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School Nurses Positioned to Help Solve School Shooting Epidemic
Since 2018 school nurses have responded to 38 school shootings, and they find themselves on the front line of gun violence, whether the act is by an active shooter in a school, a mass shooting in the community or anywhere in the country. "The epidemic of gun violence is a public health crisis affecting the whole country, but school nurses are ideally positioned to work alongside others who are committed to public health approaches to solve the issue of mass shootings," says Sunny G. Hallowell, PhD, assistant professor at Villanova University's M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing. Every school day, 95,000 school nurses enter U.S. schools prepared and ready to serve more than 55 million children for six and a half hours, 180 days a year. Families, school districts and communities entrust their children to school environments with the expectation that they will be kept safe from harm. School nurses are first responders whose skills are crucial to ensuring the health and safety of students, staff and faculty within schools and the surrounding community. Hallowell is coauthor of "School Nurses Share their Voices, Trauma and Solutions by Sounding the Alarm on Gun Violence," published recently in the medical journal Current Trauma Reports. She and her coauthors shed light on the impact of gun violence within schools from the perspective of school nurses, whose expertise is critical to the design and implementation of programs that keep students safe. "Nurses are trained both in the emergency trauma care and clinical responses necessary for addressing traumatic gun violence, as well as the mental health outcomes resulting from tragedy," says Hallowell. "There is a critical need for research that guides the selection of evidence-based safety programs that consider the developmental and the mental health needs of school communities." Standard response protocols such as school safety drills, fire drills and tornado, hurricane and earthquake drills have been implemented as early as the First World War. The memory of air raid drills and the lingering effect of the experiences have been well documented. As Hallowell's journal article shows, fear has long dictated how schools invest their resources in response to gun violence.
November has been a busy month for Cedarville University’s Mark Caleb Smith. As the Director of the Center for Political Studies at Cedarville, Smith has found himself doing double duty as both professor and the go-to person and pundit for local, state and national political coverage In November Smith was interviewed by TV, radio and print for issues pertaining to impeachment, Michael Bloomberg entering the presidential race and the DNC debates. Mark Caleb Smith averages approximately 160 media interviews a year – and for good reason. He teaches courses in American Politics, Constitutional Law, and Research Methodology/Data Analysis and has fast become a media-ready expert who provides accurate, objective and laser-cut insight to reporters and journalists covering politics. If you’re a journalist covering politics – let Mark Caleb Smith help with your stories. He’s available, simply click on his icon to arrange an interview today.
Smooth Operator: When earnings management is a good thing
New research from the Kelley School of Business makes the case that smoothing the numbers can be beneficial – if you’ve got the right team in place to handle the job. Smoothing, in this case, means adjusting accounting reserves up or down. And contrary to the common wisdom that all earnings management is bad, researchers have identified a setting in which it can be good. In a paper titled “Managerial Ability and Income Smoothing,” David Farber, associate professor of accounting at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business at IUPUI, and fellow researchers Bok Baik of Seoul National University and Sunhwa Choi of Sungkyunkwan University find that when high ability management teams use their discretion to smooth bumps in earnings, future earnings and cash flows become more predictable and a firm’s stock price improves. “We found that more capable managers who use discretionary accounting choices to signal future performance provide more useful financial reporting,” said Farber. “Firms with high ability managers who smooth earnings have more predictable earnings and cash flows, and the stock market incorporates that information into a firm’s stock price. High ability management teams are better able to anticipate changes in their firms’ prospects and can therefore better estimate accrual adjustments necessary to smooth their earnings. These managers are trying to communicate to the market by saying, essentially, ‘We had some volatility in earnings this period, but going forward, we expect earnings to follow the path based on the smoother earnings.’” The study also showed that if a firm’s management team is not high ability and they attempt to smooth earnings, the firm will likely see negative implications, like less predictable earnings and lower stock prices. Additionally, the reputations of managers in these firms will likely suffer. A final version of the paper will be published in The Accounting Review, one of the top scholarly accounting journals in the world, in July 2020.
