Research Spotlight
Logan Fiorella, OIBR Distinguished Scholar and associate professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Georgia, is advancing our understanding of how instructional videos can more effectively support student learning—particularly in STEM education. His newest project builds directly on earlier findings showing that students often learn better when they watch an instructor draw diagrams during a lesson rather than viewing fully completed visuals. What remains unknown, however, is why this advantage occurs and under what conditions it is most impactful.
A Research Partnership Rooted in Shared Interests
To answer these questions, Fiorella teamed up with Dr. Deborah Barany in the Department of Kinesiology at UGA. Barany specializes in the neuroscience of motor control and learning through action observation using methods such as fMRI and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Together, they are examining whether attentional and action-observation networks in the brain play a role in how students learn from watching an instructor draw.
Their partnership began several years ago while studying how drawing affected learning among medical students. Because their interests naturally intersect—Fiorella’s work on learning through drawing and Barany’s expertise in action observation—the current project became a seamless continuation of their earlier collaboration. Fiorella gains the opportunity to investigate the neural mechanisms behind effective instruction, while Barany extends her work into applied educational contexts.
Why This Project Matters
Instructional videos are used widely across education, yet many are created based on intuition rather than research. Fiorella’s project is part of a growing effort to identify evidence-based principles for designing engaging, effective video lessons. Observing an instructor create drawings is a promising strategy because it may help guide students’ attention, break complex ideas into manageable steps, and tap into humans’ natural tendency to learn from others’ actions.
Through a series of controlled experiments—including a culminating fMRI study—the team aims to distinguish between two explanations for why instructor drawing aids learning: Are the benefits primarily related to how the drawings guide attention? Or do learners absorb information more effectively because they are watching human movement unfold?
Surprises and Challenges in Studying Learning
Fiorella notes that even seemingly simple learning tasks become surprisingly complex once experiments are designed. Learning outcomes can be influenced by prior knowledge, motivation, cognitive abilities, material difficulty, structure, and the type of outcome being measured. Aligning these elements is essential—and often far more intricate than expected.
Another major challenge is balancing experimental control with real-world application. While research requires carefully controlled conditions, the goal is also to develop recommendations that work in authentic classroom settings. Designing studies that meet both goals remains a persistent challenge.
What Makes the Work Most Rewarding
For Fiorella, the most meaningful aspect of his research is mentoring undergraduate and graduate students. He enjoys guiding them through developing questions, designing studies, and building their own research programs. He also finds it rewarding to share findings with educators, frequently presenting work to UGA faculty and students interested in evidence-based teaching.
The Impact of Collaboration
Fiorella credits much of his progress to collaborations across disciplines. Working with colleagues such as Dr. Paula Lemons and Dr. Erin Dolan in Biochemistry, and Dr. Allison Jaeger in Cognitive Psychology at Mississippi State University, has allowed him to examine instructional questions in context-rich environments. These partnerships ensure that psychological mechanisms are paired with deep disciplinary expertise.
Looking Ahead: The Role of Habit in Learning
Over the next five years, Fiorella plans to focus more on how students’ habits affect their self-regulation of learning. Many students intend to use effective learning strategies but rely instead on familiar, less-productive routines. His undergraduate course on the Psychology of Habit explores how these habits form, how they shape study behavior, and how habit-focused interventions may help students adopt more beneficial learning practices.
Written by: Andrea Horsman
December 12, 2025
How does a teenager’s stress ripple through the family—beyond the emotional tension—to affect their parents’ physical health?
That’s the central question driving a newly funded research project led by University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill’s Dr. Melissa Lippold, in collaboration with Dr. Katherine Ehrlich, University of Georgia Professor of Psychology and a Distinguished Scholar at the Owens Institute for Behavioral Research, whose Health and Development Laboratory will spearhead the UGA portion of the work.
The five-year, $3.3 million study, titled “Examining the Crossover Effects of Adolescent Stress on Parent Cardiovascular Health,” is supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), with $2.4 million awarded to UGA. The project launched in September 2025 and will follow 400 parent–child pairs across Athens and surrounding areas starting this spring.
