Collaborative Conversations: Learning to Become Culturally Responsive and Socially Just Educators

Collaborative Conversations: Learning to Become Culturally Responsive and Socially Just Educators

Primary author: Kathleen Cowin
Co-author(s): Sarah Newcomer

Primary college/unit: College of Education
Campus: Tri-Cities

Abstract:

Our research reports on a study bringing teacher and school leader candidates together to deepen the candidates’ self-study about socially just, culturally sustaining pedagogy, with the purpose of allowing candidates to reflect on their teaching and leadership practices together. Our goal was to learn more about how to connect teacher and school leader preparation coursework, and to study the efficacy of this collaboration between teacher and school leader candidates.

Teacher and leader candidates were engaged in four collaborative dialogue sessions focused on six assigned research articles. Small groups were formed of both teacher and school leader candidates so the candidates could share their perspectives as teachers and school leaders with one another. After each session the candidates also met as a whole group for a review of the highlights of their small group discussions, especially focusing on their own study of their culturally sustaining and socially just teaching practices. Candidates also wrote written reflections based on their insights from the discussions. An electronic platform was used to capture the candidates’ reflections on the readings and the dialogues. These reflections were shared with the whole group and with the researchers.

We will report what we learned about the candidates’ communication from observing the dialogues. We will record the topics of the dialogues as well as the candidates’ report of how their self-study impacted their culturally sustaining and/or socially just teaching or leadership practices.

The bet of a loyal fan: the role of online sports communities in sports betting behavior

The bet of a loyal fan: the role of online sports communities in sports betting behavior

Primary author: Leticia Couto
Co-author(s): Mina Park
Faculty sponsor: Mina Park

Primary college/unit: Edward R. Murrow College of Communication
Campus: Pullman

Abstract:

Sports betting is a common topic one can be exposed to in any online sports community. Sports fans are frequently sharing information about sports betting and their betting experience with community members. Interactions among bettors are easily observed in online sports communities as well. This paper examines the role of online sports community participation as a mediator between fan loyalty and sports betting attitude and behavior. A web-administered survey was conducted and a total of 135 participants were included for the analysis. Results of the analysis show that the effects of fan loyalty on sports betting behavior is mediated by online sports community participation and perceived fun of sports betting. In specific, fan loyalty is positively associated with online sports community participation and level of online sports community participation is positively associated with perceived fun of sports betting and sports betting behavior. There is no direct relationship between fan loyalty and perceived fun of sports betting, or between fan loyalty and sports betting behavior. Results highlight the role of online sports communities in understanding sports fans’ betting behaviors. Implications and future directions of online sports community research are discussed.

A Model for Describing and Diagnosing Human Miscommunications

A Model for Describing and Diagnosing Human Miscommunications

Primary author: Lynne Cooper

Primary college/unit: Carson College of Business
Campus: Pullman

Abstract:

Miscommunication in team settings can lead to conflict and negatively impact team performance. Rapidly recognizing that a miscommunication has occurred and diagnosing the cause enables team members to fix the communication errors before they grow into conflicts. Existing models of human communication, however, are built on models developed during the early decades of computer use. The sequence “Message–>Encode–>Transmit–>Receive–>Decode–>Message” focuses on the transmission and receipt of messages consisting of well-structured, unambiguous data and information but fails to capture the richness, ambiguity, and contextualization inherent in person-to-person communication.

Communication starts with intent – the meaning (X0) the sender wishes to communicate and the intended impact of that communication. Analogous to the sequence above, meaning (X0) is articulated into a message (X1) by the sender, which is received (Y1) and interpreted by the recipient to extract meaning (Y0). Perfect communication occurs when X0 = Y0. Errors can occur anywhere along the path, for example, when a person misspeaks (X0-X1), Autocorrect changes a text (X1-Y1), or the receiver doesn’t recognize sarcasm (Y1-Y0).

The path from X0 = Y0, however, is affected multiple factors: the channel chosen to communicate, the physiological and emotional state of the sender and receiver, cultural and social factors, and the common ground of knowledge and experience they share. These factors serve to amplify, dampen, filter, or add noise, i.e., introduce errors, into the communication process.

This research developed an enriched, but still parsimonious, model that integrates these key factors into a practical model for describing and diagnosing interpersonal (mis)communications.