This month, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced a shift in U.S. policy toward settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Pompeo announced that the Trump administration does not view the settlements as inconsistent international law, and rescinded a 1978 state department legal opinion that held that view. The move now leaves the issue of individual settlements up to Israeli courts. Assistant Professor Sandy Marshall has spent time as a volunteer instructor in a Palestinian refugee camp in the West Bank and returned to the region this past summer to advance his research into the experiences of Palestinian refugee children. A human geographer, he has conducted extensive research into the impact of conflict, division and displacement on children and youth in the Middle East. Asked for a brief comment on the shift in U.S. policy, here’s what Marshall had to say: “Coming on the heels of the U.S. embassy move to Jerusalem and recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, the change in policy on West Bank settlements is another nail in the coffin of a negotiated peace-settlement based on the two-state solution, represent U.S. rejection of broad international legal consensus . This move undermines any remaining legitimacy the U.S. has in the region as a peace-broker and threatens further destabilization of the region.” If you're interested in talking with Professor Marshall as you continue to cover this important topic, please reach out to Owen Covington, director of the Elon University News Bureau, at ocovington@elon.edu or (336) 278-7413. Professor Marshall is available for phone, email and broadcast interviews.
Climate Change: A Direct Threat to Older Adults
Climate change will impact the health of all populations, but older adults are uniquely vulnerable because of the physiological changes of aging. More than half of older adults in the United States live in areas that disproportionately experience the effects of heat waves, forest fires, hurricanes and coastal flooding. Pennsylvania, New York, California, Florida and Texas account for the top five states where older adults are concentrated. Older adults who live in urban areas are vulnerable to heat island effect—the concentration and retention of heat in urban areas compared to rural areas—which places older residents in cities at increased risk of heat related illnesses and death. “Gerontological nurses need to be prepared to address the specific issues of older adults,” says Ruth McDermott-Levy, PhD, director of the Center for Global Health at Villanova University’s M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing. “We want to help nurses understand climate change and the need for specific interventions to support climate adaptation for the older adult population.” Climate change impacts require modifications in health plans for older adults. Prolonged heat will require greater needs for hydration, but the patient’s other conditions need to be considered as well. Elders with heart disease and renal failure will require astute nursing assessments to monitor the balance of hydration and electrolytes while not leading to fluid overload or electrolyte imbalances in the presence of extreme heat. With their research, practice and influence over policy, gerontological nurses are in an important position to be changemakers by measuring and documenting the harm and impact of climate change on older adults. They can advocate for measures that support older adults in disasters or extreme weather events. Nurse researchers can collaborate with climate scientists and policy makers to develop initiatives and programs that rely on climate and health evidence to support climate mitigation and adaptation for the older adult. “It is everyone’s responsibility to learn about climate change and to participate in slowing the trajectory of climate change,” Dr. McDermott-Levy says.
Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota has been awarded a $1,732,643 grant from the Kern Family Foundation for the university’s School of Education Character and Virtue Initiative. Using grant funding, Saint Mary’s will develop an enhanced curriculum for current and future educational leaders that places a strong emphasis on moral character, virtue, and ethics. The course content will be enhanced using the University of Birmingham’s (UK) Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtue framework. It will be customized to align with the Lasallian Virtues of a Teacher and the Cardinal Virtues matrix already informing the university’s mission and practices. “Saint Mary’s is a Lasallian Catholic university with a strong reputation for preparing the majority of our state’s educators and educational administrators, and — thanks to this generous grant from the Kern Family — we will strengthen the licensing programs for principals and superintendents, as well as directors of special education by placing character and virtue education philosophies and practices into current programming,” said Father James P. Burns, IVD, Ph.D., president of Saint Mary’s. “This initiative aims to change the face of education today by equipping educational administrators with the framework for virtue that needs to be at the forefront in our schools, and in the hearts and minds of those leading our schools.” Other components of the initiative include establishing an annual retreat on character and virtue in leadership, developing a Character and Virtue School Leadership Academy, designing a character and virtue professional development series for partner schools, and creating online modules. In addition, Saint Mary’s will explore other program pathways and credentials related to this theme that includes microcredentials, certificates, and additional degrees. “We are incredibly grateful to the Kern Family Foundation for partnering with us on this important initiative,” said Audrey Kintzi, vice president for Advancement and Communication at Saint Mary’s. “School administrators have an arduous but extremely important job and, as they face the many challenges that exist in today’s education systems, our goal is to arm them to lead with integrity and to set an example for their faculties and staff and the students in their care.” "Our School of Education prides itself in being one of the state’s largest providers of principal, superintendent, and director of special education candidates,” said Lynn Albee, Ed.D., interim dean of Education. “Through our collaborative relationship with eduCATE, we are able to positively impact the educational experiences of students in Wisconsin as well. This is an exciting opportunity for Saint Mary's Educational Administration program to really make a difference in the lives of Midwest school leaders, as well as children in schools.” Audrey Kintzi, vice president for Advancement and Communication at Saint Mary’s is available to speak with media regarding this grant from the Kern Family Foundation - simply click on her profile to arrange an interview.
