Community-Based Research Fellows Program

Project Descriptions 2008

Anjali Dixit '09 will conduct a study under the supervision of Faculty Fellow Nancy Brown, PhD, Human Biology, Sr. Research Associate, PAMFRI and Professor of Linguistics and, by courtesy, of Cultural and Social Anthropology Penelope Eckert, PhD. She will answer the following research questions: What do South Asian immigrant women in New York City know about women’s health and healthcare services available to them? What are the most important health care issues facing them? What information do they wish they had, but do not? How did they acquire the information they do have, and what ways do they suggest to more effectively disperse accurate information to other in the South Asian women’s community? The objective of this project is to answer these questions through a study conducted in collaboration with Pragati, a New York City-based anti-violence-against women organization that specifically serves South Asians living in Queens. Although the South Asian population in the United States has one of the highest growth rates out of any ethnic group, and a few studies have shown that violence against South Asian women is highly prevalent, there is a need for a study establishing an overall baseline on what women’s health information is the most important and needed for this particular community, and how to reach out to women who are most at-risk. Pragati has identified two specific topics as especially important to the organization: 1) unwanted pregnancy in South Asian women ages 18-45 and 2) the health needs of elderly women in the South Asian immigrant community.

Susan Lou '09 will conduct a study under the supervision of Associate Professor (Teaching) of Psychology and of Medicine Catherine A. Heaney, PhD, MPH, and Post-Doctoral Scholar in Psychology Sharon Toker, PhD. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the principal cause of death in the U.S., accounting for 35.2% of deaths in 2005 (Rosamond et al., 2008). Epidemiological research has established the importance of certain lifestyle behaviors (e.g., smoking, poor nutritional behaviors, sedentary lifestyle), stress (both occupational and non-occupational stress), psychosocial hazards at work (e.g., high workload and low job control), and the health related work context (e.g., flexibility, food availability) in contributing to the prevalence of CVD (Schnall et al, 2000). Assessment of the combined effects of multiple risk factors is important since many factors act through intermediate factors or synergistically with each other (Ezzati et al., 2003). Although previous worksite health intervention studies have addressed some of these risk factors, most studies did not incorporate a participatory based research approach (CBPR). Using a CBPR approach can enhance the relevance of the study to the participating workers and incorporate worker knowledge and expertise in the development and implementation of the intervention (Israel, 1993). The goal of this present research study is to provide a report to the Stanford BeWell advisory committee as to the feasibility and likely effectiveness of a participatory approach to reduce cardiovascular disease among Stanford employees.

[Fellow to be determined May 2008] will conduct a study under the supervision of Professor of Education Milbrey McLaughlin, PhD and Research Associate Kristin Geiser, PhD, John W. Gardner Center for Youth and their Communities. The City of Redwood City has recently embarked on an effort to address issues of climate change by implementing a variety of environmental initiatives. Under the leadership of the Environmental Initiatives (EI) Manager, Beth Ross, this effort works under the auspices of the City Manager’s Office to: reduce citywide carbon emissions; promote sustainable living programs, policies and personal actions; and provide opportunities for residents to build and apply community building and cooperative problem solving skills. As part of this effort, the City of Redwood City is in the process of developing, piloting, and assessing the effectiveness of a framework for civic engagement and environmental action. As partners in promoting youth development efforts in Redwood City, the City and JGC have begun a conversation to explore how joint work in the areas of youth development, environmental education and civic engagement might help broaden and deepen the EI work. This research aims to provide research and observational data on the intersection of youth development and environmental education and action for the City of Redwood City, Environmental Initiatives.

Samantha Staley '08 will conduct a study under the supervision of Assistant Professor of Geological & Environmental Sciences & Center Fellow at FSI and Woods Karen Seto, PhD. Idaho Falls and the surrounding community has long-focused all transportation planning around the automobile, with little to no attention to the needs of bike and pedestrian commuters. Our cities need to facilitate more sustainable transportation in light of rising greenhouse gas emissions and declining local air quality, as well as promote healthy, physically active lifestyles. The goal of this research project is to complete GIS of the greater Idaho Falls metropolitan area with identified existing bike/pedestrian pathways and identified priority future pathways projects.

