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The War on Cyberbullying
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US Army Calls Upon Chowan University’s Dr. Ashley Doane to Research Cyberbullying
As a special appointment through the Consortium Research Fellows Program, Chowan University’s Assistant Professor of Psychology Dr. Ashley N. Doane now has the distinguished accolade as a Senior Research Consortium Fellow assisting the U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences.
According to their website, the Consortium Research Fellows Program, or CRFP, is a partnership between the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area and several Department of Defense agencies. The CRFP fosters a strong relationship between the higher education community and the DoD. Professors lend their specialized expertise to DoD projects and widen the scope of their research.
Doane was honored with this new appointment for her valued research into cyberbullying to address the topic of cyberbullying among soldiers. Doane was specifically requested by a senior researcher at the U.S. Army Research Institute for this contracted project.
“I was asked to write a 10-15 page white paper addressing questions they had about cyberbullying,” Doane stated. “This paper reviews traditional bullying and cyberbullying research with a focus on young adults.”
The multi-faceted report first defined cyberbullying, then gave an overview of factors unique to emerging adults and workplace bullying, as well as limited research on bullying in the military.
“Cyberbullying has been linked to a number of mental health and behavioral problems,” Doane related. “Although cyberbullying is often viewed as an issue among youth, cyberbullying has also been experienced and perpetrated by adults.”
Doane offered comparisons between traditional bullying and cyberbullying and then reviewed recent studies examining cyberbullying, including its prevalence, consequences, predictors, and prevention or intervention strategies. Doane also concluded with recommendations for future research on cyberbullying among soldiers.
“Based on my previous work on cyberbullying prevention programs targeting college students, they were interested in my recommendations for addressing this important topic among soldiers,” explained Doane.
Speaking to her expertise on the topic of cyberbullying, Doane’s other professional activities for 2013 and 2014 have included her membership in the International Society for Research on Aggression, the Association for Psychological Science, the Society for the Teaching of Psychology, and the Society for Research on Child Development.
Dr. Doane had her work, A Development of the Cyberbullying Experiences Survey, published in the September 2013 journal of Emerging Adulthood. Dr. Doane also presented her work Testing of a Peer-Delivered Cyberbullying Prevention Program for College Students at the 26th annual Association for Psychological Science Convention in San Francisco, CA in May 2014.
In July 2014, Dr. Doane gave two presentations at the 21st World Meeting of the International Society for Research on Aggression held in Atlanta, Predictors of Cyberbullying Perpetration among College Students: An Application of the Theory of Reasoned Action and her work Testing of an In-Person Cyberbullying Video Prevention Program for College Students.
Dr. Doane was also honored with Chowan’s 2014 McDowell Columns Scholar Prize during the Celebration of Faculty Scholarship and Creative Achievement.
Forrest Robinson Earns Competitive Grant for Environmental Research
Presents at Statewide Symposium
At the 10th Annual State of North Carolina Undergraduate Research and Creative Symposium held on the campus of NC State University in November, Chowan University junior Forrest Robinson presented his undergraduate research as one of 500 symposium presenters. His work was supported by one of only five research grants awarded by North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities. Dr. John Dilustro, Associate Provost and Associate Professor of Biology at Chowan University, sponsored his research project.
Robinson, a Psychology major with a minor in Biology from Denton, NC, focused his project and presentation on environmental sciences with his work at the Meherrin River Field Site, located a mile and a half from the Chowan campus. Since Spring 2013, Chowan’s Department of Biology and Physical Sciences has operated the 115 acre field site through an agreement with the Town of Murfreesboro who owns the property along the river. The site integrates long term biodiversity monitoring into undergraduate education at the nearby university.
Robinson’s project dealt with quantifying forest CO2 soil respiration in the site’s various habitats including a swamp forest, a mixed deciduous forest and a planted pine forest. The soil’s biological activity was measured, as well as other environmental variables, for each of the three forest types.