Lake Victoria, the largest lake on the African continent and the largest tropical lake in the world, has the potential to dry up more quickly than researchers previously realized, and the White Nile tributary (the only outlet for Lake Victoria) could disappear within a decade, according to a new study published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters. The drying up of these bodies of water, which the project’s researchers say is driven by climate change, could be devastating to large swaths of East Africa and millions of people, according to the study, “Rapid Pleistocene desiccation and the future of Africa's Lake Victoria.” Baylor University faculty members Daniel J. Peppe, Ph.D., associate professor of geosciences, and Joseph D. White, Ph.D., professor of biology in Baylor University’s College of Arts & Sciences, were part of a team of researchers led by Emily Beverly, Ph.D., assistant professor of sedimentary geology at the University of Houston. Beverly earned her doctoral degree in geology at Baylor in 2015. The research team developed a model for Lake Victoria to help understand how changes in rainfall and temperature, due to climate change, would affect the future of the lake. They discovered that relatively small changes in climate could cause lake levels to drop rapidly. “Using future climate projections, our model also predicts that at current rates of temperature change and previous rates of lake level fall, Lake Victoria could have no outlet to the White Nile within 10 years, and Kenya could lose access to the lake in less than 400 years, which would significantly affect the economic resources supplied by Lake Victoria to the East African community,” the researchers wrote. Water Budget Model Peppe said he and his colleagues developed a water budget model for Lake Victoria in Kenya that examines how changes in rainfall and temperature cause changes in water levels in the lake. “Modeling indicates Lake Victoria can transition back and forth between modern lake levels and being completely dried up in centuries to a few millennia,” Peppe said. The water budget model used information related to: The lake’s size The catchment area, which drains into the lake How much water enters the lake The flow out of the lake Modern climate to estimate lake evaporation Discharge out of the lake and the size of lake The model showed the desiccation and refilling of Lake Victoria can happen over short periods and is directly tied to the mean annual precipitation levels and associated runoff. The research team was also able to use the model to predict the effects of future climate change on Lake Victoria. “We input different climate parameters in the model based on past reconstructions and future projections to see what happened to lake levels in the past and what will happen in the future,” Peppe said. Combined observations from this new modeling and estimates of ancient precipitation indicate that Lake Victoria was likely dried up between 36,000 to 100,000 years ago, Peppe said. “As Lake Victoria dried up, this affected the dispersal patterns of early modern humans and other mammals as grasslands expanded with the retreat of the lake,” he said. Repercussions of Disappearance Peppe said the disappearance of the White Nile could have broad repercussions, including depriving Uganda of its primary source of electricity via hydropower and the water that sustains the Nile during non-flood stages. “In addition, every major port city around Lake Victoria could become landlocked in as little as 100 years. In 400 years, Kenya would have no access to the lake while Uganda and Tanzania would gain huge areas of potential farmland setting up a potentially dangerous dynamic between countries that currently fight over the lucrative fishing rights to the lake,” Peppe said. The researchers wrote that additional regional climate modeling is urgently needed to understand the effects of climate change on the region. ABOUT THE STUDY The new study, “Rapid Pleistocene desiccation and the future of Africa's Lake Victoria,” is published in the journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters. The research team was led by Emily J. Beverly, Ph.D., assistant professor of sedimentary geology at the University of Houston; Joseph D. White, Ph.D., professor of biology in Baylor University’s College of Arts & Sciences; Daniel J. Peppe, Ph.D., associate professor of geosciences in Baylor University’s College of Arts & Sciences; J. Tyler Faith, Ph.D., assistant professor of anthropology, at University of Utah; Nick Blegen, Ph.D., Royal Society Eric Shooter International Fellow, Department of Geography, University of Cambridge; and Christian A. Tryon, Ph.D., professor of anthropology, University of Connecticut. ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 17,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 90 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions. ABOUT THE COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES AT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY The College of Arts & Sciences is Baylor University’s oldest and largest academic division, consisting of 25 academic departments and seven academic centers and institutes. The more than 5,000 courses taught in the College span topics from art and theatre to religion, philosophy, sociology and the natural sciences. Faculty conduct research around the world, and research on the undergraduate and graduate level is prevalent throughout all disciplines. Visit www.baylor.edu/artsandsciences.
