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RMS News

Inside this issue

Graduates 2016 .......................... 2

RMS Mentoring Program ............ 2

2016—17 Cohort ........................ 2

RMS Diversity .............................. 2

PhD Dissertation Topics .............. 3

Student Experience ..................... 3

Student Publication..................... 4

Meet The RMS SA ....................... 5

RMSSA President ........................ 5

Meet The Faculty ........................ 6

Community Partner Award ......... 6

Faculty Research ......................... 7

Research Conference ................. 8

Lunch & Learns 2016 ................... 10

RMS Faculty and Graduates ....... 10

Welcome to the first issue of our annual RMS newsletter which is

being distributed to current students, alumni, MCE faculty, and com-

munity partners.

2015-16 was a busy year in the RMS program. Karen LeVelle has

established herself as a highly efficient and friendly Academic Ser-

vices Associate. Last fall, we welcomed Dr. Bruce Uhrmacher to our department from

Curriculum & Instruction. He is an internationally known scholar in arts-based re-

search, an award-winning college teacher, and a fantastic mentor of doctoral students.

His strengths in qualitative research balance out our program so that we truly live up

to our title – Research Methods and Statistics.

As you will see from this newsletter, our faculty and students have been very produc-

tive, presenting at national conferences, publishing papers in peer-reviewed journals,

and collaborating with community partners. Our Fourth Annual Research Methods &

Information Science Department Research Day in April was a great success with over a

dozen oral and poster presentations – of very high quality. We held four monthly

Lunch and Learns to provide our students with the opportunity to hear from experts

about selective RMS topics. Six doctoral students graduated and we expect great

things from them. We continue to attract a high quality applicant pool to our master’s

and doctoral programs, both nationally and internationally.

This year, several initiatives are taking place. We will establish a student advisory

board as a venue for current students to share their thoughts and suggestions for im-

proving our programs. I will be asking RMS alumnae to serve on a professional adviso-

ry board to help us ensure that our programs are cutting-edge and meeting the needs

of the field. Plans are also in the works for a doctoral concentration in qualitative re-

search and evaluation.

Thank you for being a friend of RMS. Please send me your news

(Nicholas.Cutforth@du.edu) and let us know what you think of this newsletter. We

welcome your feedback.

Nicholas Cutforth

Fall 2016 Volume 1, Issue 1 Message from the RMS Department Chair

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Graduates 2016 Congratulations to the 2016 graduates

Master of Arts

Dareen Alzahrani

Angel Chi

Anna De Guzman

Ryan Marks

Kara Mastalski

Christopher Pena

Ian Saari

Doctor of Philosophy

Priyalatha Govindasamy

Melissa Hofmann

Jeff Sauro

Turker Toker

Courtney Vidacovich

Maria Volcovich

Cheryl Wink

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2016-17 Cohort The Research Methods and Statistics Program has a rich history of outstanding

students. We welcome the Fall 2016 Cohort to RMS:

Master of Arts:

Miriam Estrada, Amy Grenier, Sarah O’Neil, Mathais Smrekar, Damon Vine, and

Yanqiu Zhang

Doctor of Philosophy:

Analyn Alquitran, Dareen Alzahrani, Kathleen Chaballa, Yixiao Dong, Abdelfattah

Elbarsha, Debbie Gowensmith, Kevin Hemminger, Lam Huynh, Megan Kauffman,

Christopher Pena, Melissa Peterson, Kady Rost, Ryan Smyth, Amanda Thomas,

Aixin Zhang, and Sara Zikri

RMS Diversity The RMS program’s

students and faculty are among

the most diverse in the Morgridge

College of Education community.

They hail from across several coun-

tries including

China, England, India, Jamaica, Ken-

ya, Libya, , Mexico, Nepal, Philip-

pines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan,

Trinidad, Turkey, and the USA.

RMS Mentoring Program

Due to the diverse community that comprise

the RMS program, the 2016-17 academic

year will see the introduction of a mentoring

program. This program seeks to create a

friendly space to ask questions, navigate the

program and become familiar with the DU/

Denver area. Mentors are current students

at least in their second year of the program.

