About CYFS
The Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families and Schools (CYFS), housed within the College of Education & Human Sciences (CEHS), is a dynamic interdisciplinary entity with a specific mission, background, goal, and related objectives.
A PowerPoint Presentation on CYFS is now available.
Mission
The mission of the Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families and Schools is to advance the conduct of high quality interdisciplinary research to promote the intellectual, behavioral, and social-emotional development and functioning of individuals across educational, familial, and community contexts. Central to this is enhancing our understanding of how these complex systems work dynamically to support the future of our nation.
Background
The Center was initiated by a Program of Excellence (PoE) grant awarded to establish an interdisciplinary research climate comprised of researchers from several departments and colleges (College of Education & Human Sciences, College of Arts & Sciences) and includes faculty from the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the University of Nebraska-Omaha.
Goals
Goal 1: Enhance the scope, quality, and impact of UNL's grant-supported interdisciplinary research related to children, youth, families and schools (i.e., in the core domains of early childhood education and intervention; academic intervention, learning, and instruction; youth risk and resilience).
Goal 2: Create, nurture, and develop an environment that will build capacity of researchers to conduct research related to children, youth, families and schools (i.e., in the core domains of early childhood education and intervention; academic intervention, learning, and instruction; youth risk and resilience).
Goal 3: Build intellectual capital by contributing to the development, dissemination, and integration of the scientific knowledge base across research and applied setting as pertinent to children, youth, families and schools (i.e., in the core domains of early childhood learning and development, academic intervention, and youth risk and resilience).
These goals are accomplished by bringing together the very best investigators interested in these areas who conduct basic and applied research that will inform the design, implementation, and evaluation of exemplary, evidence-based prevention and intervention models in field settings. By drawing together resources and expertise, the Center is a centerpiece for research excellence in Nebraska, benefiting academic programs at UNL and surrounding Nebraska institutions.
The Center serves as a catalyst for cutting edge, interdisciplinary research that achieves its objectives by:
- Facilitating the development of interdisciplinary collaborative research teams that can author joint publications and compete for large scale grants;
- Building capacity by recruiting new members, providing mentors to junior faculty, and training graduate students;
- Increasing grant competitiveness by providing support in proposal development, research methodology, and grant administration;
- Expanding research networks, disseminating research findings, and increasing visibility; and
- Offering opportunities for interaction with other researchers nationally, internationally and through web-based and traditional strategies for the dissemination of information about the Center, its activities, and research programs.
Susan M. Sheridan, PhD, Director
- Conducted initial start-up activities of the Center and conducts long-term expansion and maintenance activities
- Provides leadership in establishing and furthering the vision and mission of the Center
- Helps identify and support activities of research teams
- Develops and meets with the steering committee and advisory board
- Oversees Center staff
- Promotes activities of the Center through communications within and outside the Center
- Evaluates proposals in early stages to assure goodness of fit with Center goals and mission
- Assists in writing Center grant proposals to ensure a financial base of support
Gina M. Kunz, PhD, Research Assistant Professor
- Monitors grant funding opportunities (Requests for Proposals, Program Announcements, etc.) as they are released by agencies
- Edits grants and assists in proposal preparation and submission
- Coordinates publications produced and disseminated by the Center
Todd A. Glover, PhD, Research Assistant Professor
- Promotes and organizes interdisciplinary research teams that foster new basic and applied research related to the Center's mission
- Supports University of Nebraska faculty in project conceptualization and grant proposal preparation
- Organizes faculty development activities to support faculty research and grant writing
- Conducts grant-funded Center research
Gwen Nugent, PhD, Research Associate Professor
- Supports University of Nebraska faculty in preparation of grant proposals to federal and private funding agencies
- Organizes faculty development activities to support faculty research and grant writing
- Assists in grant management of ongoing Center projects
- Participates in Center-supported research projects and teams
- Promotes and organizes interdisciplinary research teams that foster new basic and applied research related to the Center's mission
Cindy Schuerman, Grant Management and Post-Award
- Provides information concerning UNL Human Resources appointments
- Prepares Letters of Offer for any new grant or contract employees
- Assists employees with any/all employment paperwork
- Assists with PARs reports
- Analyzes grant budgets and expenditures
- Initiates grant budget reports for PIs on a regular basis
Holly Sexton, Office Supervisor
- Assists with clerical and office support
- Organizes and schedules meetings
- Disseminates information
- Organizes and prepares proposal submissions
- Organizes and schedules activities of the internal review panels
Michael Toland, MA, CYFS Statistics and Measurement Consultant and Director, NEAR Center
- Provides statistical and methodological assistance in both grant writing activities and research analysis and dissemination activities
Kevin Kupzyk, MA, CYFS Statistics and Measurement Consultant
- Provides statistical and methodological assistance in both grant writing activities and research analysis and dissemination activities
Lisa Knoche, PhD, Research Assistant Professor, Project Director, Getting Ready Project
- Supervises research activities of the 5-year federally funded "Parent Engagement and Child Learning Birth to Five" grant
- Works with community partners to implement research investigation
- Assists in grant management
- Organizes data collection, manages data files, and conducts data analyses
- Produces publications and professional presentations with research data
- Participates in Center-supported research projects and teams, particularly those related to early childhood
Amanda Witte, MA, School Based Project Coordinator for CBC in the Early Grades Grant
- Conceptualizes, develops, and implements a system for overseeing and organizing the CBC implementation
- Coordinates school-based CBC implementation
- Assists in general office and project management
- Assists in dissemination of project information
Istiaque Ali, Database Developer and Analyst
- Develops, manages, and maintains research databases
- Coordinates, manages, prepares, and analyzes project data
- Integrates online credit card processing unit for various web pages
- Creates interactive DVD training modules, information, and documentation
- Develops online surveys, logos, pamphlets, and web sites for Center-based projects