Impact of Record-Breaking Floods in Venice
Over the last week, Venice, Italy, has been hit with historic flooding. On Sunday, November 17, water levels topped 1.5 meters for the third time since last Tuesday’s 1.87-meter flood, which marked the worst in more than half a century. Venice’s mayor declared a state of emergency and has estimated the flooding damage at hundreds of millions of euros. The flooding is putting some of Venice’s most historic architecture at risk and threatening some of the city’s cultural marvels and priceless artwork. The situation has also renewed the debates around the underwater barrier system—the MOSE flood defense project—that has been under construction for more than 16 years and is not yet operational despite five billion euros of public funding. Luca Cottini, PhD, an associate professor at Villanova University, is a scholar of Italian culture. He recently discussed some of the issues currently facing Venice. “The flooding in Venice makes visible once again not just the fragility of Italian beauty and the vulnerability of Italy’s geography, but also the inadequacy of Italian politics in the prevention and response to natural disasters,” said Dr. Cottini. Dr. Cottini also addressed the city’s tourism and how tourists view the floods. “The situation also illustrates the cynical nature of modern-day global tourism, observing high waters more as an attraction than a tragic event impacting invaluable monuments and the lives of many peoples,” he said.
Sesame Street Celebrates 50 Years
Sesame Street, the longest-running children's show in American history, recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. Villanova's Emory Woodard, PhD, Dean of Graduate Studies in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, spent time working at Children's Television Workshop (now Sesame Workshop), the nonprofit organization that puts on Sesame Street. He reflects back on its legacy, its important focus on diversity and what lies ahead. Concerning the Program's Legacy "Sesame Street transformed the landscape for educational television at a time when very few content producers were paying attention to quality content for children. The show has effectively reduced the school readiness gap and prepared millions for scholastic success." On Special Memories "My parents could not afford to send me to preschool but used Sesame Street to reinforce the literacy and numeracy skills they taught me. I have fond memories of learning to count with Count von Count, learning the alphabet with Cookie Monster and even getting phonetics lessons with Big Bird. I cannot tell you how much of a delight it was to have Big Bird speak at one of our Commencement Ceremonies... "Perhaps more than the literacy and numeracy skills that I learned from Sesame Street, I remember the prosocial lessons of the show. At such a formative stage, I remember learning about sharing, cooperation and appreciating the differences between people." On Sesame Street and Diversity "Sesame Street has been keenly aware of the dual audiences it engages: children and their parents. At the preschool age, parents tend to be very involved in the media diet of their children. Sesame Street has taught a generation of parents to be more sensitive to issues of diversity." On the Program's Future "I think the future is bright. With the advent of increasingly diverse content distribution platforms (e.g., Netflix, Sling, Roku, Apple TV, etc.), the demand for quality content will remain strong. The makers of Sesame Street may have to be creative in figuring out how to support the production of their high-quality content while still serving their primary mission. Nonetheless, their longevity is a testament to the good thinkers they have charting the course to ongoing success. "The partnership with HBO is an industry reality. The funding for public television remains under threat and the choice is to either fold or be financially creative. I am delighted that the makers of Sesame Street have chosen to be financially creative. Moreover, they chose to partner with an outlet that has demonstrated itself to be a purveyor of high-quality content. As long as that content is shared with platforms that are more accessible to the economically disadvantaged, I do not see this much differently than the decision to use television as a distribution platform that was not universally accessible back in the late 1960s. "Sesame Street will remain relevant as long as they remain true to their original mission of bringing literacy and numeracy skills to disadvantaged populations through high-quality content. No one is and perhaps will ever be better at it than the makers of Sesame Street."