The mentoring program among other things

provides incoming students with:

A peer/friend to help them become

acclimatized with the campus and the

Denver area.

Someone to provide guidance about

the RMS program.

Someone with whom to talk to about

related topics.

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Student Experience

The four years of journey in Research Methods and Statistics Program was remarkable. The Research Methods and Statistics program facili-tated me to become a good teacher and a researcher. The faculty are the greatest assets to the program. The close working opportunities with the faculty helped to develop my knowledge and skills in research methods and statistics. Faculty’s encouragement and continuous sup-port nurtured me into a responsible and respectable applied statisti-cian.

Priyalatha Govindasamy, PhD, 2016

Professor, Psychology Department, Sultan Idris Education University

Jeff Sauro (center)

Measuring the Quality of the website user experience

Priyalatha Govindasamy (standing)

A comparison between propensity score matching,

weighting, and stratification in multiple treatment

groups: A simulation study

Melissa Hoffman

A descriptive study of the effect of payer

source on multiple longitudinal outcome

measures within the TBI model systems

national database using longitudinal hlm

analyses

Cheryl Wink

Policy convergence in European higher

education: A mixed methods

examination of the role of the

epistemic community in the Bologna

process

Turker Toker (center)

A comparison of latent class analysis and the mixture

Rasch model: a cross-cultural comparison of 8th

grade mathematics achievement in the 4th

international mathematics and science study (timss-

2011)

PhD Dissertation Topics

Courtney Vidacovich

Measuring teachers’ knowledge

and use of data and

assessments: Creating a measure

as a first step toward effective

professional development

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Students’ Publications, Presentations, and New Positions

RMS students have been showcasing their skills and talents in many arenas over the academic year. Gabriel Hottinger, RMS PhD Student Presentation

Hottinger, G. L. (2016). The relationship between de-

pression and perfectionism: A meta-analysis. Poster

session presented at the American Psychological Asso-

ciation Annual Convention, Denver. CO.

This poster was picked to be in the top 10 that re-

ceived in-person review.

Kara Mastalski, RMS MA Student New Position

Kara has been hired as Health Program Specialist, Ida-

ho Department of Health and Welfare

Jessica Morganfield, RMS MA Student New Position

Jessica has been hired as a graduate research assis-tant in the Marsico Institute on the Evaluating the Efficacy of Learning Trajectories in Early Mathematics project. She is also collaborating to devise strategies to devel-op a social networking structure to promote integra-tive medicine practices between acupuncturists and medical doctors. Kranti Dugar, RMS PhD Student Publication

Dugar, K. K. (2015). An assessment of developmental trajectory of baby boomers in the United States - A latent growth curve modeling application. In JSM Pro-ceedings, Statistical Computing Section. Alexandria, VA: American Statistical Association. Kran has been hired as a visiting professor at the Uni-versity of Wisconsin –Eau Claire for 2016-2017. Margaret Schultz Patel, RMS PhD Student New Position

Margaret has been hired as Evaluation Assistant at Vantage Evaluation (http://www.vantage-eval.com). Melissa Gordon, RMS MA Student Publication

Gordon, M. (2016) Establishing a STEM Pipeline: Trends in Male and Female Enrollment and Perfor-mance in Higher Level Secondary STEM Cours-es. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education.

Tara Rhodes, RMS PhD Student New Position

Tara has been hired as a statistical analyst with the State of Colorado.

Maria Vukovich, RMS PhD Student

Maria was involved in a project titled, The Center for

Victims of Torture. Reclaiming Hope, Dignity and Re-

spect: Syrian and Iraqi Torture Survivors in Jordan.

http://www.cvt.org/ReclaimingHopeDignityRespect .

She conducted site visits and co-authored the report

Paige Alfonzo, RMS PhD Student

Publication

Alfonzo, P. (2016). Teaching Google Scholar: A practi-

cal guide for librarians. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield

Publishers.

Elizabeth Ann Wacker, RMS PhD Student

Presentation

Wacker, E.A.D., Estrada, M., & Gillogley, B.L. (2015,

November). Measuring early childhood education

outcomes: parent data, program data, and a techno-

logical approach. Roundtable session at the 29th An-

nual Conference of the American Evaluation Associa-

tion, Chicago, Illinois.

