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School shootings traumatize more than those directly affected
David Schonfeld, Director, National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work: "Even students that have no direct connections with any of the communities where these shootings occurred may nonetheless be impacted by the media coverage. Just knowing that it could happen in another school in the country may make them feel vulnerable. The National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement has guidelines on how to talk to children about school shootings in the media at https://www.schoolcrisiscenter.org/resources/talking-kids-about-tragedies/." Marleen Wong, Stein/Goldberg Sachs Endowed Professor of Mental Health at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work: "There are now thousands of student and teacher survivors of school shootings across the country. Social workers should be aware that these survivors could have strong reactions, including serious distress, because the present shootings are reopening old wounds." Source:
Tyrha Lindsey-Warren, Ph.D., clinical assistant professor of marketing in Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business, studies consumer behavior, multicultural media, movies and entertainment. She is an expert on Hollywood and movies featuring actors of color. She said Tuesday's Oscar nominations reveal "positive strides" for recognition of minorities in the film industry, but she also noted missed opportunities for noteworthy films. “With today’s Oscar nominations, we see positive strides in the categories of Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress and Best Director regarding the nominations of persons of color. Even for not-so-well publicized categories like Best Screenplay, Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay and Best Cinematography, there are some wonderful artists of color and women that have been nominated. One that truly makes me happy is the nomination of ‘Coco’ for Best Animated Feature. It was an outstanding tribute to Mexican culture and was truly well done," Lindsey-Warren said. "However, I am saddened that Patty Jenkins, the director of ‘Wonder Woman’ did not get any acknowledgement from The Academy. She did an excellent job with ‘Wonder Woman,’ from both a cinematic perspective as well as from the worldwide box office revenues. I am also saddened that director Reginald Hudlin’s ‘Marshall’ is missing this awards season. The story of American hero Thurgood Marshall is one that should have been more celebrated.” Tyrha Lindsey-Warren, Ph.D., is a marketing scholar, business executive, artist and entrepreneur. As a consumer behavior scholar, her research is rooted in narrative transportation theory (i.e., storytelling) that exudes the emotion of empowerment and its impact on consumer attitudes, behaviors, purchase intention and message recall. She also studies health edutainment, multicultural media and advertising, as well as movies and entertainment. Lindsey-Warren is an expert in effective communications strategies for leaders, multicultural communications and marketing. For more information, or for an interview with Tyrha Lindsey-Warren, contact Baylor Media Communications. Source:
Gender Gap Grows Wider Globally
The World Economic Forum (WEF) began calculating the global gender gap in 2006. Yesterday, it released the results of the 2017 Global Gender Gap Report and the news is bad – for the first time in more than a decade, the gender gap is widening. This year's report revealed that the divide between men and women stood at 32 percent, up from 31.7 percent last year. The Global Gender Gap Index ranks 144 countries and compares them across four ‘pillars’: economic participation and opportunity, education, political empowerment, and health and survival. The best scores overall belonged to three Scandinavian countries. Iceland had the smallest gender gap at 22 percent. How about the United States? While the U.S. has improved its overall gender gap, this year's report showed it moved down the rankings to 49th place. The score was 0.72 or a gender gap of 28 percent. The pillar featuring economic participation, which includes salaries, workforce participation and leadership, has one of the fastest-growing gaps. Globally, women are earning less than men. The WEF believes the economic gender gap will now not be closed for 217 years. When considering a woman's income as a percent of a man’s, the U.S. came in at 13th place, where a woman can expect to make on average only 64.8 percent of that of what a male earns. Why is this the case even though more women than men are graduating from universities? Can this worrying trend be changed? What steps must be taken to make the playing field equal for all in America? Dr. Shannon Wooden, gender studies expert and professor of English at Missouri State University, can provide insight on this topic. She can address the gender pay gap and why companies need more female representation in senior and board levels. Contact her for an interview. Source:
Is Trump a Twitter Addict? Baylor Expert Says 'Yes'
Trump has said that Twitter is his way of communicating his thoughts directly with the world, bypassing the more traditional means of using the news media, which he tends to distrust. The president’s daily use of social media begs the questions: Can people be addicted to social media? If so, is President Trump an addict? “Yes and yes,” answered James Roberts, Ph.D., The Ben H. Williams Professor of Marketing in Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business. Roberts is a nationally known expert on consumer behavior, social media and smartphone addiction, and the effects of smartphone use on relationships. He recently published a new edition of his book, “Too Much of a Good Thing: Are You Addicted to Your Smartphone?” which includes a bonus chapter focused squarely on the Commander in Chief’s Twitter habits. “Addiction is a strong word,” Roberts said. “It’s best understood and defined as ‘continuing a behavior despite its negative consequences for you and others around you.’ Yes, we can be addicted to social media use just like we can be addicted to drugs or alcohol. Addiction can result from any behavior that produces pleasure in the brain.” In his look at President Trump, Roberts focused on the six core components applied by many health professionals when analyzing substance use disorders – salience, euphoria, tolerance, withdrawal symptoms, conflicts and relapse. “Our inability to separate from technology is devastating to our well-being,” Roberts said. “Even if it’s not an addiction, it’s a deeply ingrained habit.” Source:
World Heart Day: Do You Have an Exercise Regime to Protect Your Heart?
