Category: Research and Publications

A multi-disciplinary group of faculty published “Leadership Academy: Fostering Honors Faculty Growth through Peer-to-Peer Learning” in the National Collegiate Honors Council Monograph Series entitled “Where Honors Education and Faculty Development Meet” on July 16, 2025.

The group of faculty:

• Chelsea Redger-Marquardt, assistant dean, Cohen Honors College and assistant professor in the Department of Sport and Leadership Studies
• Doug Stucky, director and assistant dean of the College of Innovation and Design
• Cindi Mason, associate teaching professor and undergraduate coordinator of the Department of Industrial, Systems and Manufacturing Engineering
• Bobby Berry, assistant dean for students and strategic initiatives, College of Applied Studies and assistant professor in the Department of Sport Management
• Samantha Gregus, director of clinical training and associate professor in the Department of Psychology
• Kimberly Engber, dean, Cohen Honors College and associate professor

Abstract: Developing leadership experiences around multi-disciplinary academic content and application was one of the elements of an honors college vision articulated on our campus ten years ago. We outlined the anticipated benefits for students. We did not anticipate what a significant impact this model would have on faculty growth. Now beginning its fourth year and called “Lead for Tomorrow,” the Cohen Honors Leadership Academy builds a multi-layered intellectual community each year. A team of faculty thought leaders from multiple disciplines meets to design a course plan consisting of a theme, community partnerships, discipline-specific content, and design-thinking projects. The academy culminates in a multi-day trip outside of our region that is structured by Place-as-Text methodology and that informs final student group presentations to community partners. The multidisciplinary faculty team builds the first layer of the community. Honors students from a diversity of academic majors, experiences and perspectives apply to participate in the academy and add the second layer. Community non-profit organizations add a third layer by posing a wicked problem to students.

Since the academy’s inception, the faculty thought leaders have engaged in student-centered teaching including flipped classroom methods and modifying course content responsive to student interest. Each faculty member initially identifies skills, tools, and key concepts from their academic fields that are relevant to the course theme. Faculty then become students by attending class sessions led by other faculty. Beyond modeling the power of dialogue across fields to understand and solve complex problems, this environment quickly created a parallel learning community among the faculty. Teaching on the same topic taught faculty different perspectives, and each instructor’s unique way of delivering the material impacted the faculty team’s overall teaching effectiveness. Faculty also learn directly from community partners in real time about the skills they seek from our college graduates. To continue to develop this course experience, members of the faculty team have engaged with university-wide teaching and learning programs including the service-learning scholars program coordinated by faculty directors and a faculty working group developing best practices for ePortfolios. An interpretative qualitative approach allows for a thematic analysis of retrospective faculty narratives from the 3 years of academy implementation. Further, an outside observer and leader of the honors college serves as an additional debriefer in the research process.

As part of a larger research study, it became apparent to the research team that examining their teaching and learning as a result of continued engagement with this dynamic team-teaching environment would yield a deeper understanding of the effectiveness of their teaching practices. Drawing on many research studies and practices within the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL), the practitioners serve as both the instructors and the researchers for this study (Chick, 2018). Thematic findings of faculty lessons learned, de-siloed partnerships, and innovative community partnerships will be shared. Further, the interdisciplinary team-taught leadership academy model will be offered for discussion for other institutions. Implications for honors practitioners and ideas for collaborative programs and course design are included.

A multi-disciplinary group of faculty published “Reflections from the road: exploring student outcomes and perceptions of an undergraduate Honors Leadership Academy” in Journal of Leadership Education on May 19, 2025.

The group of faculty:

• Chelsea Redger-Marquardt, assistant dean, Cohen Honors College and assistant professor in the Department of Sport and Leadership Studies
• Doug Stucky, director and assistant dean of the College of Innovation and Design
• Cindi Mason, associate teaching professor and undergraduate coordinator of the Department of Industrial, Systems and Manufacturing Engineering
• Bobby Berry, assistant dean for students and strategic initiatives, College of Applied Studies and assistant professor in the Department of Sport and Leadership Studies
• Samantha Gregus, director of clinical training and associate professor in the Department of Psychology

Abstract: Purpose
Leadership can be developed through interdisciplinary teaching with a focus on innovation and design thinking, and travel as an experiential learning exercise. Design thinking encourages students to engage in problem solving from an interdisciplinary lens, often resulting in personal growth. Place as Text allows students to explore places experientially, and often results in increased motivation, engagement and learning when included in courses. The purpose of the current study was to explore how participation in an Honors Leadership Academy that combined instruction and travel impacted student perceptions of growth, learning and self-report of leadership values.

