MHDI 2016 Annual Report

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ANNUAL REPORT

Contents
3 6
Message from the Director
The Vision
7
The Team
7 The Leadership Team
9 Advisory Board
10 Core Faculty
11
Community Impact
11 MHDI CI Projects
01 MHDI 2016

16
Engagement
16 Conversation Series
16 Visiting Speakers
17 2016 Annual MHDI
Conference
17 2016 Annual Writers
Retreat
19
Research
19 Faculty Mentoring
19 Research Experience for
Undergraduates
24 McNair Program
Partnership
24 Post-Doctoral Support
25 Grants & Publications
31
Financial Report
32
Contact
ANNUAL REPORT 02

MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln‘s Minority Health
Disparities Initiative (MHDI) has been funded by the UNL
Office of Research & Economic Development since the
summer of 2012. Since 2015, the work of MHDI is overseen
by a university advisory board and local stakeholders.
We also draw support from and work closely with
a group of UNL faculty affiliates at the forefront of
research to understand and address health disparities.
This report outlines the progress made during the
fiscal year (FY) 2016 toward our goals of creating
and supporting a community of minority health
scholars and increasing the participation
of minority scholars at all levels of healthrelated
research. To help accomplish this, this
year we added a new staff position to promote
community-based research and community
impact in Nebraska. Working with a wide range of
community stakeholders, this has led to funding
for four new community-based MHDI projects
in 2016 alone. For our current faculty affiliates,
MHDI submitted over 20 new National Institutes of
Health, Center for Disease Control and Prevention,
and National Science Foundation proposals, and
published over 50 peer reviewed articles. This steady
upward trajectory of research activities represents
one of our most significant accomplishments. In
addition, a number of ongoing efforts aimed at
promoting research were undertaken in FY 2016
including a multi-institutional conference, external
speakers, two intramural community conversation
events on research efforts related to the initiative’s
goals, and a MHDI writer’s retreat that produced
a new book on health disparities in the Central Plains.
To enable and support the development of the next
generation of minority health scholars, MHDI now
offers an NSF-supported Research Experience for
Undergraduates (REU) Program at UNL. The program
is the only REU in the nation to explore minority health
disparities. The subject matter helped attract some of
the best students in the nation to Lincoln this summer
to work with our outstanding faculty. In addition to the
summer REU, MHDI has created an Undergraduate
Research Assistant Program in collaboration with
the McNair Scholars program at UNL which enables
undergraduate students to work directly with MHDI
faculty affiliates during the academic year on issues
surrounding health disparities. We also supported two
MHDI post-doctoral scholars in 2016 to help launch their
own research careers.
Taken together, these efforts and accomplishments
build on our successes of 2015, and pave the way for
greater success in the future. The changes over the last
four years are dramatic. In the report that follows, more
details can be found on where we are now, and where
we are going. For more information, or to get involved in
the Initiative, we invite you to go to mhdi.unl.edu, where
updates, resources, and contact opportunities are
updated frequently. In closing, we thank UNL ORED and
the State of Nebraska for the opportunities to pursue this
important work. Together we are moving to a healthier
and more equitable future.
Kirk Dombrowski
John Bruhn Professor of Sociology, UNL
03 MHDI 2016

“TOGETHER WE ARE MOVING TOWARD A
HEALTHIER AND MORE EQUITABLE FUTURE.”
ANNUAL REPORT 04

“LINKING SCIENCE, POLICY, PRACTICE AND TRAINING TO
IMPROVE THE HEALTH AND WELL BEING OF ALL NEBRASKA
RESIDENTS”

THE VISION
The United States is a diverse nation. Racial and ethnic minorities are the
fastest growing of all communities in the country, and today comprise
approximately 34 percent of the total U.S. population. It is projected that in
less than fifteen years, 40 percent of the population will be non-White. Data
on health status point to the fact that there is significant evidence of poor
health outcomes among racial and ethnic minority populations with respect
to premature death and preventable disease. These poor health outcomes for
racial/ethnic minorities are reflected in the pervasiveness of health disparities
that exist in the United States. Although the health of all Americans has
continued to improve over the last two decades, racial and ethnic health
disparities persist and, in some cases, are increasing. The persistence of
health disparities suggests that the current approaches and strategies are not
producing the kinds of results needed to ensure that all Americans are able to
achieve the same quality and years of healthy life, regardless of race/ethnicity,
gender, and other variables.
The Mission of the Minority Health Disparities Initiative is: “Linking science,
policy, practice and training to better health and well being of all Nebraska
residents” The initiative’s vision is structured such that integrated through each
of our objectives are themes that are vital to the efforts to effectively eliminate
disparities in health through research, education and training, and outreach.
The objectives of the initiative are to identify and strengthen the research
infrastructure, as well as the network of investigators and practitioners
addressing critical health issues to the state and the nation. MHDI is
committed to breaking down traditional academic silos, and adopting an
interdisciplinary and translational approach that includes science, policy, and
practice. In doing so, UNL is key to improving the health and well-being of all
Nebraska residents.
ANNUAL REPORT 06

