PHLS NEWS & FEATURES

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  HDFS Name Change Marks New Era in Program

  Naming the major Human Development and Family Sciences, instead of Family Studies, better reflects that the “research and teaching we are doing is evidence-based,” Associate Professor Leslie Frankel said.

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  Faculty, Students to Present at APA Conference

  Dozens of UH College of Education members will share their research on stress, working poverty, autism spectrum disorder, mindfulness and other timely topics at the 2022 American Psychological Association conference from Aug. 4-6. See a list of our APA award winners and their presentations.

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  Ph.D. Student Earns Psychology Research Recognition

  Kerry Chávez’s study on how social support affects the relationship between childhood trauma and marijuana use among African American young adults earned her an honorable mention from the Association for Psychological Science. “It is a recognition that we are headed in the right direction … in reducing health inequities,” Chávez said.

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  Health Professor Works to Reduce HIV, STIs

  Associate Professor Chakema Carmack received a grant of more than $580,000 from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities. Her plans include creating an educational podcast to help reduce infection rates in African American and Hispanic communities in Houston.

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  Top Graduates Ready to Transform Education

  Thirteen top graduates share their goals and advice on how to earn 4.0 GPAs. “Do not be afraid to ask questions, seek help when needed, stay focused, be positive and believe in yourself,” said Larry Chan, who is graduating with a B.S. in teaching and learning.

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  School Psychology Student Leads with Empathy

  An immigrant from Costa Rica, Ph.D. student Elías Loría once struggled to assimilate to a new culture. He’s now using his voice to advocate for social justice as president of UH’s Graduate and Professional Student Association.

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  Study: Latino Students in Rural Communities Left Behind Amid COVID-19

  Professor Jorge Gonzalez found that one third of the Latino families surveyed in south central Texas did not have access to the internet and over half lacked digital devices. “Our findings are really important because it exposes a digital divide,” he said.

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  Researchers Study Vaccine Hesitancy Amid COVID Rise

  Associate Dean for Research Ezemenari Obasi, who leads the UH HEALTH Research Institute, is working to mitigate COVID risk and illness with culturally responsive strategies. “What we want to do is empower people with strategies that make sense from their cultural standpoint,” Obasi said.

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  Professors’ Program Trains Diverse Nutrition Educators

  Norma Olvera and collaborators received a $500,000 grant to create a paid internship program to increase the number of Hispanic and Black nutrition educators and address health disparities among children of color. “It’s an excellent opportunity,” Olvera said.

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  Study: Anti-Gay Slurs Not Targeted Just at Gay Men

  Associate Professor Nathan Grant Smith explored whether heterosexual men who had their status threatened were more likely to use anti-gay slurs against other heterosexual men. “It is our hope that our research can help men to develop healthy masculinities that lift up all men, gay and straight alike,” Smith said.

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  Professor Finds STEM Stereotypes Begin Young

  Assistant Professor Allison Master’s study found that children develop beliefs as young as six that boys are more interested than girls in STEM fields. “By the time they reach high school, many girls have made their decision not to pursue degrees in computer science and engineering because they feel they don’t belong,” Master said.

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  Professors’ STEM Research Earns $500,000 Grant

  Allison Master and Weihua Fan have developed a series of studies to boost girls’ interest and participation in computer science by counteracting stereotypes. “We are interested in gender disparities in STEM because these have such important implications for our society,” Master said.