Daheia Barr-Anderson, Ph.D., assistant professor in Kinesiology, is the lead author on a newly published paper that appears today in International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity and may be the first to investigate the relationship between TV and diet over the transition from adolescence to young adulthood.

The article, "Does Television Viewing Predict Dietary Intake Five Years Later in High School Students and Young Adults?" comes out of a study, part of the U of M’s School of Public Health’s Project EAT (Eating Among Teens) that followed almost 2,000 Twin Cities-area high- and middle-school children over a five-year period and showed that there was a significant downward trend in the quality of diets of “heavy viewers" -- those individuals who reported watching five or more hours of TV a day (versus “limited viewers" watched two hours or less a day, and “moderate viewers" between two and five). Researchers led by Barr-Anderson found that heavy-viewing high schoolers had a lower intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and calcium-rich foods, and higher intakes of snack foods, fried foods, fast food, sugar-sweetened beverages and trans fats five years down the road.

An interview with Professor Barr-Anderson appears on www.WSJ.com. Professor Barr-Anderson gave three interviews yesterday (MN News Network, HealthDay, and WCCO Radio), will have a live radio interview this morning (WJON, a St Cloud radio station), and a live TV interview with KARE-11 during their 5:50am "Sunrise" session on Tuesday morning.

Besides Prof. Barr-Anderson, the other journal article authors are Nicole I. Larson (Epidemiology), and Melissa C. Neslon, Dianne Neumark-Sztainer, and Mary Story, all in the School of Public Health.

Posted by mfahrenz at 9:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Annie Hansen, Ph.D., lecturer in Educational Psychology, has been invited to participate in the 2009 School Psychology Research Collaboration Conference as an Early Career Scholar. The conference will be held in Toronto in August, 2009.

Posted by Kathleen Walter at 11:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Matthew Burns,Ph.D., associate professor in Educational Psychology and co-director of the Minnesota Center for Reading Research, recently published two research articles that are referenced below:

Burns, M. K., Peters, R., & Noell, G. H. (2008). Using performance feedback to enhance the implementation integrity of the problem-solving team process. Journal of School Psychology, 46, 537-550.

Szadokierski, I., & Burns, M. K. (2008). Analogue evaluation of the effects of opportunities to respond and ratios of known items within drill rehearsal of Esperanto words. Journal of School Psychology, 46, 593-609. (Co-author, Isadora Szadokierski, is a doctoral student in Educational Psychology.)

Posted by Kathleen Walter at 10:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Aaron Doering, Ph.D., assistant professor in Curriculum and Instruction, was selected as a participant in the Institute on the Environment's first cohort of resident fellows following a rigorous selection process. The twenty fellows will begin their three-year appointments with the Institute in June 2009.

Doering will receive flexible funding to engage in creative research and problem solving, to develop new models of teaching and training, and to build new networks and partnerships. In addition, the fellows will take part in leadership development activities, along with ongoing seminars, roundtables and other public engagement efforts. "Our emphasis with this new program is on creative work: how can we give people the time and space to do truly original research and thinking," says Jonathan Foley, director of the Institute on the Environment. "The fellowships will give both up-and-coming and established leaders the opportunity to work together on finding 'outside the box' solutions to the world's biggest environmental problems...This cohort of fellows is an amazing, eclectic group of thinkers and doers. They were drawn from the 'best and brightest' of the University, selected for their creativity and willingness to try new ideas".

Posted by Lynn Englund at 4:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Maureen Weiss, Ph.D., professor and co-director of the Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport in the School of Kinesiology, recently published two research articles that are referenced as follows:

Weiss, M.R. (2008). "Field of Dreams" Sport as a context for youth development. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 79, 434-439.

Stuntz, C.P., & Weiss, M.R. (2009). Achievement goal orientations and motivational outcomes in youth sport: The role of social orientations. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 10, 255-262.

Posted by mfahrenz at 2:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Juergen Konczak, Ph.D., professor in Kinesiology, has had a collaborative paper with colleagues from Israel (Ben Gurion University, Negev) and Germany (University of Essen, University of Tuebingen, and EKN Munich) accepted by Neuroscience. Titled "Current Advances in Lesion-Symptom Mapping of the Human Cerebellum," the paper summarizes the methodology of MRI-based lesion symptom mapping of the human cerebellum and discusses its potential for gaining insights into cerebellar function.

Posted by mfahrenz at 1:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Nicole LaVoi Ph.D., associate director of the Tucker Center, will deliver two separate coach workshops on "The Psychology of Coaching: Effective Motivational Strategies" in February, one to the Minnesota State Softball and another to the Synchronized Swimming Coaches Associations.

Posted by Austin Stair Calhoun at 11:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Jim Ysseldyke is the recipient of the 2009 Wallace Wallin Lifetime Achievement Award from the Council for Exceptional Children. This award speaks volumes for the persistent and outstanding contributions that Ysseldyke has made on behalf of exceptional children both nationwide and internationally. Previous recipients of this award include other Educational Psychology faculty: Maynard Reynolds, Evelyn Deno, and Frank Wood.

