News Briefs

Dr. Paul Smokowski, assistant professor in UNC’s School of Social Work, has received a research scientist development award from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control.

The three-year award, totaling $944,551, will provide salary support for Smokowski to pursue his work studying acculturation, adaptation, health protection and health risk behavior in Hispanic adolescents living in North Carolina and Arizona.

The project, managed through the UNC Injury Prevention Research Center, seeks to promote health and prevent injury, violence and disease by mapping modifiable risk factors that might lead adolescents to engage in negative health behaviors. Some research indicates that Hispanic adolescents are at particularly high risk for aggressive behavior, suicide and alcohol, tobacco and drug use, possibly because these behaviors help the adolescents cope with acculturation.

Previous research suggests that biculturalism, entailing integration of norms and values from two cultures, could buffer acculturation stress, enhance the ability of adolescents to function socially and increase academic achievement.

Smokowski currently works with Dr. Mimi Chapman, assistant professor, and Martica Bacallao, doctoral student, both in the School of Social Work, on the Parent-Teen Biculturalism Project.

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Employee of year award goes
to FPG publications director

Gina Harrison, director of publications at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, has received the first employee-of-the-year award presented by UNC’s Office for Research and Economic Development.
       
Dr. Tony Waldrop, vice chancellor for research and development, presented the award during a recent luncheon. Dr. Donald Bailey, the institute’s director, praised Harrison for creating visually engaging and attractive products and reports for scientists as well as non-researchers.
      
In addition to a framed certificate, the honor carries a $500 award.
      
Other finalists honored at the luncheon were Lynn Tuttle of the UNC Injury Prevention Research Center, Rebecca Hinshaw of the Office of Sponsored Research, Beverly Gail Cummings-Whitfield of the Office of Research Development and Linda Chegash of the Office of Human Research Ethics.
       
The award is open to all permanent employees in units reporting to the vice chancellor for research and economic development.
       
Harrison, who lives in Chapel Hill, has been with UNC for 20 years.

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News Services contact: Deb Saine, (919) 962-8415 or deborah_saine@unc.edu