THE TEAM
A diverse group of faculty and community-based agencies have joined together to effectively reduce or
eliminate disparities in health among racial and ethnic minorities in Nebraska and beyond. Funded by
the UNL Office of Research & Economic Development and the Tobacco Settlement Funds, MHDI brings
together experts and stakeholders to understand and implement effective strategies for reducing or
eliminating minority health disparities.
MHDI formed during the summer 2012 with an external community advisory board. Since 2015, MHDI has
been led by Dr. Kirk Dombrowski (Director & John Bruhn Professor of Sociology), coordinated by Kim Gocchi
Carrasco (program of Communications Coordinator), with support from Kim Matthews (Community
Impact and Research Specialist), Mindy Anderson-Knott (Director of Evaluation), and Devan Crawford
(Director of Research Analysis). The work of MHDI is overseen by an advisory board of university and
local stakeholders, chaired by the first UNL MHDI director, Dr. Rick Bevins, (Willa Cather Professor Chair of
Psychology).
KIRK DOMBROWSKI
Director & John Bruhn
Professor of Sociology
RICK BEVINS
Director & Willa Cather
Professor & Chair of
Psychology
DEVAN CRAWFORD
Director of Research
Analysis
07 MHDI 2016

KIM MATTHEWS
Community Impact &
Research Specialist
KIM GOCCHI CARRASCO
Coordinator
MINDY ANDERSON KNOTT
Director of Evaluation
ANNUAL REPORT 08

ADVISORY BOARD
Our MHDI Advisory Board brings together leaders of community organizations, University of Nebraska
faculty, members of Nebraska’s Department of Health and Human services, representatives from UNL’s
administration, and scholars from across the NU system. The board meets tri-annually at UNL to receive
reports from the MHDI leadership team.
2016 COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS
Larry Williams
Director of the Malone
Community Center
Steve Goddard
Associate Vice Chancellor
for Research Professor of
Computer Science and Engineering
Roméo Guerra
Executive Director of
El Centro de las Americas
Josie Rodriguez
Director of the Office of Health
Disparities and Health Equity
Laurie Bellows
Director, McNair Scholars Program
Dejun Su
Director of Center for Reducing Health Disparities,
UNMC
Lisa Crockett
Professor of Psychology
Amber Williams
Director of Admissions
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Sheila Dorsey Vinton
Executive Director
Asian Community and Cultural Center
Arthur Maerlender
Research Associate Professor,
Director of Clinical Research,
Center for Brain, Biology and Behavior

CORE FACULTY
MHDI draws support from and works closely with a group of faculty affiliates working to understand and
address health disparities. Our faculty affiliates from Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 include:
Rick Bevins (Psychology)
Jacob Cheadle (Sociology)
Tonia Durden (Child Youth and Family Studies)
Rochelle Dalla (Child Youth and Family Studies)
Bridget Goosby (Sociology)
Tim Nelson (Psychology)
Jordan Soliz (Communication Studies)
Julia Soulakova (Statistics)
Kim Tyler (Sociology)
In FY 2016, we added a new group of early career faculty whose work will expand and develop research
begun by our current scholars. New faculty affiliates for FY 2016 include:
Virginia Chaidez (Nutrition)
Dipti Dev (Child Youth and Family Studies)
Christopher Gustafson (Agricultural Economics)
Christian King (Nutrition)
Angela Palmer Wackerly (Communication Studies)
Lorey Wheeler (Center for Youth, Family, and Schools)