Design/methodology/approach
A mixed-method design was used in the current study. Four cohorts of undergraduate honors students (n = 30) enrolled in an Honors Leadership Academy rated their leadership values at pre- and post-participation in the academy. Students also completed reflection essays at the conclusion of their experience in the academy. Essays were coded and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis to assess growth or changes in leadership values and learning overall.

Findings
Participation in the academy resulted in improvement in participants’ ratings of their leadership values. Thematic analyses revealed growth in students’ leadership knowledge, peer relationships, self-discovery, appreciation for collaboration, connection to the college/university and place-based learning.

Originality/value
The current study highlights how an interdisciplinary, collaborative Honors Leadership Academy that combines instruction with travel can promote students’ understanding and growth in leadership values and learning through an innovative model. This study also adds to the literature specifically exploring leadership development in undergraduate honors students.

Dr. Dean Elledge, Program Director, Specialist Prosthodontist, and Amanda Conner, AEGD academic program manager, in Advanced Education in General Dentistry, published “Icebreaking and Teambuilding: Engaging Oral Health in Social Exclusion and Discrimination” presented at the 2024 ADEA Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Workshop on Oct. 23, 2025.

Abstract: The ADEA Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (ADEA DEIB) Workshop, Equity in Action: Dismantling Injustice and Promoting Social Justice in Academic Dentistry on Oct. 23 in Coronado, CA. The workshop will focus on enhancing cultural competency, identifying and dismantling systemic barriers, and developing leadership skills for advocacy.

Robert C. Manske, Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy, published “The 2024 international society for hip preservation physiotherapy agreement on post-operative rehabilitation following hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome” in the Journal of Hip Preservation Surgery on Oct. 27, 2025.

Abstract: The 2024 International Society for Hip Preservation physiotherapy agreement presents expert-driven rehabilitation guidelines for use following hip arthroscopy (HA) for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS). The expert-panel consisted of 11 physiotherapists and eight surgeons representing five countries specializing in hip preservation. Despite the favorable outcomes of HA for FAIS demonstrated in the current literature, there is a paucity of research supporting a specific physiotherapy protocol. These guidelines were created utilizing a modified-Delphi technique where panelists utilized the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation scale to determine inclusion of treatment interventions within each phase. The panelists recommend six phases of rehabilitation with a time and milestone-based approach beginning in the immediate post-operative period and continuing the through the return to sport phase. These expert-driven guidelines will help reduce practice variation and standardize post-operative timelines.

Robert C. Manske, Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy, published “Diagnostic Musculoskeletal Ultrasound in the Evaluation of Adductor Longus Injuries: Implications for Rehabilitation Provider” in the International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy on Nov. 1, 2025.

Abstract: Adductor longus injuries represent a significant clinical challenge in sports medicine and rehabilitation, given their impact on athletic performance and risk for recurrence. Diagnostic musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSK-US) provides a dynamic, cost-effective, and radiation-free modality for evaluating adductor pathology, including tendinopathy, partial tears, and complete ruptures. This article reviews the role of MSK-US in the assessment of adductor longus injuries, emphasizing sonographic anatomy, diagnostic accuracy, and clinical utility. Special attention is given to the integration of ultrasound findings into rehabilitation decision-making, including early injury characterization, monitoring tissue healing, and guiding safe return-to-sport progression. For rehabilitation providers, proficiency in the use and interpretation of MSK-US enhances diagnostic precision and supports a more personalized, evidence-informed rehabilitation approach.

Clinical Implications: Competency in MSK-US evaluation of the adductor longus enables rehabilitation professionals to contribute meaningfully to early diagnosis, injury grading, and interdisciplinary care decisions.

Robert C. Manske, Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy, published “Diagnostic Musculoskeletal Ultrasound in the Evaluation of the Rectus Abdominis” in the International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy on Oct. 1, 2025.

Abstract: The rectus abdominis (RA) muscle is a key muscle in the anterior abdominal wall, contributing to motion of trunk flexion, assisting with stabilization of the pelvis, and maintaining intra-abdominal pressure. Its integrity is essential for posture, respiration, and functional movement, and it is frequently implicated in clinical conditions such as abdominal wall hernias, rectus diastasis, muscle strains, and postoperative complications. Accurate evaluation of the RA is therefore critical for both diagnostic and rehabilitative purposes.

Musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSKUS) has emerged as a valuable imaging modality for assessing the structure and function of the RA muscle. Offering real-time, dynamic visualization without ionizing radiation, MSKUS enables clinicians and researchers to examine muscle morphology, thickness, echogenicity, and contractile behavior with high precision. Compared with other imaging modalities such as computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging, MSKUS is more accessible, cost-effective, and well-suited for repeated assessments in both clinical and research settings.

