The College of Human Sciences hosts an annual Graduate Student Research Symposium to recognize and celebrate the contributions of our graduate students to research and creative scholarship. This year (2021) presentations were in 4 cross-cutting areas: Health, Relationships in Families and Workplaces, Technology and Innovation, Sustainability/Culture/Travel. Presentations varied in format and included 2-minute Poster Overviews, 3-Minute Thesis Talks; 10-minute Individual Talks, and 12-minute Team Talks.
Health-relevant presentations focus on physical and mental health. Topics include:
♦ exercise and/or genistein treatment addressing effects of high-fat/high-sugar diet;
♦ predictors and consequences of college students’ alcohol and marijuana use;
♦ synbiotic supplementation for anxiety reduction in breast cancer survivors;
♦ protective effects of consistent bed times for adolescent wellbeing;
♦ the role of nerve growth factor in addressing insulin resistance and cognitive performance;
♦ potential impact of stress and negative emotions on first year college students;
♦ maternal education and children’s eating behaviors; and
♦ epigenetics, diet and obesity.
Workplace-relevant presentations focus on
♦ menu translation for ethnic restaurants and the impact on information delivery;
♦ favoritism and tolerance and workplace incivility;
♦ determinants of consumers’ sustainable disposal behavior; and
♦ the influence of prosocial and antisocial leadership styles on service innovation.
The family-relevant presentations address
♦ linking adverse childhood experiences, mindfulness and relationship quality;
♦ the impact of COVID-19 on individual, couple, and family functioning; and
♦ sexual assault links to sense of control, and economic and marital stability.
Different uses of technology and innovation are addressed in the following topics
♦ flavor network analysis of food ingredients in US restaurants;
♦ potential use of PLA and Soft PLA in 3D printing technology;
♦ design of intelligent decision assistants to support older adults finding Medicare plans;
♦ consumer engagement in real time marketing on social media and the role of brand personification; and
♦ the impact of budget hotel’s physical environment on booking intentions.
Presentations cover a range of topics that include
♦ storytelling in advertising and sustainable clothing;
♦ cultural intelligence in hospitality;
♦ value of secondhand apparel;
♦ e-complaints of customers’ experiences with online travel purchases;
♦ sustainability awareness in smartwatches;
♦ clothing care labels and controlling microfiber pollution;
♦ user-centric advertisements and sustainable apparel consumption; and ♦gender identity and cultural intelligence.