2016-2017 Awardees

Kimberly D'Anna-Hernandez
Psychology/CHABSS
Community Partner: Women’s Health Center at Vista Community Clinic (VCC)
A pilot intervention to decrease gestational weight gain in pregnant women at risk of obesity-related health complications
Obese women are at risk for increased gestational weight gain and subsequently gestational diabetes and other health complications during pregnancy, all of which are risk factors for adverse infant outcomes. In-clinic interventions are needed to decrease gestational weight gain in this population. This proposal will continue an established partnership between Vista Community Clinic and a CSUSM perinatal health research team to pilot group prenatal visit interventions to decrease gestational weight gain and optimize offspring health.

Allison Carr
Information Literacy Program/Library
Community Partner: North County Professional Development Federation (NCPDF) 
The CSUSM Library Institute for Community High Schools: Promoting College Research Readiness and Developing Community Partners
This project seeks to partner with community high schools to help strengthen the relationship between teachers and librarians in order to increase the information literacy (IL) skills of high school students. The proposed multi-day workshop will provide a venue for high school librarians and teachers to collaborate on lesson plans that will integrate IL into their coursework. By including IL in their lessons, teachers will better prepare their students to make the transition to college. 

Susie Lan Cassel
Literature and Writing Studies/CHABSS
Community Partner: San Diego History Center
The Ah Quin Story
The goals of this project are to discover and disseminate new information about Chinese immigrants to America during the infamous Chinese Exclusion Era (1870-1900), as revealed in Ah Quin's Diary. This information will help to dispel persistent stereotypes about 19th century Chinese. These results serve the Chinese community by helping to restore dignity to the second largest immigrant group in America and serves the community partner by increasing the interest and value of their holdings.

Karen Schaffman
School of Arts/CHABBS
Community Partner: A Step Beyond
Developing Partnership: Dance Studies and A Step Beyond, Stage 2
This Community Engagement Project builds upon the established foundation for a long-term partnership between CSUSM’s Dance Studies area and A Step Beyond (ASB). Housed at the Center for Arts Escondido, ASB “is a non-profit organization that provides economically disadvantaged youth the skills and habits to reach their fullest potential.” (From the brochure.) This segment of the project reflects upon work accomplished, deepens the curricular development and exchange, and disseminates the project on a national level.

Lucy HG Solomon
School of Arts/CHABSS
Community Partner: San Diego Institute for Conservation Research
Wild Data and Neighboring Jaguars
“Wild Data and Neighboring Jaguars” seeks creative methods to make societies more sensitive to jaguars living in close proximity to them. By developing a creative method for telling the narrative of these cats, researchers with the San Diego Institute for Conservation Research in Peru and faculty member Lucy HG Solomon of CSUSM’s School of Arts hope to develop a tool to help abate the conflict that exists between ranchers, farmers and hunters and the jaguar.

Kimberly Vanderbilt
Psychology/CHABSS
Community Partner: The San Diego Children's Discovery Museum
PlayLAB
The goal of PlayLAB is to bring science-based learning and exploration to the community surrounding CSUSM. Together we will assess social-cognitive and educational skills children learn at exhibits within the Museum, with the goal of sharing it with parents and educators, to enhance learning and educational content. The partnership also supports ongoing research, which contributes to knowledge of child development, and allows families to experience scientific research, while taking an active role in the process.