Sept. 29 is World Heart Day. It’s a day researchers, practitioners and health officials around the globe are taking part in to spread awareness about heart disease and stroke prevention. According to the World Heart Federation (WHF), heart disease and strokes kill more than 17 million people every year. It’s the leading cause of death on the planet, edging out cancer. One way to achieving better heart health is maintaining a healthy lifestyle by making physical fitness a key component of everyday life. But what makes an effective exercise program and what types of exercises are right for you? How do you start if you’re not used to being active? Missouri State University’s Dr. Barbara Bushman, an expert in health, wellness and exercise, can answer these questions and provide insight on reducing the risk of heart disease. She is editor of the first and second editions of American College of Sports Medicine’s Complete Guide to Fitness & Health. She has been quoted in news outlets and magazines, such as USA Today, The Boston Globe, Huffington Post and Reader's Digest. Click on her icon to contact her. Source:
Dr. Bryan Brooks, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor, Environmental Science and Biomedical Studies, examines water quality, environmental health & contaminants, and sustainability issues, particularly in rapidly urbanizing areas. He has published water-quality research specifically regarding the Dickinson and Buffalo bayous in the Houston area, as well as the Houston ship channel. He's available to speak on: * Status of surface water contamination * Associated risks to people and ecosystems in the Houston/Galveston area * What information is needed to prioritize interventions and restoration activities * Implications for system recovery and management Source:
This column by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Matt Kempner quotes business expert Peter Klein, Ph.D., professor of entrepreneurship in Baylor’s Hankamer School of Business and Senior Research Fellow with Baylor's Baugh Center for Entrepreneurship and Free Enterprise. Kempner asked several business and management professors to discuss President Trump’s management style. Klein said Trump's "style and manner is the dramatic departure from predecessors, not so much his policy." And regarding the differences in government versus business? “I understand the wish to make agencies more efficient,” Klein said. “But at the end of the day, government organizations are not like businesses.” ABOUT PETER KLEIN Peter G. Klein is Professor of Entrepreneurship at the Hankamer School of Business, Baylor University, and Senior Research Fellow with Baylor's Baugh Center for Entrepreneurship and Free Enterprise. His research focuses on the links between entrepreneurship, strategy, and organization, with application to innovation, diversification, vertical coordination, health care, and public policy. Source:
Diabetes Canada’s 20th Annual Professional Conference Comes to Edmonton
Diabetes Canada and the Canadian Society for Endocrinology and Metabolism (CSEM) will be celebrating the 20th anniversary of their Professional Conference and Annual Meetings at the Shaw Centre in Edmonton from November 1 to 4, 2017. The event, which brings together thousands of health-care professionals and researchers focused on diabetes care, is the biggest of its kind in the country. Registration for the event opens today. “The treatment and management of diabetes continues to evolve, making it more and more critical to bring together inter-disciplinary health-care teams to discuss the latest discoveries in diabetes care and prevention. I know this year, as we mark this important milestone, we will be pulling out all the stops to provide health-care professionals with the best information, including a sneak peek at the Diabetes Canada 2018 Clinical Professional Guidelines for the Prevention and Management of Diabetes in Canada.”Rick Blickstead, President and CEO, Diabetes Canada. “The Professional Conference is of extraordinary benefit to health-care professionals who attend because of the opportunity to learn about the newest advances in clinical practice and about new data and interpretations. This is also an opportunity to engage and interact face-to-face with colleagues, including world leaders in research.” Dr. Bruce A. Perkins, clinician-scientist at the Leadership Sinai Centre for Diabetes, Conference co-chair Source:
Cedar Crest Adds Advanced Degrees as Need for Nurses Grows
Cedar Crest College is celebrating National Nurses Week as it launches new advanced nursing degree programs. The new Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) programs will launch this August, with the Doctor in Nursing Practice (DNP) to follow. The decision to establish the DNP and add new MSN programs was based on both internal and external demand in the field. Internally, nearly 68 percent of the college’s nursing students indicated that they planned to pursue an advanced degree after earning their BSN. Externally, chief officers from major health care networks in the region encouraged Cedar Crest to pursue this program due to the high demand for nurse practitioners. In 2010, the Institute of Medicine issued a report calling on the country to double the number of nurses with doctorate degrees by 2020. Cedar Crest College’s nursing department prides itself in preparing students to make a difference for their patients, community and world. In 2017, the College’s Registered Nursing Program was ranked number two in the nation by the Community for Accredited Online Schools. Our experts can talk about the industry demand for nurses with advanced degrees and the career outlook for nurses. Source:
