Pacific McGeorge School of Law
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College Corps: A 90 Day Onboarding Plan–and Beyond
No full textThe University of San Diego (USD) is one of the participating campuses to host College Corps (CC) Fellows, and one of four private institutions among the 45. Assigned 130 fellowship members, USD has the largest cohort of its private counterparts and recently added three additional full-time staff members who started approximately four months ago. USD now has a total number of five staff, the largest staff to student ratio of private institutions (Top 10 Learnings, 2023).
While California Volunteers (CV) provided some guidance for the implementation and launch of the program, this guidance was disproportionately focused on the recruitment and retention of student fellows and community host partners recruitment and management. Additionally, campuses felt rushed with the implementation timeline and misled by the amount of work the program would actually take to execute the program (V. Seepaul, personal communications, Dec. 6, 2024).
Over the course of this project our goal is to support the USD with campus staff onboarding and retention that leads to increased job satisfaction and success of the USD CC program
GADD34 and CReP Regulation in the Unfolded Protein Response, Comparing Molecular Mechanisms in Humans and Zebrafish
No full textIn eukaryotic cells, many newly synthesized proteins are sent to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of a cell to be folded into the proper conformation for functionality. When proteins get misfolded, or cannot be folded fast enough, these proteins accumulate in the ER which causes the cell to become stressed. This leads to a process known as the Unfolded Protein Response (UPR). Once UPR has been initiated, the α subunit of eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (eIF2α) becomes phosphorylated to inhibit global protein synthesis within the cell, while simultaneously activating the expression of several genes to either aid in cell recovery or induce cell death if the cell cannot recover. Two genes involved in cell recovery during UPR are GADD34 (PPP1R15A) and CReP (PPP1R15B). GADD34 and CReP proteins, whose expression is upregulated by UPR, bind as subunits to Protein Phosphatase 1 (PP1) which acts to resume global protein synthesis during UPR. After resolution of UPR, GADD34 and CReP proteins are no longer needed in the cell and can be destroyed, however, the mechanism for selecting these proteins for destruction is unclear. There is some supporting evidence that GADD34 is degraded by a process known as ubiquitination, in which ubiquitin molecules are bound to the protein which tags it to be sent to the proteasome for destruction, but there has not been much evidence to show how CReP is degraded. Additionally, evidence of GADD34 ubiquitination has only been demonstrated in the human version of the gene, which limits our understanding of UPR pathways in other model systems. This project aims to determine if CReP is also degraded by ubiquitination, and to investigate if the zebrafish version of these genes behave in a similar way to the human versions. Additionally, GADD34 contains two uORFs in the 5’ UTR region which are likely involved in translational regulation. These two uORFs will be analyzed to determine if expression levels of zebrafish GADD34 change if they are knocked out, mirroring the uORF regulation in mammals. Zebrafish are a common model organism used for research in molecular biology due to their ease and affordability of care and breeding, while possessing many of the same eukaryotic cell processes observed in human cells. Utilizing zebrafish as a model organism can further our understanding of the genes involved in UPR and lead to experiments and techniques that would not be ethical to perform on human tissues or subjects. The importance of understanding the UPR pathway and involved genes are linked to the connection of UPR being implicated in the onset of human neurodegenerative diseases. If UPR cannot be resolved, the affected cells will die. When neuronal cells undergo UPR, the stakes are incredibly high due to the inability for neuronal cells to regenerate. Neuronal cell death will lead to symptoms of neurodegeneration, observed in conditions such as Alzheimer\u27s disease. Further research of UPR activated genes has the potential to expose preventative measures for neurodegenerative avoidance, as well as future drug treatments for human patients with onset neurodegenerative conditions
The Development of a Children’s Book Designed to Use Bibliotherapy and Mindfulness Skills to Promote Interoception in Young Children with Insecure Attachment as a Result of Adverse Childhood Experiences
No full textOne third of children in the United States have experienced trauma known in the literature as Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). The long-term outcomes of ACEs have a higher likelihood of reducing interoceptive awareness—the ability to sense internal body signals like heart rate, hunger, pain, and emotions. Research suggests that interventions, such as mindfulness and attachment therapies are useful for increasing interoceptive awareness, regulating emotions, and fostering secure attachment in adults. However, apart from attachment, interventions are lacking for young children. Bibliotherapy is one such intervention designed for young children which potentially fosters secure attachment between child and adult storytellers and interoceptive awareness in young children. This researcher examined the concepts of ACEs in children, interoception, insecure attachment, and incorporated mindfulness techniques to inform the development of a storybook for children 3-5 years old. When a draft of the storyline was completed, experts in the field of attachment, interoception, trauma treatment, learning and cognition, and early childhood education were consulted, and their feedback was integrated into the final draft of the storybook. The manuscript reflects a synthesis of the research and creative storytelling aimed at promoting interoceptive awareness in young children
Mentors’ Experiences Supporting Beginning Teachers of Students in High-Needs, Urban Schools
No full textResearch has consistently demonstrated the positive impact of mentoring on beginning teachers. However, it has also been revealed that teachers serving students in highly-diverse, high-needs, urban, low-income schools often receive inadequate, inconsistent, and low-quality support. In fact, studies indicate that the overall quality of support provided to beginning teachers is closely linked to the income level of the student population they serve (Alkins et al., 2006; Mizrav & Lachlan-Hache, 2019). A lack of meaningful mentor support can negatively affect the learning outcomes of marginalized students of color.
The purpose of this basic qualitative study, guided by a phenomenological approach, was to explore the perceptions, experiences, and needs of mentor teachers in supporting beginning teachers’ development of equitable teaching practices in high-needs, urban, low-income school settings. The study investigated the experiences of six mentors from different districts and the teacher induction programs that support beginning teachers in these contexts. The researcher collected data through in-depth, semi-structured individual interviews, analyzed the data alongside researcher notes using the study’s conceptual framework. This study also employed In Vivo coding and a constant comparative method to identify and interpret themes emerging across multiple data sources.
The findings offer insight into mentors’ perceptions, experiences, and professional needs related to equity-focused support. Several themes emerged, highlighting the challenges mentors and beginning teachers face in developing and implementing equitable teaching practices. The results underscore the need for institutions and practitioners to provide intentional, equity-oriented mentor training and to adopt strategies that better support equitable instruction, particularly in high-needs, urban, low-income settings. While the study revealed gaps in mentors’ understanding and application of equity-focused mentorship, it also illuminated the complexity of this work and the need for further research on its impact on the overall development of beginning teachers