A Friendship Turned Research Partnership
Ehrlich and Lippold’s collaboration began as many great scientific partnerships do—with a shared interest and a wonderful idea.
“I had been working on a proposal about how adolescents’ stress during the transition to middle and high school might be linked to their own cardiometabolic health,” Ehrlich said. “But we kept missing the payline—sometimes by just a couple of points.”
Lippold suggested expanding the idea to include “crossover effects”—how stress in adolescents might transfer to affect parents’ health. “We quickly realized we could examine both sets of questions within the same framework,” Ehrlich recalled. “That insight turned out to be the key.”
The two researchers first met in 2005 during graduate school interviews and have been sharing ideas ever since. “We’ve been informally bouncing ideas off each other for nearly two decades,” Ehrlich said. “It’s been amazing to see how that long-term friendship evolved into a project of this scale.”
Inside the Study: Tracking Stress and Health in Real Time
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains one of the leading causes of death in the U.S., disproportionately affecting minority and low-income populations. Decades of evidence show that daily stressors and strong emotional reactivity to those stressors elevate risks for cardiometabolic disease and inflammation—two major predictors of CVD.
What’s new is the project’s focus on how adolescent stress might “crossover” to influence parent health. Early pilot data from Lippold’s lab revealed that, on days when adolescents experienced stressors, their parents were more likely to report negative mood, physical symptoms such as headaches or fatigue, and elevated cortisol—a stress hormone linked to heart disease.
The new study will dig deeper into those patterns. Over the next five years, the team will:
- Recruit 400 families with children entering 6th or 9th grade.
- Conduct in-lab assessments of stress, social relationships, and baseline health.
- Have parents and adolescents complete two weeks of nightly surveys to capture daily stressors and emotional responses.
- Follow each family for 18 months to see how adolescent stress predicts changes in parent cardiovascular health and inflammatory markers.
By combining new primary data with analyses of an existing parent-child dataset, the research will test whether findings hold across different racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups—providing a rare opportunity to examine health disparities in stress transmission.
Why It Matters
Parenting adolescents can be both rewarding and stressful. This project aims to uncover how those daily stressors matter for parents’ physical health and identify modifiable pathways—such as poor sleep, worry, or strained family communication—that might amplify or buffer those effects.
Ultimately, the findings will guide the design of future interventions to help parents respond to teen stress in ways that protect their own cardiovascular health. “If we can pinpoint the mechanisms linking adolescent stress to parent health, we can design strategies that promote resilience in both generations,” Ehrlich explained.
The Human Side of Science
For Ehrlich, the project reflects the unpredictable but rewarding path of research. “Research trajectories often look linear in hindsight,” she said, “but in reality, they’re shaped by timing, collaboration, and a fair amount of luck. This grant is a perfect example—it started as a companion idea and became the centerpiece of our next five years.”
She also praised the Owens Institute for Behavioral Research and UGA’s Center for Family Research for their support. “The OIBR team was incredible, especially during those chaotic submission cycles when I had two or three proposals going at once,” she said.
And while the work is challenging—tracking participants over years, managing complex data systems—Ehrlich finds joy in the teamwork behind it all. “When everything is running smoothly—data coming in, students learning, analyses progressing—it feels like we’re all part of something bigger. That’s what I love most about this work.”
Learn More
Families interested in participating or following the project’s progress can visit the Health and Development Laboratory website: https://www.healthanddevelopmentlaboratory.com
Written by: Andrea Horsman
November 13, 2025
When Dr. Soroya McFarlane, OIBR Grant Development Program Graduate and assistant professor in Communication Studies, first began exploring how artificial intelligence (AI) could intersect with her maternal health research, she wasn’t aiming to create just another digital tool. Instead, she imagined a way to transform how critical, often lifesaving, information is shared with women and their families. That vision is now coming to life through THRIVE AI, a groundbreaking project supported by the NIH AIM-AHEAD Program for Artificial Intelligence Readiness (PAIR).
From the THRIVE Project to THRIVE AI
McFarlane’s earlier initiative, the THRIVE Project, focused on empowering families during childbirth with accessible, evidence-based resources. As she looked for ways to expand its reach, she identified natural language processing (NLP) as a promising tool to simplify complex scientific information into everyday language.
Her path forward became clear when she discovered the AIM-AHEAD PAIR program, which offered both advanced AI training and funding. “It was the perfect opportunity,” McFarlane explains. “PAIR gave me the tools to deepen my expertise in AI while also supporting my mission to provide resources for birth companions and families.”
Collaboration Sparked at OIBR
The seeds of this project were planted during an OIBR working group meeting on social science and computational methods. There, McFarlane connected with Dr. Ishtiaque Fazlul, Co-PI, and OIBR affiliate and assistant professor in the College of Public Health and School of Public & International Affairs. Their shared interests—maternal health communication and computational approaches—made collaboration a natural fit. Together, they bring complementary expertise: McFarland in communication science, Fazlul in causal inference and machine learning.
OIBR has been a key connector throughout this journey, helping McFarlane navigate UGA’s research ecosystem and build the infrastructure needed to secure funding and launch the project.
Addressing Black Maternal Health Disparities
In the U.S., Black women are three to five times more likely to die from childbirth-related causes than their white counterparts—regardless of education, geography, or pre-existing conditions.
For McFarlane, many of these inequities are rooted in fundamental communication problems: women not being heard, medical information shared in inaccessible ways, and misaligned or inappropriate treatments.
“Communication science gives us theories and strategies to contribute to solutions,” she says. “By applying AI thoughtfully, we can create interventions that ensure Black women and their families feel informed, supported, and heard.”
Community at the Center
One of the most rewarding aspects of the THRIVE project, McFarlane emphasizes, is its community-engaged approach. From the earliest proposal stages, community partners have been active collaborators, helping shape the project’s direction and ensuring that the tools being built reflect real-world needs.
“The most gratifying part,” she shares, “is having communities as experts by experience, not just as research subjects. That validation keeps us focused on creating solutions with real-world impact.”
Navigating Surprises and Challenges
Even with UGA’s nearly 50-year history of artificial intelligence research, McFarlane’s team discovered they were the first on campus to attempt direct procurement with OpenAI. “It was surprising to realize how new some aspects of this work still are within our institution,” she notes.
Another ongoing challenge is the fast pace of the AI field. While academic research is methodical by design, AI evolves daily. “We’re learning as we go—building expertise and conducting studies—while also making sure our results aren’t outdated by the time they’re complete,” McFarlane says.
Building a National Network
Through the PAIR program, McFarlane has gained access to a national network of scholars working at the intersection of AI and health equity. Partnerships with institutions like Meharry Medical College are opening doors for collaboration with computer science faculty and students tackling similar projects. These connections not only expand the scope of THRIVE AI but also enhance its potential to positively impact maternal health outcomes on a national scale.
Looking Ahead
Over the next five years, McFarlane envisions the THRIVE platform becoming a widely adopted resource across hospitals nationwide. The goal is not only to improve clinical outcomes but also to transform the birthing experience, reducing fear, increasing satisfaction, and helping underserved communities take an active role in their care.
“The real measure of success,” McFarlane reflects, “is when research moves off the page and into tools that directly support families.”
Learn More
Written by: Andrea Horsman. Oct. 10, 2025
When it comes to cutting-edge research that addresses urgent public health issues, Dr. Mohammad Rifat Haider is leading the way. An assistant professor in Health Policy and Management at the UGA College of Public Health, Dr. Haider is using technology and compassion to better understand and support marginalized populations—particularly men who engage in chemsex, a practice involving planned substance use to enhance sexual experiences.
Recently awarded an NIH R21 grant through the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Dr. Haider’s work centers around Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) to track high-risk behaviors and develop real-time harm reduction strategies. The study seeks to illuminate not only how chemsex is practiced—particularly in the Deep South—but also what harm reduction methods are used or neglected by participants.
“This is an underexplored area in U.S. research,” Haider explains. “Much of what we know about chemsex comes from European studies. We’re looking to fill that gap—especially in Southern states, where cultural norms and healthcare access differ significantly.”