COMMUNITY IMPACT
In July 2015, the Minority Health Disparities Initiative
launched our Community Impact (MHDI CI) mission:
Developing long-term sustainable collaborations
with communities that strengthen efforts to produce
measurable impact on the health disparities affecting
people across Nebraska and the Great Plains. Our
first step was to engage a wide range of community
stakeholders and asked them how we could best serve
them in their efforts to create healthy, growing, and
diverse communities. Together we have developed
innovative CI projects that address the community
identified gaps (See Research). One strategy is working
directly with communities to develop collaborative
research teams. Together we build new and innovative
CI projects that address these identified gaps.
Our rigorous mixed-methods approach combine
social science quantitative research strategies with
community-based models. Another strategy is to
facilitate community relationship building for health
disparities researchers who seek to have a social
impact on the communities that their research serves.
Our statewide effort focuses on three trajectories:
trust, capacity building, and commitment. Building
Community Trust – and directly impacting Nebraska’s
communities of diversity requires “face-time”—a
consistent NU presence that positively impacts people’s
daily lives.
MHDI is invested in supporting communities seeking
to build their own capacity to address minority
health disparities. Our robust project portfolio
reflects our commitment to building long-term
working partnerships. Facilitating Inter-institutional
Transdisciplinary Teams and working across disciplines
and institutions presents a wide variety of timeconsuming
challenges.
MHDI does the leg work of team building so that our
researchers can stay focused on translating their
expertise into the academic currency that keeps UNL
a world leader in research. We take responsibility for
providing the institutional infrastructures necessary to
collaborate successfully across disciplines, departments,
and campuses. Our work includes comprehensive
project management, faculty mentoring, and grant
development. Current partners come from UNMC
(including outlying campuses), UNO, UNK, and UNL units
from both City and East Campus.
11 MHDI 2016

“DEVELOPING LONG-TERM SUSTAINABLE COLLABORATIONS WITH COMMUNITIES
THAT STRENGTHEN EFFORTS TO PRODUCE MEASURABLE IMPACT ON THE HEALTH
DISPARITIES AFFECTING PEOPLE ACROSS NEBRASKA AND THE GREAT PLAINS.”

MHDI CI PROJECTS
YouRhealth
Funded by the Rural Futures Institute, YouRhealth teaches high school
freshman to research, create, implement, and evaluate a wide variety of
public health campaigns. The student-created campaigns are designed to
have a direct impact on the health of their communities, delivered to family/
friends at an end of the semester community health fair.
Health Voice Vision
Funded by Rural Futures Institute, Health Voice Vision is a combined
PhotoVoice and survey research initiative that links community voices/
images with rigorous social science research methods to provide more
insight into the health of rural communities.
ISHealth Network
MHDI is spearheading the development of a social indicators measure
of the interrelationships between social determinants of health,
informal community networks, and formal health care delivery systems.
This project is currently funded by the University of Nebraska’s Food
for Health Initiative.
BHECN/MHDI Statewide Pilot Project: Cost-Savings of Behavioral Health
Trained Community Health Workers
This project evaluates the short-term cost effectiveness of behavioral health
trained community health workers (CHWs) and will use this evaluation to
predict the potential long-term cost-savings to Managed Care Organizations
(MCOs). This pilot project is currently funded by the University of Nebraska
Medical Center’s BHECN.
13 MHDI 2016

“DIRECTLY IMPACTING NEBRASKA’S COMMUNITIES OF DIVERSITY
REQUIRES INTERPERSONAL ENGAGEMENT – A CONSISTENT NU
PRESENSE THAT POSITIVELY IMPACTS PEOPLE’S DAILY LIVES”

15 MHDI 2016

ENGAGEMENT
A number of ongoing efforts aimed at promoting research were
undertaken in fiscal year 2016 including a multi-institutional conference,
external speakers, two intramural community conversation events on
research efforts related to the initiative’s goals, and an MHDI writers
retreat which offered participants the ability to gain new inspiration
on ground-breaking ideas for projects on minority health issues while
simultaneously creating a new book to disseminate to the public.
Conversation Series
Two intramural “conversation” luncheons were held during the year.
These were informal meetings led by UNL researchers who in turn,
provided an overview of ongoing research on topics relevant to a
range of MHDI affiliates and led discussion around these topics,
including bringing to light research by other attendees on the same
topics. The latter serves two purposes. The free exchange of research
“in process” can markedly improve the scope and impact of existing
projects. Furthermore, common interests discovered in these events
can lead to future collaborations, as researchers find the delicate
match of complementary skills and common interests.
Visiting Speakers
A number of external speakers were brought to campus to consult
with UNL faculty and to provide a public presentation on a minority
health related topic. All external speakers’ presentations were well
attended with approximately 30-50 attending each presentation.
In September 2015, Ralph DiClemente, Charles Howard Candler
Professor of Public Health and Co-Director of the Center for AIDS
Research (CFAR) Developmental Core at Emory School of Public
Health, presented his talk on prevention programs tailored to African
American adolescents and young adults.
ANNUAL REPORT 16