Project Descriptions 2007

Ana Maria Sanchez ('10) and Yessica Hernandez ('10) will conduct a study under the supervision of Professor of Psychology and Human Biology Anne Fernald and Dr. Nereyda Hurtado, director of the ¡Ven,Habla Conmigo! Project in East Palo Alto. This research would provide detailed observational data on the language environment of children growing up in low-income Latino families. These children of recent immigrants face the many challenges of becoming bilingual, learning Spanish at home with gradual and often very limited and erratic exposure to English over the preschool years. Since very little is known about the actual characteristics of the language experience of immigrant preschoolers who hear both Spanish and English, the goal of this project would be to characterize the many different sources of language input to 3-5-year-old Latino children before they enter school. Ana Maria and Yessica will provide parents with digital recorders that they can use at home to record conversations with the child during everyday interactions such as mealtime, bathing, play, and bedtime. This will be the first study of language input to bilingual children to make use of such extensive recordings, in order to provide a much more representative picture of the daily linguistic experience of the child growing up with two languages.

Project Descriptions 2006

Latisha Chisholm (Psychology, '07) worked with Associate Professor (teaching) of Drama Janice Ross and the Fresh Lifelines for Youth Program (FLY), a non-profit organization in Milpitas, CA that educates teens towards crime, alcohol and violence prevention and community activism. Latisha assisted in the research and organization of community resources for both Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties and helped in the San Mateo County Expansion initiative through market research of organizations serving similar populations as FLY. She has also helped in the creation and administration of a survey on youth perception of the Public Defender Services as part of FLY's Project Citizen program. Ranging from doing national background research on juvenile perception of public defenders to conducting focus groups with youth in juvenile hall, Latisha has been involved in various stages of creating the survey and is now helping in its administration to 150 youth.

Kathryn Kliff (Human Biology, English, '08) and Associate Professor (teaching) of Sociology, Don Barr worked with community partner InnVision, at the Opportunity Center in Palo Alto, CA. Kathryn was in the unique position of following her Haas Summer Fellowship with a CBR research placement at the same site. She presented her project "The Experience of Newly Housed Middle and High School Students in the Mid-Peninsula Schools" at the 2006 Symposium of Undergraduate Research and Public Service (SURPS).

Jeanette Kreuze (Classics, '07) and Andrew Liu (Biomedical Computation, '07) teamed up with Assistant Professor of Anthropological Sciences, Ron Barrett and Pathways, a Santa Clara hospice to conduct follow up research on attitudes toward death and funerary practices among different ethnic and religious Bay Area communities. The data gathered will help in the creation of a training manual for nurses, social workers and chaplains at the hospice. Jeanette and Andrew also received valuable background experience for this project through training as hospice volunteers.

Andrew Lomeli (History, '09) and Professor Al Camarillo in the History Department worked with both Compton Community Partners (CCP) and Community Lawyers, Inc. in Compton, CA. Community Lawyers, Inc. provides training and financial assistance for future lawyers who plan to work with traditionally underserved communities and CCP works toward the social transformation and revitalization of Compton. Andy helped in building the infrastructure of Community Lawyers, Inc. and CCP, including the development of outreach materials and conducting interviews with community members

Laura O'Laughlin (Symbolic Systems and Psychology, '07) worked with Symbolic Systems Associate Director and Lecturer Todd Davies, and community partner Plugged In located in East Palo Alto, CA. As part of the Deme Team, an online group using the software in development, Laura gained valuable training and experience within the organization and community, providing content for her research project. Laura conducted observational research on the introduction of new software tools to community members in East Palo Alto in order to understand how community members used community-oriented software in online deliberation of community decisions. Laura also co-presented at 2006 National Conference on Dialogue and Deliberation. Link to presentation: http://www.stanford.edu/~davies/tdavies-presentations.html.