The OIBR Grant Development Program: A Launchpad for Success
Dr. Haider credits the OIBR Grant Development Program (GDP) with playing a pivotal role in his success as a researcher. “The GDP completely reshaped how I think about grants,” he says. “It pushed me to elevate my ideas, challenged my assumptions, and ultimately helped me craft a competitive proposal.”
His R21 grant proposal emerged directly from his time in the GDP. The program’s grant pitch session, faculty mentorship, and peer feedback gave him critical insight into how reviewers think. One such moment came when he was advised to rethink a prevalence-focused study design in favor of a more intervention-oriented, harm-reduction model—an insight that proved transformative.
“That was an eye-opener,” Haider recalls. “It showed me that I wasn’t thinking big enough—or strategically enough—for NIH funding.”
Beyond the technical support, Haider emphasizes the mentorship and community the GDP offers.
“I can’t thank the OIBR team enough—Jody, Dawn, Chris, Kim, and Stacie… they were all incredibly helpful throughout the process,” he adds. “It wasn’t just professional guidance; it was a team effort, and it never felt transactional. They genuinely wanted me to succeed.”
Haider’s experience underscores the broader impact of OIBR’s mission: to empower early-career researchers with the tools, support, and confidence needed to win external funding and tackle complex social and behavioral challenges.
A Tech-Driven, Human-Centered Approach
Unlike traditional behavioral studies, Dr. Haider’s research leverages EMA technology, prompting participants to respond to brief mobile surveys twice daily. These real-time updates gather data on chemsex behavior, venues, and any harm reduction techniques employed—such as carrying naloxone, pre-programming emergency contacts, or using condoms or PrEP.
This real-time data collection is the foundation for a future Just-In-Time Adaptive Intervention (JITAI), a mobile app designed to deliver timely support. For instance, if a participant enters a known high-risk setting, GPS data could trigger reminders about harm reduction tools.
“We’re not telling people to stop,” says Haider. “We’re meeting them where they are, providing knowledge and tools so they can make safer choices.”
Strategic Partnerships
This work wouldn’t be possible without the collaborative effort behind it. Dr. Haider co-leads the project with colleague and mentor Dr. Nate Hansen and is supported by collaborators like Dr. Jeremy Gibbs from UGA’s School of Social Work. Their collective experience spans multiple NIH-funded studies and outreach to hard-to-reach communities.
STARR Lab: Building a Research Hub for Risk Reduction
Dr. Haider’s growing research collective—aptly named the STARR Lab (Social Technology and Risk Reduction)—includes faculty, (Drs. Nate Hansen, Tamora Callands, Liyuan Wang, Jeremy Gibbs), doctoral students, and undergraduates working across several NIH-funded projects. The group’s long-term goal is to create a centralized digital platform housing intervention tools, research outputs, and engagement features for participants and partners.
“Technology is integral to everything we do,” Haider explains. “From data collection to intervention delivery, we’re building systems that are responsive, scalable, and rooted in evidence.”
From Resilience to Results
If there’s a theme that runs through Haider’s work, it’s resilience. Whether studying people who inject drugs, individuals experiencing homelessness, or LGBTQ+ youth navigating identity and risk, Haider sees his participants not as problems to be solved, but as experts in survival.
“These folks are already resilient. My job is to channel that resilience toward healthier outcomes,” he says. “We’re not starting from zero—we’re building on what they already know and do.”
A Scholar on the Rise
Dr. Haider’s growing list of accolades includes an OIBR Distinguished Scholar designation and the 2024 OIBR Rising Star Award. His work has been featured at major conferences, including the American Public Health Association, and is rapidly gaining national attention.
“Three years ago, if someone told me I’d have three NIH grants, I would’ve thought it was a cruel joke,” Haider says with a laugh. “But here we are—and it’s because I had the right support system.”