“I used an infrared Vernier device with a gas sensor connected to a self-made chamber and took readings for three weeks,” Robinson explained. “While I was recording the data, I was also taking soil temperature and soil moisture readings.”
With the assistance of Dr. Dilustro’s son Frank, a sophomore at Ridgecroft School, Robinson also studied soil core samples and performed the lab analysis for soil organic matter using a loss on ignition test.
“You place samples in a furnace that burns all the carbon away, and you subtract the remaining mass and you get the soil organic matter,” Robinson related. “Then I also took core samples and sent them into the North Carolina Department of Agriculture for an additional soil nutrient analysis.”
Robinson shared his findings at the undergraduate presentation where he revealed his results – the swamp forest produced the most carbon dioxide, as well as measured the highest amount of soil organic matter, followed by the mixed deciduous forest and then lastly, the pine forest.
Robinson’s findings will help environmental monitoring, especially in this region, as well as having applications in the growing industry of CO2 storing techniques that can help address and manage CO2 emissions.
The field site includes three habitats: a swamp forest, a mixed deciduous forest and a planted pine forest.
Science Club Serves Over Spring Break
Five biology students from the Chowan University Science Club participated in an Alternative Spring Break trip to the Outer Banks this March. The students were accompanied by Dr. Bo Dame, Assistant Professor of Biology & Physical Sciences.
The students stayed at the historic Pine Island Lodge on the northern Outer Banks, part of the Donal C. O’Brien, Jr. Audubon Sanctuary and Center in Corolla. The Sanctuary encompasses approximately 3000 acres and protects a variety of critical coastal habitats including maritime forest and relic dunes, permanent and ephemeral ponds, marshes, creeks and open water. The sanctuary is an internationally significant site for migrating birds, particularly waterfowl, and provides refuge for a host of other species. More information on the Audubon Sanctuary can be found at http://pineisland. audubon.org.
“I wanted to help the Audubon group. They are renovating the old hunting lodge, a garage and some small buildings they also have on the land so that interns and other people who are helping can stay at their site,” offered sophomore volunteer Charles Blackburn of Wingate, NC. “They are about protecting many species of birds including waterfowl, and when more interns can stay at the site, they can help maintain the upkeep of bird count, help bring in more money to keep the Audubon going, and help make more internships available.”
Students assisted Audubon staff at Pine Island with site maintenance, debris pick-up and removal, and clearing vegetation. “It was a good accomplishment because we all worked together as a team,” said Blackburn, who majors in Environmental Biology. “When we started working, we all figured out a system. We had cleaned the garage by the end of the day and the owners were quite ecstatic. It felt good to help, knowing that Audubon helps with protecting the birds and knowing that they want to have more room for more internship opportunities.”
Students also assisted staff of the North Carolina Coastal Reserve and National Estuarine Research Reserve. The students worked at the Currituck Banks site just north of Corolla which encompasses approximately 1000 acres and protects important habitat from the ocean beach to the marshes in Currituck Sound. More information can be found at www.nccoastalreserve.net/web/crp/currituck-banks.
“The student’s main task was to help establish a rain garden which will provide a storm water management system for the site’s parking facility,” explained Professor Dame. “They also assisted with invasive plant species removal, and debris pickup and removal.”
The trip was more than just work for the students. They also got to visit the various coastal habitats, including a ride along the beach in the 4-wheel drive area north of Corolla, and learned about the processes that create and shape the Outer Banks. And, of course, there was time for some fun in the sun and sand!
From left to right – Charles Blackburn of Wingate, NC; Mandy Strickland of Salisbury, NC; Jasmine Miles of Burlington, NC; Sarah Smith of Charlotte, NC; Tyler Richards of Raleigh, NC and Dr. Bo Dame.