Recent advances in MSKUS have expanded its role in evaluating abdominal wall musculature, particularly in populations ranging from athletes and postoperative patients to postpartum women. By providing detailed, noninvasive insights into the RA muscle, MSKUS contributes to improved diagnosis, monitoring of rehabilitation progress, and the development of targeted interventions.

Tamás Molnár, assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering within the College of Engineering, co-published the book, “Dynamics and Control of Connected Vehicles.”

Description: Dr. Tamás Molnár, an assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering within the College of Engineering, co-authored a book with Dr. Gábor Orosz of the University of Michigan, “Dynamics and Control of Connected Vehicles.” The book discusses the dynamics, stability and control of connected vehicles, including the analysis of human driver behavior, the design of controllers regulating the motions of connected and automated vehicles, and discussions on how vehicle networks and traffic flows are influenced by automation and connectivity — both through mathematical description and experiments on real vehicles. Dr. Molnár pursues research on how to control the motions of connected and automated vehicles in a safe and efficient way.

Dr. Benjamin Kirby, associate professor, and Alaina Cunningham, second year audiology student, in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, published “Psychoacoustic assessment of misophonia” in JASA Express Letters on Sept. 9, 2025.

Abstract: Misophonia is a condition characterized by intense negative emotional reactions to trigger sounds and related stimuli. In this study, adult listeners (N = 15) with a self-reported history of misophonia symptoms and a control group without misophonia (N = 15) completed listening judgements of recorded misophonia trigger stimuli using a standard scale. Participants also completed an established questionnaire of misophonia symptoms, the Misophonia Questionnaire (MQ). Summed scores of the listening task were significantly correlated with overall MQ score. The misophonia group had significantly higher listening scores and MQ scores compared to controls. These findings indicate applications for psychoacoustic methods in the assessment of misophonia.

Jeff Hayton, Associate Professor in the Department of History, published “Socialist Subjectivities: Queering East Germany under Honecker, edited by Katharine White, Scott Harrison, and Jeff Hayton” in University of Michigan Press on May 1, 2025.

Abstract: Socialist Subjectivities works within the logics of queer time to reanimate East German subjectivities in the 1970s and 1980s beyond the narrative of the German Democratic Republic’s long march towards demise. While East Germany certainly ended in dissolution, not all East Germans experienced late socialism in a singular manner. Rather, even after a generation of building socialism, East Germans under Honecker continued to pursue a range of socialist presents and a multiplicity of socialist futures up to and beyond 1989. This edited volume utilizes queer temporalities to interrogate how individuals lived non-normative possibilities in a highly normative world.

Whether one was an apparatchik, artist, or alcoholic, the everyday interactions, experiences, and rituals of late socialism proved crucial to establishing the conditions around which subjecthood was constructed. Despite stereotypes of apathy and inertia, East Germans lent a considerable dynamism to their society, and by generating a cacophony of opinions and a heterogeneity of ideas, they constantly transformed state socialism. By foregrounding socialist subjects and the iterative nature of socialism during these decades, this volume paints a richer portrait of East Germany—one that illuminates how East Germans imagined their futures in a society whose collapse they could not foresee.

Rhonda Williams, RN-BSN program coordinator and teaching professor in the Ascension Via Christi – Wichita State University School of Nursing, published “Transforming RN-Baccalaureate Education Using Insights From a National Faculty Needs Assessment” in Nurse Educator May 1.

Abstract: Background: The recent American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Essentials revision emphasizes direct clinical experiences across 4 spheres of care in RN-Baccalaureate (RN-B) education, creating challenges for online, asynchronous programs. Differentiating between prelicensure and postlicensure education complicates the integration of these requirements. Understanding RN-B faculty needs is critical for curricular transformation. Purpose: This needs assessment examines challenges faced by RN-B faculty in integrating the AACN Essentials into nursing curricula and provides resources critical for the transition to them. Methods: A web-based needs assessment was conducted with RN-B faculty across the United States. It included a demographic questionnaire, 5 quantitative questions, and 3 qualitative items. Results: The assessment revealed a need for enhanced academic support, resources, communication, and collaboration to facilitate implementation. Conclusion: This article offers insights, recommendations, and resources for RN-B faculty engaged in curricular transformation, emphasizing targeted support for adopting the AACN Essentials. Keywords: NCLEX crosswalk; completion program for registered nurses; curricular change; educational pathway.