Written by: Andrea Horsman
Sept. 15, 2025
A groundbreaking international research effort is underway to advance early identification and prevention of psychosis—and Gregory Strauss, Ph.D., an OIBR Distinguished Scholar, and Franklin Professor of Psychology at the University of Georgia, is playing a critical role. With more than $50 million in funding from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), Strauss and his team are part of the Psychosis Risk Outcomes Network (ProNet). This global initiative aims to identify early markers of psychotic disorders like schizophrenia and stop them before they take hold.
ProNet is part of a larger research program known as the Accelerating Medicines Partnership Schizophrenia (AMP SCZ), a collaboration between the NIMH and international partners. The effort includes 42 research sites across the globe and more than 2,000 participants identified as being at clinical high risk (CHR) for psychosis. These individuals are followed longitudinally for two years, contributing invaluable insights into what factors may signal the onset of schizophrenia.
“This is the most comprehensive dataset we’ve ever had in the field of psychosis risk,” said Strauss. “It’s a once-in-a-generation opportunity to change how we detect and prevent one of the most devastating mental illnesses.”
Understanding Risk Before Illness Strikes
Psychotic disorders often begin with a “prodromal” period—an early phase when people experience subtle but distressing symptoms such as suspiciousness, hearing faint voices, or social withdrawal. These CHR symptoms can emerge two to four years before full psychosis sets in.
“In the prodromal stage, people may experience subtle symptoms, like hearing their name whispered or seeing shadow figures out of the corner of their eye. The symptoms are bothersome, but they’re still able to tell that the experiences aren’t real. That’s what separates it from a full psychotic episode,” Strauss explains. “It’s a crucial window for prevention.”
Participation, by itself, can offer positive effects. Research shows that individuals who complete longitudinal assessments—like those conducted in Strauss’s lab at UGA—often benefit clinically. Discussing their symptoms in detail with trained professionals, being monitored over time, and receiving treatment referrals when needed all contribute to better outcomes. “The act of being heard and supported can reduce the likelihood of a full psychotic episode,” he said.
A Massive Undertaking with Local Impact
The ProNet project is no small feat. Recruiting participants at clinical high risk is one of the most challenging tasks in clinical research, Strauss notes. That’s why a multi-site effort is essential: no single location can realistically enroll more than 15–30 participants per year.
The resulting dataset will help develop new clinical tools, including psychosis risk calculators—algorithms that integrate a participant’s clinical, cognitive, and biological data to assess their likelihood of transitioning to schizophrenia. These tools are being designed with future clinical use in mind and may eventually be available through a secure web interface for practitioners worldwide.
UGA’s Role and Collaborators
Strauss, who leads the Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience (CAN) Lab at UGA, is supported by a dedicated research team. Two ProNet coordinator cohorts have worked alongside him since the project’s launch—first Delaney Collins and Sierra Jarvis, then Lauren Jennings, Zach Carter, and Zhixin Zhang. “They’ve made everything possible,” Strauss said. “I couldn’t be more proud of the work they’ve done.”
UGA colleague Larry Sweet, Gary R. Sperduto Professor of Psychology and OIBR Distinguished Scholar, also plays an integral role in ProNet as a co-investigator, overseeing MRI data acquisition for the study at UGA.
Next Steps: A New Model for Understanding Negative Symptoms
Building on the momentum of ProNet, Strauss is now turning his focus to what he describes as the “most disabling” aspect of schizophrenia: negative symptoms. These include reduced motivation, emotional expression, speech, and social engagement—symptoms for which no approved treatments currently exist.
To address this gap, Strauss has proposed a new bioecosystem model that explores how biological, cognitive, and environmental factors interact to produce and sustain these symptoms. A new large-scale, multi-site study is in the works to test this theory, with funding proposals currently underway.
“Our goal is to develop treatments that target the most relevant mechanisms of negative symptoms in the daily life contexts where they occur,” he said. “Success means creating strategies that make a real difference in people’s lives—helping them thrive in relationships, work, and daily living.”
The Bigger Picture
Through his work on ProNet and beyond, Strauss has collaborated with some of the top psychosis researchers in the world, including Drs. Vijay Mittal, Lauren Ellman, and Jason Schiffman. “These collaborations have not only made me a better scientist, they’ve led to deep friendships,” Strauss shared.
