2019
DVHF Site Coordinator/ Research Assistant and Housing Program Coordinator for Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Michigan State University
jackelyn.hidalgo@wsu.edu
- Dissertation Title: The Relationship Between Coping and Disordered Eating in Latino Preadolescents
- Primary Advisor: Thomas Power (Human Development)
- Committee Members: Louise Parker (Human Development), Brenda Barrio (University of North Texas), Michael Cleveland (Human Development)
What is your current job title?
Site Coordinator/ Research Assistant and Program Coordinator for WSCADV (Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence).
What organization do you work for?
Michigan State University.
What do you do in your current job?
For Michigan State University, I complete English and Spanish interviews with domestic violence survivors as well as coordinate the collection and management of interview, advocate and agency data of the Domestic Violence Housing First program evaluating impact of funds and housing advocacy on survivors’ housing stability, safety, and well-being in Grant and Adams County.
For WSCADV, I coordinate statewide training, technical assistance, and leadership on DV emergency sheltering and housing services. This includes providing support on advocacy practices, service design, and organizational policies to DV programs across the state on new directions to undo root causes of violence. I additionally contribute to the completion of a federally-funded research study, and promote the promising and evidence-based practices of mobile advocacy, flexible financial assistance, and community engagement.
How did WSU’s Prevention Science Graduate Program prepare you for this work?
WSU’s Prevention Science Graduate Program offered some good foundational knowledge! My advisor, Tom Power, was so instrumental throughout my graduate experience and beyond! His guidance truly helped prepare me with the depth of knowledge I needed to apply for/succeed in my work within the domestic violence movement.
What words of wisdom do you have for future WSU Prevention Science students?
Keep going– especially during these current country/world/life circumstances we are finding ourselves in. It’s so incredibly important to hold onto your “why” and keep moving forward. Prevention is so important. I will also say that it’s also important to invest in self-care as students and to surround yourself with a strong support system.
2018
NIAAA Postdoctoral Fellow
University of New Mexico
khirchak@unm.edu
- Dissertation Title: Examining the Relationship Between Age and Treatment Outcomes among American Indian adults Participating in a Contingency Management Clinical Trial for Alcohol Use Disorders: A Mixed Methods Approach
- Primary Advisor: Sterling McPherson (College of Medicine)
- Committee Members: Michael McDonnell (College of Medicine), John Roll (College of Medicine), Sean Murphy (Cornell University)
What is your current job title?
Postdoctoral Fellow.
What organization do you work for?
Center on Alcoholism, Substance Abuse and Addictions (CASAA) at the University of New Mexico.
What do you do in your current job?
I am currently working on a number of research projects focused on increasing health equity among American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) people, with collaborations across many departments at the University of New Mexico. In addition, I’m assisting with the cultural adaption and implementation of the Community Reinforcement and Family Training project in partnership with a Tribal community in the Southwest. We are also culturally centering medication assisted treatment for opioid use disorder among AI/AN adults in partnership with four Native-serving outpatient and primary care organizations. As part of my postdoc position, I am drafting grant proposals to develop, implement and disseminate effective alcohol interventions with AI/AN communities.
How did WSU’s Prevention Science Graduate Program prepare you for this work?
The team science and interdisciplinary focus of the Prevention Science program is outstanding. I was presented with opportunities that I would not have had elsewhere and that I continue to benefit from. The degree provided advanced training in scientific writing, mixed-methods, statistical analyses, grant writing and community based participatory research, all of which has given me a solid foundation for my current program of research and future career goals.
What words of wisdom do you have for future WSU Prevention Science students?
Whatever area of interest a prospective student may have, the network of professors and researchers at WSU is exceptional. For anyone hoping to make a positive impact in their research and career, I cannot recommend this program enough. Choosing the Prevention Science program at WSU is among the best personal and professional decisions I’ve made.
Assistant Research Professor in the Sleep and Performance Research Center
Washington State University
alamp@wsu.edu
- Dissertation Title: Health and Safety in Commercial Aviation
- Primary Advisor: Sterling McPherson (College of Medicine)
- Committee Members: John Roll (College of Medicine), Gregory Belenky (College of Medicine), Kimberly Rhoades (New York University)
What is your current job title?
Research Assistant Professor in the Sleep and Performance Research Center, Department of Medical Education and Clinical Sciences, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, WSU Spokane.
What organization do you work for?
WSU Spokane.
What do you do in your current job?
My research and expertise is focused on fatigue, sleep, and performance. As part of WSU’s Occupational Sleep Medicine team, I have been funded for over 7 years by aviation Fatigue Risk Management System (FRMS) contracts and am co-PI with Dr. Gregory Belenky, a preeminent sleep researcher, in one of the labs that performed the first data collection on flights that provided the methodology that continues to be used by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the US for ultra long range operations that do not fit within the prescriptive regulations. I have papers published in Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance and Accident Analysis and Prevention and book chapters in Principles and Practice in Sleep Medicine and Sleep Deprivation and Disease focusing on fatigue in the workplace, the FRMS process, and commercial aviation pilot sleep during Alternative Method of Compliance (AMOC) flights. I have authored over 17 technical reports on FRMS routes to the FAA. I am also a member of the Fatigue Countermeasures Working Group that has published a guidance document for controlled rest (CR) on the flight deck. Along with all of this, our team is currently running 8 aviation studies, I have multiple studies I am collaborating on, providing the sleep component, and I am taking on teaching roles in the Elson S Floyd College of Medicine. I am also working on emerging into the field of Human Equine Interaction Research.