Dorothy Allison Named Hobson Prize Recipient
New Films@Chowan Series Celebrates 75th Anniversary of Classic Cinema
For over two decades, Chowan University has honored influential authors of the South through the Hobson Prize for Distinguished Achievement in Arts & Letters. On April 27th, the Hobson Prize was presented to author, poet, and speaker Dorothy Allison, best known for Bastard Out of Carolina, which led to the film version directed by Angelica Houston in 1996.
Her second novel, Cavedweller, was published in 1998 and became a New York Times bestseller. It won the 1998 Lambda Literary Award for fiction and was a finalist for the Lillian Smith Prize. Cavedweller was also adapted for the stage and screen, most notably in the 2004 film starring Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon.
Allison’s writing addresses themes of class struggle, sexual abuse, child abuse, feminism and lesbianism. She has earned a number of awards, including several Lambda Literary Awards. In 2006 Allison was selected as Writer in Residence for Columbia College in Chicago. She served as the Emory University Center for Humanistic Inquiry’s Distinguished Visiting Professor for spring 2008. Allison also acted as the McGee Professor of Writing at Davidson College in the fall of 2009.
This year, Chowan proudly introduced a new program for the community to enjoy, “Films@Chowan”. With the theme for this first session being “Old Films, New Ideas”, the series highlighted films from 1939 in their 75th anniversary.
The first film featured was the ever-popular The Wizard of Oz, followed by the Manifest Destiny-inspired railroad homage Union Pacific, and later followed by a viewing of the film adaptation for John Steinbeck’s cautionary tale Of Mice & Men.
Following a screening of the film, participants engaged in riveting discussions of the new ideas the old films had generated.
Facilitating the discussions were members of the University/Community Committee: Dr. John Davis, Professor of English who teaches Chowan’s Appreciation of Film course; Dr. Greg Taylor, Associate Professor of History; Georgia Williams, Head of Whitaker Library; Kerri Albertson, Director of Chowan’s Writing Center; Curtis Loftis, Assistant Professor of Graphic Design; and Hugh Davis, English instructor at C.S. Brown High School and community representative.
The Films@Chowan series is free of charge and open to the public and additionally, educators in attendance also received Continuing Education Unit (CEU) credit. More classic films, including Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, will be added to the series later this semester.
SeniorFest 2015
SeniorFest 2015 saw this year’s featured guest, humorist, composer and musician Pepper Choplin entertain and inspire the crowd of over 300 senior adults from across the region.
The day also included a classic southern buffet, campus and art center tours and informative breakout sessions.
Breakout sessions included “Cancer Care-Hope for Tomorrow” with Dr. Michael Hopkins of Vidant RoanokeChowan Hospital’s Hematology and Cancer Services department, “Fun with Fitness” featuring exercise specialist and wellness coach Jason Jenkins and water aerobics and line dancing instructor Lisa Lane, “Red and Yellow, Black and White” which led a timely discussion about spirituality and race, “Where There's a Will... There's a Way” with will preparation advice from the NC Baptist Foundation, “Before We Forget! Writing Our Family Stories” led by Chowan’s Writing Center Director Kerri Albertson and “A Closer Walk with Thee” with Rick Jordan of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of NC searching for a deeper and more meaningful spiritual life.
Celebrating the rich tapestry of our community, the Rouson Memorial Lecture saw the Minnie Wood Perkins Humanitarian Award go to NC Representative Howard Hunter III, accepted from Mayor John Hinton on his behalf by his wife, Dr. Wanda Hunter, pictured below. This year’s Futrell/ Ruffin Community Service Award went to local dignitary Lillie OwensWhite, pictured below at left.
“I am grateful for this recognition, but it is not why I serve,” commented Mrs. Owens-White. “I believe we are called by God to use our talents to be advocates for this community.”
At right, Reverend W. Rob Lewis II, former Chief District Court Judge, was the day’s special guest speaker with a motivating and passionate call for young students to take action and responsibility early in their lives.
Rouson Honors Noteworthy Citizens