The feedback from participants and their families has been equally impactful. Many express gratitude for the opportunity to contribute to meaningful science while receiving detailed assessments, clinical insights, and ongoing support—at no cost. These experiences help reduce stigma and empower families with knowledge and resources.
As Strauss continues this vital research, his work brings hope to thousands of families grappling with the realities of psychosis and schizophrenia.
“Living with a diagnosis of schizophrenia can be very difficult for individuals and their families,” Strauss said. “If I can help prevent even a few of those diagnoses from happening, then everything we’re doing is worth it.”
Written by: Andrea Horsman
August 12, 2025
The University of Georgia (UGA) is fostering global connections to enhance research and expand the impact of social science. One such collaboration is between Dr. Tracey Johnson, OIBR affiliate and assistant professor in UGA’s history department, Dr. Barry Godfrey, professor of social science, and Dr. Katherine Roscoe, criminology lecturer, both at the University of Liverpool. Their joint research, supported by a British Academy fellowship, examines historical prison records and the evolution of incarceration in Georgia.
Dr. Johnson recently participated in a faculty exchange program co-hosted by UGA’s Office of Global Engagement and the Owens Institute for Behavioral Research. This initiative brought together faculty from various disciplines—including creative writing, English, architecture, and social work—to engage with colleagues at the University of Liverpool, fostering new research opportunities and strengthening international partnerships.
Revealing Untold Histories Through Prison Records
Dr. Johnson’s research focuses on Georgia penitentiary records from 1817 to 1970, tracing shifts in prison demographics after the abolition of slavery. Her work highlights how incarceration became a tool of systemic control, with the prison population transitioning from predominantly white to nearly all Black prisoners.
Beyond data analysis, Dr. Johnson is working to humanize these records, uncovering personal stories and connecting with local African American communities to explore the genealogical significance of these documents. This approach aims to provide descendants with historical insights into their ancestors’ experiences.
Bridging the Past and the Present Through Collaboration
The Liverpool exchange allowed for in-person collaboration, which Dr. Johnson found far more productive than virtual meetings, often complicated by time zone differences. Working directly with colleagues strengthened research connections and accelerated progress on their shared projects.
As part of this effort, Dr. Johnson and her team are developing a digital archive, “Ethical Digital Public Histories: Prisoners and the Legacy of Enslavement (1817–1970).” This online resource will make research findings accessible to scholars and the public. The project is expected to launch by 2026, culminating in a public event in Athens, Georgia to engage the local community.
Future Research and Expansion
Dr. Johnson and her colleagues hope to expand their research beyond Georgia, applying for additional grants to extend their analysis to other southeastern states. They also plan to present their findings at the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) conference in Atlanta, furthering discussions on incarceration and racial disparities.
Promoting Global Engagement at UGA
Dr. Johnson emphasized the need for greater visibility of faculty exchange programs, noting that she first learned about the initiative through personal connections rather than formal announcements. In response, the Owens Institute is enhancing outreach through monthly newsletters and expanded online resources to increase faculty awareness and participation in global collaborations.
Final Thoughts
Reflecting on her experience, Dr. Johnson expressed excitement about UGA’s growing international partnerships:
“These collaborations open doors for researchers who may not have otherwise connected. It’s inspiring to see how similar work is being done across the world and how we can learn from one another.”
As UGA strengthens its global engagement, faculty-led initiatives like Dr. Johnson’s will pave the way for meaningful research, cross-cultural collaborations, and impactful discoveries.
Written by: Andrea Horsman
March 2025
Dr. Rebecca Nesbit, a professor of nonprofit management at the University of Georgia’s School of Public and International Affairs, is earning recognition for her research on the intricacies of civic engagement. A recipient of an AmeriCorps research grant, her latest project, “Examining the Influence of Civic Infrastructure on Rural/Urban Volunteering and Civic Engagement,” explores the often-overlooked institutional factors that drive volunteerism in rural and urban communities. The project is supported by a $431,914 award, reflecting its significant potential to advance understanding of civic engagement.