DiClemente has published extensively in the area
of HIV/STI prevention, particularly among African
American adolescents and young adults.
In March 2016, Carol Kaufman, Associate Professor in the
Center for American Indian and Alaska Native Health
and the Department of Community and Behavioral
Health, Colorado School of Public Health (CSPH),
presented on her work with American Indians and
Alaska Natives. She is a demographer and sociologist
with major research interests in: (1) The cultural and
community context of adolescent sexual health risks;
(2) the adaptation, implementation, evaluation, and
dissemination of theory based health interventions
within and across diverse communities; and (3) new
applications and approaches in research design and
methodology.
2016 Annual MHDI Winter Conference
Each year, MHDI sponsors multi-institutional and multiorganizational
events both on campus and in the
communities that we serve. Our 2016 Winter Conference
was held Friday, February 12, 2016 at Embassy Suites
Hotel and Conference Center in La Vista, Nebraska. The
location was selected to facilitate collaboration between
faculty and community partners in Lincoln and Omaha,
Nebraska. Ninety people attended the conference from
across the state and from multiple entities including
twenty different departments, and six state offices
and organizations. Based on our evaluations that were
submitted after the conference ended, 97% of registrants
found the keynote speakers, David Chae, Assistant
Professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics from the
University of Maryland School of Public Health, and
Amani Nuru-Jeter, Associate Professor of Epidemiology,
Community Health Sciences from Berkeley School
of Public Health, very valuable. Furthermore, 94% of
participants reported that attending the retreat will help
them pursue research funding in minority health.
In the afternoon, participants selected round-table
sessions based on interest and discussed collaborative
issues surrounding the topics and funding opportunities
with the presenter and other participants at the table.
The targeted outcome of the retreat was to facilitate
collaboration, which was met with great success.
Nearly all 49 participants who completed an evaluation
(96%) agreed or strongly agreed that they had found a
researcher or a community partner that they intend to
collaborate with on a project regarding minority health
disparities.
2016 Annual Writers Retreat
A second retreat was held at the Lied Lodge Conference
Center in Nebraska City on May 25-27. The goal of this
retreat was to produce a collection of articles written
by researchers at UNL to help disseminate information
on health disparities in Nebraska to the wider health
community. The audience for the book is a mix of
non-academic local community health researchers
and advocates, school officials, Department of
Health and Human Services, local policy makers,
community advocates, and potentially classroom use
in undergraduate and graduate courses. Activities
included strategic planning, developing the theoretical
framework and direction for the series, a peer review and
extensive group discussion about each of the articles.
Participants included, Christopher Gustafson (Ag Econ),
Angela Palmer-Wackerly (Communication Studies),
Christian King (Nutrition), Elizabeth Straley (Sociology),
17 MHDI 2016

Lorey Wheeler (CYFS), Virginia Chaidez (Nutrition), Jacob Cheadle (Sociology), Kirk Dombrowski (Sociology),
Mindy Anderson-Knott, Cole Boyle, Alian Kasabian, and Trish Wonch Hill (Social & Behavioral Sciences
Consortium), Jordan Soliz (Communication Studies), and Kim Gocchi Carrasco (MHDI). The book will appear in
the Fall of 2016 and be circulated widely among Nebraska state officials, DHHS, and interested members of the
Nebraska public health community.
ANNUAL REPORT 18