Baylor Expert Shares Six Lessons We Can Learn From Mr. Rogers About Being a Good Neighbor
WACO, Texas (Nov. 14, 2019) – In this polarized time, when it requires little effort to tear a stranger apart on social media or lash out at a family member because of a difference of opinion, the gentle cadence of Fred Rogers singing a simple song about neighbors loving and helping each other is a welcome respite. The much-anticipated movie, “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” starring Academy Award-winner Tom Hanks as Rogers – known to generations simply as “Mr. Rogers,” the host of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” – will be released in theaters on Nov. 22. The official movie trailer posted on YouTube has drawn nearly 12 million views. Civics education expert Brooke Blevins, Ph.D., associate professor of social studies education and chair of Baylor University’s department of curriculum and instruction, said the renewed focus on the beloved and soft-spoken TV personality, who died in 2003, might be coming at just the right time. “When you watch Mr. Rogers, time slows down, and you are able to take a deep breath as complicated issues become more understandable and the beauty of relationships is reinforced,” Blevins said. “Imagine if we all walked into the world with the belief that each person was inherently worthy. Imagine if our goal was to help each other recognize that we are worthy of being loved. Imagine if we sought to listen more than we spoke,” she said. “I imagine if this was the case, that our conversation would change, our understanding of those around us would shift, and our national conversations would be more civil.” Below, Blevins shares six lessons we can learn from Mr. Rogers about being better citizens. Each person is worthy to be loved and heard. Like Mr. Rogers, we must recognize that each person we interact with is worthy to be loved and listened to. We must recognize that each person has unique experiences, fears, losses and triumphs that shape the way they understand what’s happening around them. We need to do much more listening and far less talking. We should work together to tackle tough issues in reasoned and evidenced-based ways with civility and a genuine desire to understand those around us. Use your platform for good. Mr. Rogers was deeply committed to creating a better world. Mr. Rogers did not take his role on TV lightly. He saw it as an opportunity to help young people make sense of the world around them and to become more knowledgeable and engaged citizens. He saw television as an opportunity to create community and a shared sense of purpose. As he once noted, “The space between the television screen and whoever happens to be receiving it, I consider that holy ground. A lot happens there.” Lessons we often think are for children are for adults as well. Mr. Rogers was a teacher, a pastor and a friend. His lessons were drawn from the everyday experiences of children’s lives, from current political events to personal and emotional trials children experience. Not only were these lessons for children, but for their parents who were also watching. His lessons focused on cultivating civic discourse, reasoned judgment and evidence-based decision-making, but most importantly, his lessons cultivated understanding and empathy for one’s neighbor. In his conversations and examples, he drew on our shared humanity to help young people make sense of an ever-changing world. Slow down. In a time of fast-paced and often silly cartoons that were designed to move quickly from scene to scene, Mr. Rogers maintained a much slower and thoughtful pace. A pace that was compelling to both young and old alike. He explored issues slowly and with depth, without the silly antics that are so often used to keep children and adults’ attention. He used his time with viewers to develop a relationship that valued their experience and honored their emotional complexity. He sent the message that all people are inherently valuable and are capable of loving and being loved. It’s OK to discuss tough issues – even with children. But be civil and understanding when you do it. As an ordained minister and gifted musician, Mr. Rogers utilized his vocational skills to create a safe space in which difficult conversations could occur. He never shied away from the tough conversations. From issues such as divorce, death, assassination and even 9-11, Mr. Rogers’ helped young people navigate emotionally traumatic events with both knowledge and compassion. Mr. Rogers knew that by talking about our fears, losses and misunderstandings, we could work together to build a better future. As he wrestled with these issues, he asked questions, he inquired, he listened, and he had children do the same. He had a deep-rooted commitment to helping children navigate their world. Be a good neighbor. Being a good neighbor is caring about those around you. It’s not just about tolerance, but truly seeking to understand those in your community. Being a good neighbor means helping those around you recognize that they play an important part in making the world a better and more just place. It means working together to solve complex issues and cultivate a world in which all people can fulfill their true purpose. ABOUT DR. BROOKE BLEVINS Brooke Blevins, Ph.D., teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses in secondary education, social studies education and multicultural education. As a former secondary teacher, she has a passion for equipping teachers with the resources needed to engage in humanizing social studies education. Dr. Blevins also serves as the co-director for the iEngage Summer Civics Institute, for which she and co-founder Dr. Karon LeCompte have raised more than $250,000 in grant funding. Dr. Blevins’ research focuses on social studies education as a means to prepare active and engaged citizens. In her work, Dr. Blevins examines how to prepare teachers to develop both political clarity and pedagogical content knowledge that encourages them to engage in transformational based and humanizing social studies education. In addition, Dr. Blevins also is interested in how to educate and empower young people to become active civic participants through participation in action civics and digital technologies. ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 17,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 90 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions. ABOUT BAYLOR SCHOOL OF EDUCATION Founded in 1919, Baylor School of Education ranks among the nation’s top 20 education schools located at private universities. The School’s research portfolio complements its long-standing commitment to excellence in teaching and student mentoring. Baylor’s undergraduate program in teacher education has earned national distinction for innovative partnerships with local schools that provide future teachers deep clinical preparation, while graduate programs culminating in both the Ed.D. and Ph.D. prepare outstanding leaders, teachers and clinicians through an intentional blend of theory and practice. Visit www.baylor.edu/soe to learn more.