How did WSU’s Prevention Science Graduate Program prepare you for this work? My work at first glance may look a bit different than the other Prevention Science jobs, but it actually fits quite well since I am preventing fatigue, sleepiness, and performance degradation. PS prepared me by helping me broaden my knowledge about prevention science and statistics, to make me better informed. I also appreciate that I was required to get a non-terminal Masters degree with a thesis defense, as this gave me a nice stepping stone for my dissertation. And my committee for both the Masters and PhD was supportive and helpful while allowing me the flexibility I needed to truly become an expert in my field of study and research.
What words of wisdom do you have for future WSU Prevention Science students?
(I may sound like a broken record on this but) I would definitely choose the 3 paper option for the dissertation as dissertation papers are rarely cited but if you use the 3 paper option, not only will you be able to submit each to a top tier journal but you’ll have people citing your work. Two of my dissertation papers are already published in top tier, peer-reviewed journals for my field of research and have led to many citations in other excellent papers and two speaking engagements at top conferences in my field (Aerospace Medical Association and SLEEP). My third paper will be submitted as soon as I have a moment, as it is ready to go because of the dissertation requirements.
Researcher I
OMNI Institute
jasonwheeler2@gmail.com
- Dissertation Title: The Effectiveness of Corrective Masculinity Gender Norms to Prevent Alcohol-Related Consequences among Fraternity Members
- Primary Advisor: Stacey Hust (College of Communication)
- Committee Members: Kathleen Rodgers (Human Development), Jessica Willoughby (College of Communication), Bruce Pinkleton (College of Communication)
What is your current job title?
Researcher 1.
What organization do you work for?
OMNI Institute in Denver, Colorado omni.org.
What do you do in your current job?
The OMNI Institute is a non-profit that seeks to affect positive social change by conducting research and evaluation in the areas of public and behavioral health, human development, and criminal justice. OMNI’s clients (private organizations, public health departments, school districts, police departments and others) are mostly in Colorado, but they have also been working to assist the commonwealth of Virginia’s management of their substance abuse block grant and crisis grant funding and activities. I have conducted research into behavioral health problems and solutions for public health departments, assisted with the planning of prevention strategies in 40 communities in Virginia and provided them with technical assistance in order to manage their local data and reporting to grantors.
How did WSU’s Prevention Science Graduate Program prepare you for this work?
Really everything about the program’s content was beneficial. My advisor was a really great guide the whole way I am so thankful. Even though a lot of my graduate school work was in communication studies, the program’s core focus on developmental and lifespan perspectives and the intersections of the mighty Bronfenbrenner’s ecological domains are I think the best foundations for working in behavioral health because we are all humans, but at the same time have unique health profiles based on our experiences. It might be specific to where I ended up, but the program development series courses, and developing a campaign for my dissertation work were especially beneficial because I work with program implementation. For example in my work with VA communities I provide technical assistance by teaching public health prevention administrators how to do logic models to plan for the implementation of prevention programming. Federal grantors like SAMHSA also love to follow frameworks in everything, so learning about a variety of those was key, like I work daily with the IOM classifications of prevention strategies. The multidisciplinary nature of our program, learning from faculty who are experts in different areas and working alongside students from different academic backgrounds, really prepares you to work effectively with different people.
What words of wisdom do you have for future WSU Prevention Science students?
Our program is focused on prevention and I’d say most aspects of the health industry do too now- but treatment and recovery are just as important, especially in the field of substance use disorders. In the first year of the program everyone was excited to advocate for prevention as a strategy, I became a bit indoctrinated that prevention is the “only way.” Really all three are interconnected.
Start thinking about a job early- I wish I had set aside one day or half a day a week from the beginning to just ponder what is out there and what I would be happy doing. Get to know your fellow graduate students when in the program- it’s over before you know it and it’s a really special time to be shared even if it is a crazy time of work and stresses too.
I was able to do a mixed method analysis of the available milkshakes in the Pullman/Moscow area and the best across multiple indicators (taste, cost, quantity, location) is Ferdinands on campus.
2017
Assistant Professor in Family Studies, Child, and Youth Development
Pennsylvania State University
blb339@psu.edu
- Dissertation Title: Evaluating the Effectiveness of an Online Values Affirmation among First-Year College Students
- Primary Advisor: Matthew Bumpus (Human Development)
- Committee Members: Brittany Cooper (Human Development), Brian French (College of Education), Laura Hill (Human Development)
What is your current job title?
Assistant Professor in Family Studies, Child, and Youth Development.
What organization do you work for?
Penn State.
What do you do in your current job?