Estrada, M., Wacker, E.A.D. & Gillogley, B.L. (2015,

November). Longitudinal research in formal and infor-

mal early childhood education settings: insights and

lessons learned from data collectors on study recruit-

ment and retention. Roundtable session at the 29th

Annual Conference of the American Evaluation Associ-

ation, Chicago, Illinois.

Elizabeth Bowling, RMS MA Student

Presentation

Bowling, E., Okuyama, S., Swan, E., Deutsch, S., &

McRae, K. (March, 2016). Emotion regulation and Well

-being in Cancer Patients: A Pilot Study. Poster pre-

sented at the annual Rocky Mountain Psychological

Association conference, Denver, CO.

Lilian Chimuma, RMS PHD Student

Publication

Chimuma, L. L. & DeLoach Johnson, I. (2016). As-

sessing Students’ Use of Metacognition during Mathe-

matical Problem Solving Using Smartpens. Educational

Research: Theory & Practice, 28(1), 22 – 36.

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Meet The RMS Program’s Academic Services Associate

How long have you been at DU?

I have been at DU for 11 years

What is the most rewarding aspect of your job?

Working with the students and faculty

What was your first job?

I worked in the kitchen at Mercy Hospital

What were you known for in high school?

I was known for being quiet

If you could travel anywhere in the world where

would you go?

I would love to visit Australia

What is your favorite play or musical?

The Lion King

If you could have dinner with any 3 people (dead

or alive) who would you choose?

My mom, dad and husband

Karen LeVelle - RMS SSA

Welcome to the new academic year. The RMS Student Association (RMSSA)

provides an opportunity for students, regardless of cultural background, to

share in their common interest and love for research, evaluation and statistics.

The Student Association: Represents RMS students in all policy-making activities

affecting program and student interests; Encourages and promotes profession-

al, intellectual, and social interaction between students and faculty within the

RMS program; Provides career assistance and mentorship to current RMS stu-

dents and alumni; Enhances student educational experience through supporting

research and conference activities; Represent s the RMS program and students on the College of Education Stu-

dent Association (COESA) and the Graduate Student Association Council (GSAC).

This academic year, the RMSSA plans a vibrant program that we hope will contribute to the continued develop-

ment of our program and the sense of community we share. I am excited to help lead in this process. Let us

work together as we grow from strength to strength.

GET INVOLVED!

Kerry-Ann Lewis Pearcy RMSSA President 2016, Kerry-ann.lewispearcy@du.edu

RMS Student Association President

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Meet the Faculty

Dr. Nicholas Cutforth, Department

Chair and Professor. Research and

teaching interests include school

health and physical activity

environments, qualitative research,

physical activity and youth

development, university/community

partnerships, and community-based

Dr. Kathy Green, Professor.

Research interests are in applied

measurement, specifically

applications of the Rasch model,

survey research, and teaching

statistics.

Dr. Bruce Uhrmacher, Professor.

Research interests include arts-

based research, qualitative

research, alternative school

settings, curriculum theory and

practice, and Waldorf education.

Dr. Antonio Olmos, Associate Professor.

Research interests include using

advanced research methods in

program evaluation, program

evaluation theory, and outcomes

systems.

Dr. Duan Zhang, Associate Professor.

Research interests are focused on two areas: first

methodological area in multilevel modeling using

Structural Equation Modeling and Hierarchical

Linear Modeling, and second substantive area in

parenting practice and school readiness in early

childhood.

Community Partner Award

The Aurora Research Institute (ARI) received the community partner award for the Research Methods and

Statistics Program at the 2016 Community Partners Breakfast.

ARI is a very important partner in the development of professionals dedicated to the implementation of best

practices in the fields of Research Methods, Statistics, and Program Evaluation. As the research branch of the

Aurora Mental Health Center (AUMHC), ARI is committed to the search for new technologies and methods of

treatment that meet their clients’ needs. ARI’s Executive Director, Dr. Richard Swanson, has hired several

RMS graduates as well as provided internships and practical experiences for students in the RMS program.

