Publication Type: Abstract
Abstract: Objectives: Examine Pharm.D. students’ Health Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) and relationships among stress, coping skills, and academic performance at UCSD School of Pharmacy. Methods: Pharmacy students completed the SF-36, Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Brief COPE and demographic questions each quarter of 2004/05 (comparison group of UCSD graduate students completed winter quarter). GPA’s were obtained for pharmacy students. ANOVA, chi-square, pearson product moment correlations were conducted (alpha=0.05). Results: 68% of available students (n=65) responded; CurriculumYear1 (CY1 n=24 (74% class)), CY2 (n=12 (48% class)), CY3 (n=17 (74% class)), non-Rx students (n=12 (70% class)). Demographics were similar across groups; 67% female and mean age of 24.6 (SD=2.14). The mean (norm based) physical summary score (56.35) was similar across groups and to the age adjusted US population norm (53.57). The mean mental summary score for pharmacy students (39.38 (CY2 lowest at 34.78)) was lower than the non-Rx comparison group (46.18) and US norm (49.20). Vitality, social function and mental health scores were lower for pharmacy students (p=0.04, 0.05, 0.02) and associated with higher stress levels (r=-0.68,-0.70,-0.81) with CY2 consistently reporting lowest scores. Higher stress levels were associated with maladaptive coping strategies (r=0.66) and weakly correlated with GPA (r = 0.17). Conclusions: First year results reveal pharmacy students had lower vitality, social function and mental health scores than US norms and a comparative group of graduate students. Lower HRQOL was related to higher stress and use of maladaptive coping strategies. More robust analyses will be possible as class size increases in 2005 (60 students).

Publication Type: Symposium Paper
Abstract: The Natrona County School District #1, in Casper, Wyoming, requested an external review of data use in the Fall of 2006. Researchers from the University of Texas at Austin were selected to conduct a study and generate recommendations. The team finalized and submitted a report of findings and recommendations for system improvement in August, 2007. Since then, NCSD personnel have charted a course that initially included distributing the report, holding focus groups to generate standards and a policy, and begun a data system software replacement process. When UCEA 2008 convenes, NCSD will have had the report for one year. This paper reports on the actions taken by NCSD personnel over this year toward becoming a data-informed district.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: The purpose of this first year evaluation study was to document the impact of professional development activities aimed at changing the school environment and teacher practices towards diversity and inclusiveness.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Congressional election outcomes are a function of several variables. Incumbency, of course, looms large. Incumbent reelection rates in contemporary House elections routinely hover around 90-95 percent, and recent elections have seen a particularly meager number of challenger victories. Not all incumbents are equally secure, of course. Variation in incumbent vote share is a function of factors such as district partisanship, incumbent scandal, challenger quality and spending, and national political conditions (Herrnson 2004; Jacobson 2005). Most competition in House races occurs in open-seats. Without the name recognition and personal loyalties cultivated by incumbents, open-seat outcomes are more heavily influenced by campaign specific variables, such as issues and campaign spending, and by contextual features, such as district partisanship and national political conditions (Herrnson 2004).

Absent from models of congressional election outcomes is the impact of odd-year statewide elections. Such an omission is curious, since the conventional wisdom among political observers is that odd-year statewide elections (which five states currently use) do much to shape the political landscape on which the next year’s congressional elections are fought. In this paper, we explore the impact of odd-year statewide election outcomes in a state on U.S. House elections in the state during the subsequent year. In particular, we expect that a good party performance in an odd-year statewide election will produce fewer incumbent retirements for the favored party, more quality challengers taking on opposition party incumbents, and higher vote shares for the party’s candidates in the subsequent year’s U.S. House elections in the state.

Publication Type: Session Paper
Abstract: Drawing upon the World Internet Project’s American data from 2002, 2005, and 2007, we present a longitudinal analysis of trends in Internet use and social connectivity. Each year’s survey has a random sample of 2,000 US adults, with approximately 1,500 Internet users. Our results call into question Robert Putnam’s Bowing Alone argument. We show that Americans are increasing in their social connectivity, with the Internet fostering this connectivity. Over the past five years, the number of virtual friendships has doubled; more online friendships are migrating to offline; Internet users have even more friends outside of household they communicate with regularly than non-users. There is also an increase of connections among people who share hobbies, political interests, religion, and professional associations. Internet users are participating in clubs or voluntary organizations at least as much as non-users, and possibly a little more.