A Focus on Civic Infrastructure
As community leaders increasingly depend on civic engagement to address local challenges, Dr. Nesbit’s research examines the critical role of “civic infrastructure”—nonprofits, voluntary associations, community foundations, schools, and small businesses—in shaping how Americans participate in their communities.
“Unfortunately, we know little about the effect of civic infrastructure on civic engagement,” Dr. Nesbit explains. “Many studies focus on metropolitan areas, leaving significant gaps in understanding rural civic engagement.”
Her work addresses these gaps by analyzing unique, confidential data from the Current Population Survey (CPS) Volunteering Supplement, merged with county-level records detailing local civic infrastructure. Alongside co-investigator, Dr. Laurie E. Paarlberg of the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis, Dr. Nesbit employs advanced multi-level modeling in a secure Census Bureau Research Data Center to understand how institutions like churches, schools, and nonprofits influence volunteerism differently across rural and urban areas.
Challenges and Rewards of Data-Driven Research
Accessing the CPS Volunteering Supplement’s confidential data provides unparalleled insights but requires navigating strict protocols and logistical hurdles. Working within secure Census Bureau facilities adds complexity, including compliance with confidentiality standards and lengthy review processes.
“Having access to this dataset allows us to ask questions that have never been asked before,” Dr. Nesbit notes, emphasizing the value of overcoming these challenges to uncover critical insights into civic engagement.
Expanding on Previous Work
Dr. Nesbit’s current project builds on her prior AmeriCorps-funded research, “Examining the Community-Level Determinants of the Rural-Urban Volunteering Divide,” which revealed the importance of community context in shaping volunteering behaviors. That study highlighted a steep decline in volunteering rates in rural areas between 2002 and 2015, erasing a historical rural volunteering advantage.
The ongoing study expands on these findings by exploring how specific community institutions drive or inhibit civic engagement, particularly in rural communities facing barriers like population shifts and economic challenges.
Beyond the Data: Real-World Applications
Dr. Nesbit’s work is about more than statistics—it’s about empowering communities. “Volunteering is a critical form of civic engagement,” she says. “Understanding what drives it helps nonprofit leaders and policymakers create more engaged, connected communities.”
Her findings have implications for both practice and policy, offering actionable insights for nonprofit organizations and public agencies looking to improve volunteer recruitment and management.
Managing Court-Ordered Community Service Workers
Dr. Nesbit’s research extends beyond traditional volunteerism. Her forthcoming book, “Court- Ordered Community Service: The Experiences of Community Organizations and Community Service Workers,” co-authored with Dr. Jody Clay-Warner, Meigs Professor of Sociology at the University of Georgia, and Su Young Choi, a doctoral candidate in Public Administration and Policy at the University of Georgia, explores the unique challenges and opportunities of managing court- ordered community service workers. While not traditional volunteers, these individuals often serve alongside volunteers in nonprofits. The book sheds light on their experiences, the role of nonprofits in managing them, and the broader implications for civic engagement.
OIBR’s Role in Supporting Groundbreaking Research
Dr. Nesbit’s achievements have been supported by the Owens Institute for Behavioral Research (OIBR). With the assistance of OIBR’s Grant Development Program, she secured funding for her research projects on civic engagement. Additionally, Dr. Nesbit was a recipient of an OIBR seed grant, which provided funding for the data used in her forthcoming book on court-ordered community service.
As a Distinguished Scholar with OIBR, Dr. Nesbit has been deeply involved with the institute, leveraging its resources and interdisciplinary environment to advance her impactful research.
A Commitment to Community
Dr. Nesbit’s research is as much about people as it is about data. Through her partnerships with organizations like the Georgia Association of Volunteer Administrators, she ensures that her findings have practical applications, helping nonprofits and public agencies create meaningful opportunities for engagement.
“The most rewarding part of my work is knowing that it can make a difference,” Dr. Nesbit says. “Whether it’s helping a nonprofit recruit more volunteers or guiding policy discussions, my research is about building stronger, more connected communities.”
Written by: Andrea Horsman
January 2025