Recently ARI established a partnership with RMS to fund an internship for a RMS student on an ongoing basis.

Consequently, our students will have the opportunity to work on the implementation of research methodolo-

gies as well as program evaluation projects that will be invaluable in their future practice.

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Faculty Research

RMS faculty members regularly publish in national and international journals. Here are their most recent publications. Nick Cutforth Journal Article Belansky, E.S., Cutforth, N., Kern, B.D., Scarboro, S. (2016). Disseminating evidence-based physical education

practices in rural schools: The San Luis Valley Physical Education Academy. Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 13(9), 1002-1009, doi: 10.1123/jpah.2015-0467

Cutforth N, Belansky ES. (2015). A community-engaged approach to translating research into practice: A physical education story. Progress in Community Health Partnerships: Research, Education, and Ac-tion. Prog Community Health Partnership. 9(4):571-82. doi: 10.1353/cpr.2015.0082.

Kathy Green Journal Article Chao, R. C.-L., Vidacovich, C., & Green, K. E. (2016). Rasch analysis of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale with

African Americans. Psychological Assessment, http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/pas0000347 Antonio Olmos Journal Article Olmos, A., & Govindasamy, P. (2015). Propensity scores: A practical introduction using R. Journal of MultiDisci-

plinary Evaluation., 11(25), 21. Olmos, A., & Govindasamy, P. (2015) A Practical Guide for Using Propensity Score Weighting in R. Practical

Assessment, Research & Evaluation, 20(13), 8. Bruce Uhrmacher Books P. B. Uhrmacher, C. Moroye, D. Flinders (in press). Using educational criticism and connoisseurship as qualita-

tive research. New York, New York: Routledge Journal Article P. B. Uhrmacher, B. Conrad, and C. Moroye. (2016). Aesthetic, Spiritual, and Flow Experiences: Contrasts and

Educational Implications. Education and Culture, 32(1). Conrad, B, C. Moroye & P. B. Uhrmacher (2015). Curriculum Disruption: A Vision for New Practices in Teaching

and Learning. Current Issues in Education, 18(3). P. B. Uhrmacher and B. Miller (2016). Culture Currents, International Journal of Leadership in Education, 19

(3): 370-372. Featuring Sonia Nieto. P. B. Uhrmacher & Anna Leisser. 2016. “Janusz Korczak.” In Cooper, J. A. P. (Ed.). Routledge Encyclopaedia of

Educational Thinkers. London: Routledge. P. B. Uhrmacher. 2016. “Elliot Eisner.” In Cooper, J. A. P. (Ed.). Routledge Encyclopaedia of Educational Think-

ers. London: Routledge. Duan Zhang Journal Article Anyon, Y., Zhang, D, & Hazel, C. (in press). Race, Exclusionary Discipline and Connectedness to Adults in Sec-

ondary Schools. American Journal of Community Psychology. Museus, S., Zhang, D., & Kim, M. (in press). Developing and Evaluating the Culturally Engaging Campus Envi-

ronments (CECE) Scale: An Examination of Content and Construct Validity. Research in Higher Education.

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RMIS Research Conference 2016 Highlights

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Lunch and Learns 2016

Lunch and Learns provide the opportunity for

RMS students and faculty to discuss issues of

mutual interest.

"Studying for Comps: Hints from Faculty and

Students" – RMS Faculty and Post-Comps Stu-

dents (January)

"Crafting Powerful Reports and Presentation:

Strategies for Improving Communication in

Evaluation" – Dr. Kelci Price (February)

"Grant Writing from a RMS Perspective" – Dr.

Adam Soberay (March)

“Becoming a program evaluator: Experiences

from program evaluators working in the field”

– Drs. Kelci Price, Sheila Arens, and Mariana

Enriquez (April)

RMS April 28 Lunch and learn—Kelci, Mariana, Antonio, Sheila

& Holly with the evaluation tree.

RMS Faculty and Graduates 2016

(L): Courtney, Antonio, Melissa, Nick, Cheryl, Kathy, Duan, Bruce & Jeff