Posted by Kathleen Walter at 3:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Michael Rodriguez,Ph.D., associate professor in Educational Psychology, has been elected to the Board of Directors of the National Council of Measurement in Education (NCME). The mission of the National Council on Measurement in Education includes (1) the encouragement of scholarly efforts to advance the science of measurement in the field of education; improve measurement instruments and procedures for their administration, scoring, interpretation, and use; and improve applications of measurement in assessment of individuals and evaluations of educational programs. (2) The dissemination of knowledge about theory, techniques, and instrumentation available for measurement of educationally relevant human, institutional, and social characteristics; procedures appropriate to the interpretation and use of such techniques and instruments; and applications of educational measurement in individual and group evaluation studies. Rodriguez is also currently serving as the coordinator for the Quantitative Methods in Education track in Educational Psychology, director for the Office of Research Consultation Services (ORCS), and PI for the McKnight Foundation funded Identifying Essential Element of Childcare Project (IEEoCC) .

Posted by Kathleen Walter at 3:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Bill Doherty, Ph.D. professor in the Department of Family Social Science at the University of Minnesota is presenting at the First Worldwide Therapists’ Leadership Virtual Conference with a special emphasis on Leading Edge Issues, Trends and Practice Building. This is a rare opportunity to listen and connect with 14 of the most important and dynamic thought leaders of our time. Attend a conference and listen live to the great thinkers in psychotherapy today – all without leaving your home or work April 20-24, 2009.

Posted by gril0044 at 8:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The state of Minnesota will celebrate the 23rd annual National Girls & Women in Sports Day on February 4, 2009 at noon with a program in the Rotunda of the State Capitol. There are also a number of events being hosted by the University of Minnesota on Monday, February 2 -- including a youth clinic and a companion parent clinic titled "Developing Physically Active Girls" delivered by the Tucker Center.

Posted by Austin Stair Calhoun at 10:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Diane Wiese-Bjornstal, Ph.D., associate professor in Kinesiology, has been appointed to the 2009 Science Board of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.

Executive Director Melissa Johnson wrote, "Dr. Wiese-Bjornstal was selected to serve on this board due to the significant contributions she has made to the research and science of physical activity, fitness, and health. The PCPFS staff and council members look to this board for recommendations in the areas of program development and evaluation."

Posted by mfahrenz at 10:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Thomas Stoffregen, Ph.D., professor in the School of Kinesiology, spoke to 80 second grade students at Brimhall Elementary School in Roseville about his research on "Body balance at sea." Stoffregen's presentation fit into their curriculum; the 2nd grade is doing a science unit on "Balance and Motion."

Posted by John Brian Becker at 4:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The St. Paul Pioneer Press recently published an opinion piece by Lisa Albrecht, Ph.D., associate professor in the School of Social Work, on the fighting in Gaza. It begins,
"As a Jew and citizen of the U.S., I am outraged, sick to my stomach, and aching in my heart. First, I say that it is not anti-American to criticize the U.S. government, just as it does not signify Jew-hatred to criticize the Israeli government.
Second, I say that there is not one monolithic Jewish community or voice in the world, the U.S., or Minnesota, though mainstream Jewish organizations that are pro-Israel get the most media coverage." Read the full editorial.
Albrecht has also been interviewed by WCCO TV, Kare 11and Fox 9 for her views on the Gaza crisis.

Posted by colby041 at 10:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The University of Minnesota’s School of Dentistry and pediatric specialists at the University of Minnesota Children’s Hospital, Fairview recently joined forces to offer interdisciplinary care for children with Velocardiofacial syndrome (VCFS), the most common syndrome associated with cleft palates. Anna Thurmes, Ph.D. student in the Family Social Science Department, is completing her dissertation on the psychosocial impact of VCFS on families.

Now, under one roof, specialists in cardiology, genetics, rheumatology/immunology, psychiatry, plastic surgery, speech-language pathology, otolaryngology, audiology, nursing, and dentistry have formed an integrated team that provides care for patients at the Cleft Palate and Craniofacial Clinics. More on VCFS

Posted by gril0044 at 9:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Eric Brownlee, Ph.D., lecturer in the School of Kinesiology, will be presenting at the 22nd Annual Sport & Recreation Law Association (SRLA) conference in San Antonio, Texas, on March 5-7, 2009. He co-authored the paper, "The Practical Application of Dram Shop Laws: Rating Major Professional Sport League Alcohol Policies," with Marion Hambrick at the University of Louisville.

Posted by John Brian Becker at 3:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The University's Academy of Distinguished Teachers, along with the Center for Teaching and Learning, the Office of Information Technology, and Instructional Development Services are sponsoring a one-day teaching and learning conference:

Making Connections between Teaching and Learning
Monday, Apr. 27, 2009
McNamara Alumni Center

This is a free conference but registration will be required. For more information about registering and/or proposal submission guidelines please go to http://www.adt.umn.edu/conferences/tlc2009/index.html or e-mail herna220@umn.edu.

Presentation and poster proposals on teaching and learning are now being accepted with preference being given to those related to the conference's focus.

Submission deadline: Monday, January 26, 2009

Posted by Diane Cormany at 4:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Misty Sato Ph.D., assistant professor in Curriculum and Instruction and Tim Lensmire Ph.D., associate professor in Curriculum and Instruction, have just published an article in the January 2009 edition of Phi Delta Kappan titled "Poverty and Payne: Supporting teachers to work with children of poverty." Kappan is the professional education journal of Phi Delta Kappa, a professional education organization of more than 50,000 members worldwide. The article grew out of a talk given through the Department of Curriculum & Instruction Diversity Dialogue series.

Sato & Lensmire argue that the work of Ruby Payne, who published a widely-used book about teaching children of poverty (a book frequently referenced by educators in Minnesota), is based on deficit thinking about children and their capacity to learn and relies on a model of teacher professional development that will not bring about the changes we need in classroom teaching. Ruby Payne provides a response to their criticisms.

Posted by Lynn Englund at 3:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)