Repeated cross-sectional evaluation of Washington State’s Community Prevention and Wellness Initiative for adolescent substance use prevention

Repeated cross-sectional evaluation of Washington State’s Community Prevention and Wellness Initiative for adolescent substance use prevention

Primary author: Brittany Cooper
Co-author(s): Gitanjali Shrestha; Laura Hill; Clara Hill

Primary college/unit: Agricultural, Human and Natural Resource Sciences
Campus: Pullman

Abstract:
Introduction: The Community Prevention and Wellness Initiative (CPWI) is a strategic, data-informed community coalition model aimed at bringing together key stakeholders to reduce underage substance use and related risk factors among adolescents using evidence-based prevention programming. In this repeated measures cross-sectional study, we followed linked grade-cohorts of students over time to assess whether developmentally normative patterns of changes in substance use and related risk factors differed in CPWI communities compared to non-CPWI communities.

Method: We used a quasi-experimental design and conducted propensity score weighted multilevel modeling to examine change over time. Our sample consisted of students who participated in the biennial Healthy Youth Survey (HYS) from 18 CPWI and 174 non-CPWI communities. As HYS is anonymous at the student level, linking grade-cohorts of students enabled us to study changes in outcomes as adolescents grew older.

Results: Results suggest that CPWI has a positive impact on developmental trends in reducing adolescent substance use and risk factors. Consistent with developmentally normative expectations, alcohol, cigarette, and marijuana use increased significantly with age in both CPWI and non-CPWI communities. However, the use of these substances increased more slowly in CPWI communities compared to non-CPWI communities. Six risk factors across peer-individual, family, and community domains increased significantly with age in both CPWI and non-CPWI communities, but these risks increased more slowly in CPWI communities.

Conclusion: Positive findings are similar to those found in experimental trials; these suggest that the coalition model is effective and can be scaled up to the state level.

Charlie Parker’s Connection to Hip Hop

Charlie Parker’s Connection to Hip Hop

Primary author: Gabriel Condon

Primary college/unit: Arts and Sciences
Campus: Pullman

Abstract:

I presented my research entitled, “Charlie Parker’s Connection to Hip Hop,” at the 2020 Jazz Education Network Conference (JEN) in New Orleans. JEN is the premier jazz education conference in the world. My research uncovers the common ancestry that jazz and hip hop share as Black American musical genres.
My research provides an analysis of revolutionary bebop saxophonist, Charlie Parker’s rhythmic vocabulary. It shows the integral role syncopated rhythmic accents play in Parker’s composed and improvised melodies. The use of syncopation is an African tradition. These traditions were brought to America by slaves, who were in turn influenced by other ethnic groups present in New Orleans at the beginning of the 20th century.
A rhythmic analysis of hip hop music from the 1990’s and early 2000’s shows a similar use of accented syncopation. This similarity in rhythmic vocabulary inspired my further research into the possibility of combining the jazz and hip hop genres.
To explore this, I composed melodies in the style of Charlie Parker that used the rhythmic content from “Juicy,” a composition by acclaimed hip hop artist, The Notorious B.I.G.. When composing the melodies, I used Charlie Parker’s melodic techniques to authentically integrate the syncopated accents from the Notorious B.I.G.’s rapping into my compositions.
The effectiveness of the composed melody proves the rhythmic connection that jazz and hip hop share as Black American musical genres. It also demonstrates unexplored possibilities of collaboration between hip hop artists and jazz artists.

Construction of a Recombinant Bovine Herpesvirus 4 as a Delivery System for Ovine Herpesvirus 2 Glycoprotein B

Construction of a Recombinant Bovine Herpesvirus 4 as a Delivery System for Ovine Herpesvirus 2 Glycoprotein B

Primary author: Emily Cole
Faculty sponsor: Dr. Cristina Cunha

Primary college/unit: College of Veterinary Medicine
Campus: Pullman

Abstract:

Ovine herpesvirus 2 (OvHV-2) causes a frequently fatal disease called malignant catarrhal fever (MCF) in several ungulates, such as bison, cattle, pigs and deer. Vaccine development is a major goal for MCF research because there are no treatment options. However, the inability to propagate OvHV-2 in in-vitro systems has hindered the development of a vaccine. Since the virus cannot be modified or attenuated in-vitro, alternative approaches for delivering OvHV-2 antigens for immunization are of utmost importance. OvHV-2 glycoproteins, gB, gH, and gL, are necessary for viral entry and can stimulate neutralizing antibody responses capable of protecting animals from disease. This makes them ideal vaccine candidates. Additionally, bovine herpesvirus 4 (BoHV-4) has been evaluated as a vaccine vector for several viral diseases with promising results in delivering heterologous antigen that confer immunity.The purpose of this study was to construct and evaluate a recombinant BoHV-4 for the expression of OvHV-2 gB. To do this, the bacterial artificial chromosome recombineering galK selection system was used and confirmed with PCR, sequencing, and restriction enzyme digestion. Then viral growth curves were used to assess reconstitution of the infectious virus in various cell types. Also, western-blot analysis and immune-fluorescence assays were used to confirm OvHV-2 gB expression. The construction of this recombinant BoHV-4 virus will allow further MCF research regarding vaccine efficacy, as this vector virus could provide a means of delivering OvHV-2 gB in vivo. Vaccine development is vital considering this is an untreatable, global disease that economically effects agriculture, particularly bison production.

Asset Pricing Around Anticipated Announcements: A Swing of Two Days

Asset Pricing Around Anticipated Announcements: A Swing of Two Days

Primary author: Jingjing Chen
Faculty sponsor: George Jiang

Primary college/unit: Carson College of Business
Campus: Pullman

Abstract:

The literature documents that on days with pre-scheduled macroeconomic news announcement, the market earns significantly higher returns. Consistently, the literature documents a significantly positive implied market premium on these days, i.e., the market significantly prices beta across stocks. In this study, I show that over the two-day announcement window [-1, 0], the average market excess return is no longer significantly higher and the implied market premium is no longer significant. Both sets of results suggest that on days prior to the announcement, stocks earn relatively lower returns. I interpret this episode as evidence that investors price assets at a discount prior to anticipated announcements due to information uncertainty, but price assets with a premium post-announcement as a result of uncertainty resolution. I show both cross-sectional and time-series evidence to corroborate our argument. Specifically, I show that the discount is more pronounced for stocks with high information uncertainty and high illiquidity, and the premium is accrued more quickly for stocks with low information uncertainty and low illiquidity. Over time, the discount and premium associated with pre-scheduled macroeconomic news announcement are higher when market uncertainty is high and investor sentiment is low.

Estimating the proportion of signals in high-dimensional data via integral equations

Estimating the proportion of signals in high-dimensional data via integral equations

Primary author: Xiongzhi Chen

Primary college/unit: Arts and Sciences
Campus: Pullman

Abstract:

In scientific endeavors such as identifying genes that may be associated with a disease, a researcher often simultaneously tests many null hypotheses (e.g., as many null hypotheses as the number genes under investigation) using some high-dimensional data. This makes the proportion of signals, i.e., “the proportion of false null hypotheses” (e.g., the proportion of genes that are associated with a disease), a very important quantity. In particular, accurate information on the proportion increases the accuracy and power of the decisions to be made. However, the proportion is unknown in practice and needs to be estimated. Even though there are several major methods to estimate the proportion, they are very restrictive, in that they are statistically inconsistent or require stringent modeling assumptions. To eliminate the shortcomings of these existing estimators, uniformly consistent estimators of the proportion are constructed as solutions to Lebesgue-Stieltjes integral equations. Their excellent performances are verified by simulation studies.

Curriculum and Indigenous Peoples: A Collective Case Study of Social Justice Knowledge, Pedagogy, and Content

Curriculum and Indigenous Peoples: A Collective Case Study of Social Justice Knowledge, Pedagogy, and Content

Primary author: Ashley Boyd

Primary college/unit: Arts and Sciences
Campus: Pullman

Abstract:

Using the analytic lens of Social Justice Pedagogical Content Knowledge, this collective qualitative case study explores how three secondary teachers utilized curriculum that centered Native American experiences to facilitate their students’ understandings of tribal histories. Data collected included semi-structured interviews with teachers, classroom observations, and documents including lesson plans, course texts, and handouts. Analysis involved layers of open and deductive coding, and findings include: the teachers’ broader knowledge of inequity influenced their growth in the area of indigenous knowledge; critical and narrative pedagogies were used to effectively teach students about local tribes; and materials used to facilitate students’ critical understandings ranged widely from textbooks to young adult literature to current media. Recommendations for teacher education include integrating discipline-specific information about indigenous peoples and facilitating community partnerships with local liaisons to collaborate in the educative process.