Pamela J. Turbeville graduated with distinction from the University of Arizona in 1972 as a double major in Family and Consumer Sciences and Education. Upon graduating, Ms. Turbeville pursued graduate degrees (MBA in Finance from the University of Denver, MS in Environmental Science from the University of Texas at Dallas) and executive education (Stanford Executive Program). She was selected to receive the 2000 College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) Alumni Achievement Award at the Homecoming event. Ms. Turbeville has strong family ties to the University of Arizona. Her father, John H. Turbeville, two aunts, and many other family members received UA degrees. In 2000, to support faculty research and teaching, Ms. Turbeville established The Pamela J. Turbeville Endowment in the School of Family and Consumer Sciences. Read More
Dr. Patrick Grzanka, University of Tennessee
"The 'Born This Way' Wars: Science, Sexuality, and the Future of Equality
Abstract: Despite the lack of scientific consensus about what sexual orientation actually is and what factors (biological, environmental, individual) affect it, arguments about the etiology of sexual orientation are central to ongoing struggles for sexual minorities’ legal rights, as well as broader social equality and acceptance in American society. This talk will chart the relatively recent rise of biogenetic explanations of sexual orientation at the end of the 20th and early 21st century and the connections between these beliefs and LGBT activism. Grzanka will also offer findings from new survey research that has attempted to capture multidimensional beliefs that individuals hold about sexual orientation, which both reflect and challenge dominant understandings of sexuality’s nature, mutability, and essence. Finally, he will discuss the implications of the “born this way” wars — political debates about whether sexual minorities are born, not made — on how we imagine the future of both sexual orientation and equality itself in the United States.
Dr. Laura Wray-Lake, University of California, Los Angeles
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Abstract: Youth in high-poverty urban neighborhoods face numerous risks, yet some research also documents noteworthy community service and activism among urban youth. This study aims to better understand what youth civic engagement looks like in urban contexts and how risks and assets in these contexts shape youth civic engagement. Thematic analysis of qualitative data among 90 urban youth of color are used to describe various ways that these youth exhibit civic empowerment (i.e., forms of psychological and behavioral engagement in social issues and community problems). In addition, qualitative analyses support a conceptual model that illustrates barriers to youth civic empowerment and highlights the role of individual and community-level assets in shaping civic engagement. This work builds on positive youth development and resilience theories by clarifying the processes by which urban youth become civically empowered despite significant adversity, and also has implications for practices that reduce barriers and build assets to promote youth civic engagement.
Dr. Francesca Lopez, University of Arizona College of Education
"Nurturing Confianza
Abstract: Prior research has contributed to our understanding about the ways teachers communicate their expectations to students, how students perceive differential teacher behaviors, and their effect on students’ own perceptions of ability and achievement. Despite more than half a century of this work, historically marginalized students continue to be underrepresented in a vast array of achievement outcomes. Scholars have argued that asset based pedagogy is essential to effective teaching, but reviews of research repeatedly point to a need for empirical evidence. This presentation describes a study wherein asset-based practices are applied to a classroom dynamics framework to examine how teachers’ asset based pedagogy beliefs and behaviors are associated with Latino students’ ethnic and reading achievement identity. Analyses revealed that teachers’ critical awareness moderates their expectancy, resulting in higher achievement; and teachers’ critical awareness and expectancy beliefs were found to be directly associated with teachers’ behaviors, which in turn were related to students’ ethnic and achievement identities.
Dr. Eleanor Seaton, Arizona State University
"Racial Discrimination Experiences Among Black Youth
Abstract: In 2016, Newsweek conducted a national poll among adolescents, aged 13 to 17 examining their views on racial discrimination. The majority of Black adolescents reported that racial discrimination was “here to stay” given their social media consumption of police videos from Ferguson and Baltimore, and the overt racist acts committed against Barack Obama (Jones, 2016). This presentation will examine two studies that probe racial discrimination experiences among Black adolescents. One study utilizes quantitative data to a moderated mediation model with racial discrimination experiences, racial identity and general coping strategies. The other study utilizes qualitative data to clarify the intersection of gender and racial discrimination experiences among Black youth.
Dr. Kory Floyd, University of Arizona
"The Importance of Being Prosocial
Abstract: This presentation explains the connection between interpersonal communication and the health of individuals and relationships. Dr. Kory Floyd of the UA Department of Communication has spent nearly two decades exploring how prosocial communication, such as the expression of affection, benefits physical and mental health and the stability of close relationships. He will describe how positive, intimate communication contributes to personal and interpersonal wellness and how individuals can use this information to maximize well-being in their own lives and relationships. Floyd observes that sharing affection in close relationships carries significant risks, prompting the question of why humans share affection in the first place. In response, he advances the argument that affection is a fundamental human need, one that is intricately tied to survival in early life and to fulfillment in adulthood. If that argument is true, Floyd contends that it is reasonable to expect affectionate behavior to be associated with identifiable benefits for relationships, for mental wellness, and for physical health. To address these, he describes research conducted over 20 years to examine how affectionate communication matters for close relationships, how it covaries with mental health, and how it is associated with stress management, immunocompetence, and other indices of physical well-being.
Dr. Sabrina Helm, University of Arizona
"Consumer Mindfulness as a Pathway to Decrease Overconsumption
Abstract: Research in consumer behavior frequently identifies a generalized urge to (over-)buy in the consumer population which can lead to detrimental effects on the individual consumer and their family, society, and the environment. Overconsumption also poses resource strains on the natural environment as the production of goods requires renewable and non-renewable natural resources. Since overconsumption is a main driver of climate change and the earth’s natural carrying capacity is limited, curbing overconsumption is essential. In this presentation, I argue that increased mindfulness―a mode of consciousness capability enhanced by actively attending to and being aware of present moment reality―may provide a mechanism to mitigate overconsumption. Guided by the research question how mindfulness affects excessive forms of consumption (overshopping and compulsive consumption) as well as purchase alternatives (consumption avoidance and sharing of goods), results of empirical studies are discussed and implications for public policy and marketing identified.
Dr. Sam Steen, University of Arizona
"Professional School Counselors and Group Work: The missing link in Educational Reform
Abstract: In this session, Dr. Steen explores the roles school counselors can play in promoting student achievement and personal social development for students at risk of school failure. Given the focus on academic development in schools, school counselors can best assist struggling students, ESL students, those from low-income backgrounds and other marginalized populations by implementing group counseling models that simultaneously address personal/social and academic development. The Achieving Success Everyday (ASE) group model, developed by Steen and colleagues, can enhance students’ personal/social development while helping them to improve academic-related behaviors that contribute to success in the classroom. Using the ASE group model, counselors teach students strategies to address their personal/social concerns and their academic difficulties. Counselors also help students identify and build on their internal assets (e.g., achievement motivation, school performance) while drawing on external assets (e.g. caring supportive adults, high expectations) available within the school and surrounding community.
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