2008 WELLNESS SCHOLAR AWARDS Seven undergraduates received Wellness
Scholar Awards in 2008 for their independent research projects. In addition to
a $1000 scholarship, each student was eligible for up to $900 for equipment and
travel.
Gaia Boyd, Sociology
Understanding the impact of women’s interactions with
medical and media definitions of bodies and wellness: A qualitative study
Advisor: Dr. Karin Peterson, Sociology
Interviewed women with and without chronic
health issues in the effort to understand how women incorporate wellness issues
into their daily lives; the identity of womanhood was found to be an important
influence on conceptions of wellness in this sample, and women tended to turn to
non-medical resources and practices for their personal sense of wellness.
●
Presentation: Big South Undergraduate Research Symposium, Asheville (March,
2009)
●
Publication: Big SURS Proceedings (2009)
Heather Gourley, Spanish
Investigation of network of health care providers for
Latinos in Buncombe County
Advisor: Ms. Ellen Bailey, Foreign Languages
Assessed potential
barriers to seeking care for Latina victims of sexual violence; surveyed victim
advocates at Our Voice, the local rape crisis center, and identified challenges
for Latinas such as social isolation, communication, and differing cultural
interpretations of sexual violence.
● Presentations:
UNCA Spring Symposium (March, 2009), Big South Undergraduate Research Symposium
(March, 2009), and NCUR (April, 2009)
● Publication:
NCUR Proceedings (2009)
Luella Heetderks, Health & Wellness*
Identifying the role of self-efficacy in weight
management after weight loss
Advisor: Dr. Amy Lanou, Health & Wellness
Surveyed 60 community
women who had successfully lost weight; found that maintainers (women who kept
weight off for at least one year) had significantly higher self-efficacy and
perceived competence than women who had regained the weight.
● Presentation:
UNCA Spring Symposium (April, 2008)
● Publication:
UNC Asheville Journal of Undergraduate Research (2008)
Fran Oliver, Sociology & Anthropology
Adding life to years for individuals living with
Alzheimer’s
Advisor: Dr. John Wood, Sociology & Anthropology
Through participant
observation, examined the therapeutic benefit of a drum circle on individuals
with Alzheimer’s living at the Black Mountain
Neuro-Medical Treatment Center; observed positive effects including stress and
anxiety reduction.
● Presentation:
UNCA Fall Symposium (November, 2008)
Pamela Philyaw, Psychology*
The Health Adventure: Health promotion and disease
prevention
Advisor: Dr. Mark Harvey, Psychology
Assessed the effectiveness
of the Health Adventure’s Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Program, which
encourages senior citizens to increase their water, fruit, and vegetable intake.
Preliminary data analyses revealed increases in participants’ intention to
increase water intake and in their awareness of age-related nutrient
requirements.
● Presentation:
UNCA Spring Symposium (April, 2008)
● Publications:
UNC Asheville Journal of Undergraduate Research (2008); final report for
the Health Adventure
DiAnna Ritola, Psychology*
Factors that promote safe sex practices
Advisor: Dr. Melissa Himelein, Psychology
Through an initial survey,
identified 10 young adults who reported consistent safe sex practices;
individual interviews with this group suggested that concerns about sexually
transmitted diseases, personal maturity, and future orientation have the
greatest impact on safe sex behavior.
● Presentation:
UNCA Fall Symposium (November, 2008)
● Publication:
UNC Asheville Journal of Undergraduate Research (2008)
Morgan Silverman, Psychology (2008)*
Chronic pain and maladaptive coping techniques
Advisors: Dr. Amy Lanou, Health & Wellness, & Dr. Tracy Brown, Psychology
Surveyed 353 UNCA students
about their experience of chronic pain and attempted coping techniques.
Students with chronic pain reported a higher rate of attempts at smoking
cessation and more eating pathology, but did not differ from students without
chronic pain on locus of control or tobacco/drug use.
● Presentations:
Carolinas Psychology Conference, Charlotte (November, 2007), UNCA
Spring Symposium (April, 2008)
*signifies that student
graduated with distinction as an Undergraduate Research Scholar
