Cameron Williams, the son of educators, spent much of the past two years researching something close to his heart – teacher burnout.
Cindia Marra has poured her heart into researching neural regeneration in zebrafish as it pertains to spinal-cord injuries in humans.
Karla Perez Vazquez is part of a team of academics who titled their project: “Testing natural products obtained from medicinal plants for anti-breast-cancer activity.”
Williams, Marra, and Perez Vazquez were just a part of St. Thomas University’s first-ever “Research Week,” which concluded on Friday, November 1.
Research Week is the brainchild of Dr. Jeffery Plunkett.
Dr. Plunkett is the dean of — and a professor for — STU’s College of Health Sciences and Technology.
“The real hallmark of a university is when we begin to move into research-based education, and that is what St. Thomas is doing,” Dr. Plunkett said. “All (of STU’s) colleges have been represented (during Research Week), and that’s a wonderful thing.
“As we move into the future at St. Thomas, we want research to be at the base of learning here. This is how we take our university to the next level.”
STU’s Research Week featured numerous events.
On Monday, the topic discussed was titled: “Ethical Considerations for Research.” The featured speakers were Dr. Kennedy Maranga, Rev. Dr. Alfred Cioffi Sr., and Catherine Grace, Ph.D.
Tuesday opened with a talk on: “Supporting Research Through Grant Opportunities” (and how to turn your ideas into proposals).
Later Tuesday, there was a roundtable session on time management with Dr. Heidi Schmidt, Dr. Maria Orlando, and Dr. Tami Beaty.
Wednesday featured the week’s keynote speaker: Dr. Azizi Seixas, Ph.D. His speech was called, “AI and Data Science: The new lingua franca for social justice and global transformation.”
Later Wednesday, there was an online roundtable titled: “Research Methodology and Design.” The speakers were Dr. Katrina Pann and Dr. Vern Czelusniak.
Thursday’s topic regarding research was titled: “The hands-on experiential approach.” The speakers were: Dr. Chris Williams (Environmental/Animal Sciences), Dr. Abdy Javadzadeh (Criminology), Chef Ivan Valcin (Culinary Medicine), Dr. Janet Huxley and Dr. Cassandra Milien (Nursing), and professors Konar Smith and Jason Dawlabani (Sports Medicine).
“The week was a great success,” Dr. Plunkett said. “The momentum continued to build. There were more than 100 students there on Thursday.”
On Friday, what was billed as “STU’s First Annual Research Week,” wrapped up with poster displays of all the varied research projects.
That takes us back to Williams, who worked with two STU faculty members on their project: Pamela Dahlin, Psy.D., and Christtian Travieso, M.A. Their research paper is called, “Make or Break: The impact a negative evaluation has on teachers’ experiences with burnout.”
Williams, a 21-year-old Psychology major, said he did not expect to be involved in research when he first enrolled at STU.
However, Professor Dahlin convinced him, and Williams is grateful.
“Writing a research paper and getting it published is amazing,” Williams said. “And when I found out that I was going to be part of ‘Research Week’ and that I could present my paper … it meant so much to me.
“I come from a family of educators. I know the importance of education. I wouldn’t be here today without it. So, spreading the word on what I’ve found out makes me happy.”
Williams, who is set to graduate in December, wants to get his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology with a specialization in children and adolescents.
Meanwhile, the aforementioned Karla Perez Vazquez aspires to be an STU student.
A 20-year-old native of Cuba, Perez Vazquez is a sophomore at Miami Dade College’s North Campus. She is one of seven people who participated in their research paper.
“I was fortunate to be able to this research here at (STU), thanks to a grant from (MDC’s) School of Science and from the St. Thomas University Research Institute,” said Perez Vazquez, a Biology major.
Perez Vazquez, who is set to graduate from MDC in April, plans to apply to STU to continue her education.
Last but not least, there is the aforementioned Cindia Marra, whose research paper is called, “Neural Regeneration in Zebrafish: Investigating Stem Cell Dynamics Following Spinal Cord Injury.”
Marra collaborated with Dr. Plunkett and also with Brian Avera.
A 21-year-old native of Cuba, Marra is getting her Master’s in Biology at STU, and she is set to graduate in May.
Her ultimate goal is to go to medical school to become a neurosurgeon, but she is open to other possibilities in the field of medicine.
“I want to do something for the benefit of others,” Marra said. “But it also has to be something that I love myself.”
As for “Research Week,” Marra said the event was hugely important to her and her fellow students.
“I’ve been doing research the past three years,” Marra said, “and I think that this is a great opportunity for students to learn what they are actually passionate about.
“Sometimes kids come to college, and we have an idea of what we want to do in the future, but we’re not sure. You have to come with open eyes, take in all the information, try different things and learn what it is you truly love.”