This is a tenure-track position with research and extension responsibilities devoted to implementing and evaluating programs to promote positive wellbeing in childhood.
How did WSU’s Prevention Science Graduate Program prepare you for this work?
I think my Prevention Science graduate training uniquely positioned me to be successful in this role. This position requires program design, implementation, evaluation, and dissemination, all of which are key tenets of the Prevention Science program.
What words of wisdom do you have for future WSU Prevention Science students?
Trust that the faculty genuinely want you to be successful, not just in graduate school, but later in your career as well. The faculty are there to open doors for you, not close them. Embrace the challenge of earning a PhD. There will be days, week, semesters, where you are busy, but the time goes by quickly! Remember that like most things, the more you put into your graduate education the more you will get out of it. Above all else, take care of yourself and don’t be afraid to reach out if you’re struggling.
Domestic Violence Housing First Yakima Regional Study Coordinator
Michigan State University
yadi.olivera@wsu.edu
- Dissertation Title: Preliminary Evaluation of a Program to Help Low-Income Latina Mothers Help Their Children Cope with Stress: A Mixed Method Approach
- Primary Advisor: Thomas Power (Human Development)
- Committee Members: Yoshie Sano (Human Development), Paul Strand (Psychology), Louise Parker (Human Development)
What is your current job title?
Domestic Violence Housing First Yakima Regional Study Coordinator.
What organization do you work for?
Michigan State University
What do you do in your current job?
I currently coordinate the study’s data collection. My tasks include conducting detailed interviews with domestic violence survivors, training and supervising study interviewers, relationship development with the three domestic violence site agencies, providing weekly and monthly data reports for each agency within my region, and collaborating with Michigan State University colleagues towards publication.
How did WSU’s Prevention Science program prepare you for that job?
I remember the many discussions we often had in class about community research and how difficult it can be for researchers to accommodate to stakeholder’s expectations of the study. With my experience working in Dr. Thomas Power’s lab and my classes, I felt more prepared than some of my colleagues when it came to navigating these “real world research issues.” The Prevention Science program provided me with a strong knowledge of research methodology. Even though I did not have a domestic violence educational background, my preventions science research background helped me quickly become knowledgeable about the gaps in the literature as well as the risk and protective factors associated with domestic violence. I am now fortunate enough to be part of a potentially policy-changing study where domestic violence agencies nationwide can improve their services and meet domestic violence survivors needs.
What words of wisdom do you have for our students?
I think one of my “protective factors” of surviving the rigor of graduate school was that I had an amazing advisor, Dr. Thomas Power. I was very fortunate to have had my academic advisor and research assistantship advisor be the same person. Coming into the program I made him aware of my educational and professional career goals and he guided me towards those opportunities. The hands-on experience I received in being in his lab gave me every advantage when it came to applying to research-based jobs. Publishing was important, but my priority was to be involved in program development, data collection, and data analysis. Although I would often become overwhelmed with my different academic and work responsibilities, my amazing relationship with my advisor allowed me to be able to communicate these struggles with him and modify what I was doing in order to meet my educational and professional goals. All in all, when it comes to choosing an advisor(s) make sure it is a good fit and communication is strong because this can truly make or break your ability to meet those important milestones in the program.
2016
Senior Research Scientist
Spokane Regional Health District
aeaton@wsu.edu
- Dissertation Title: An Integrated Approach to Program Development: A Case Study of a Family-Based Obesity Prevention Program
- Primary Advisor: Thomas Power (Human Development)
- Committee Members: Laura Hill (Human Development), Louise Parker (Human Development), Sarah Ullrich-French (College of Education) , Brittany Cooper (Human Development)
What is your current job title?
Senior Research Scientist.
What organization do you work for?
Spokane Regional Health District.
What do you do in your current job?
In my role I lead complex program evaluations and assessments for an array of programs and public health initiatives. I help people to identify risk and protective factors related to their topic of focus and support development of programs targeting those factors and evaluation of that work. I provide technical oversight on evaluation and planning methodologies, and help programs to incorporate research into their planning. I serve as a content expert on several topics for my agency, and the Spokane community, frequently discussing the following with colleagues, partners, service providers, and the public: child and human development, prevention science, community-based research, parenting, child abuse and neglect, suicide, and homelessness.
How did WSU’s Prevention Science Graduate Program prepare you for this work?
The Prevention Science Graduate Program was instrumental in preparing me for this work. I apply the prevention science framework and language (i.e. the understanding of risk and protective factors and the concepts of prevention) that were core to my education, daily. This language and the constructs that are woven into each Prevention Science class, provided me with not only the language, but years of experience applying the concepts to a variety of topics, in applied ways. The hands on experience that I received in the program were key to building my work experience in the field, and not only qualified me for my position, but set me apart from others by giving me a unique and valued perspective.
What words of wisdom do you have for future WSU Prevention Science students?
Make the most of each opportunity to gain experience in applying what you are learning. Whether it be through class projects, research, opportunities to collaborate with faculty, these opportunities provide valuable hands on experience and critical feedback from experienced faculty. Innovate–the world needs prevention and its up to us to show them just how much.