RESEARCH
To strengthen our infrastructure in the area of minority health
disparities, MHDI is focused on submitting publications and grants in
the area. Our leadership team, along with our core faculty members,
submitted over 20 proposals totaling over 11,500,000 dollars. While
the results of many of the applications won’t be known until the next
fiscal year (FY), the steady upward trajectory of research funding and
applications represents one of our most significant accomplishments.
As we look to the future, and to the addition of more core faculty to our
existing team, we feel that the shared resource model, based around a
common interest theme, represents the fastest route to the community
of scholars envisioned by the original MHDI Leadership Team.
Faculty Mentoring
MHDI has recently implemented a new mentoring program for junior
faculty from across UNL. This program is based on plans developed for
the P20 COBRE application submitted by MHDI faculty coordinator Kirk
Dombrowski, and contains detailed processes working in conjunction
with faculty home departments, even while it incorporates the expertise
in minority health found within MHDI. In FY 2017, this program will
be implemented and overseen by faculty coordinator Dombrowski
and MHDI support staff Devan Crawford. The goal of the mentoring
program is to advance MHDI early career faculty to independent
scholar status via professional development and grant instruction.
Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU)
The Minority Health Disparities Initiative (MHDI) administers the
Minority Health Disparities Research Experience for Undergraduates
(REU), which is an interdisciplinary program aimed at conducting
cutting edge social and behavioral research into understanding
and reducing health disparities and in diversifying minority health
researchers.
19 MHDI 2016

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE FOR UNDERGRADUATES
This project takes place under support of a Summer
REU grant from the National Science Foundation for
research in social network analysis (SNA) and minority
health. As part of that program, participating mentees/
students learn basic approaches to network science/
SNA in order to employ these skills where possible in their
summer research projects. SNA instruction takes place
during a 2-week intensive class led by Kirk Dombrowski
(Professor of Sociology, UNL), scheduled for the first two
weeks of the program. Training is used to enrich the
students experience in their partner laboratories during
the subsequent 8 weeks. The primary student outcome
of this part of the summer research experience will be
an introductory facility in social network terminology,
visualization, and exploration.
Participating students work with faculty mentors in
a variety of social and behavioral science disciplines
to support health research. All projects are on-going,
but the work specific to the summer research program
will be completed within the 10-week timeframe. At the
conclusion of the program, participants will present
their research at the Summer Research Symposium
poster session. The students, mentors and projects are
highlighted on the following pages.
21 MHDI 2016

LARISSA KMETZ
Professor Virginia Chaidez & Kim Matthews
Nutrition & Health Sciences & Minority Health
Disparities Initiative
Development of a novel Community Health Assessment
Tool
This project involves the development of a community
health assessment tool based on social networking
science. This novel approach will be sensitive enough
to measure the impact of when an intervention,
such as a community health worker, is working at
the intersections between the formal and informal
community health care networks. This is important
because health care access and positive health
behaviors are less likely to occur in those affected
by poverty, such as ethnic minorities, immigrant and
refugee populations, and the aging population.
NATALIE DUBOIS
Professors Bridget Goosby & Jacob Cheadle
Department of Sociology
High Frequency Social Stressors & Biological Markers of
Health in Marginalized Populations
This REU project incorporates dynamic highfrequency
measurement of stressful life experiences
coupled with cutting edge biometric instruments
measuring moment-by-moment stress reactivity. The
purpose of this project is to incorporate innovative
technology with biological markers of stress to
examine how stress gets under the skin to shape
minority health outcomes and risk of stress related
diseases. Students will help analyze data from
both smart phone and wearable devices and may
participate in data collection.
SKKY MARTIN &
MARISSA CARDWELL
Professor Dan Hoyt
Social & Behavioral Science Research Consortium
Support Networks among Homeless and Runaway
Youth
This project examines how turnover and stability in
support networks of homeless youth are related to
risk and resilience over time. The primary focus of
this project is the assessment of how the longitudinal
patterns in support network turnover are related to
risk exposure and pro-social outcomes over time. The
students will also help examine potential variation in
these processes related to the youth’s gender, race,
and sexual orientation.
KATHRYN BOST &
BRANDIE BENTLEY
Professor Jordan Soliz
Communication Studies
Community Dynamics in Racial-Ethnic Identity
The purpose of this project is to investigate
experiences of ethnic-racial minorities in various
domains (e.g., family, friends, community) with an
emphasis on communication processes associated
with well-being and mental health. Working with
Professor Jordan Soliz and advanced graduate
students, the opportunities for these students
include locating and synthesizing literature, learning
about data collection processes, and/or analyzing
qualitative and quantitative data.
ANNUAL REPORT 22

AMANDA NGUYEN, BRANDON CHOW,
& SAMUEL ROSENBLATT
Professor Kirk Dombrowski, Sociology
Network Risk of HIV & HCV Infection in
Rural Puerto Rico
This project investigates the social network contexts
of HIV and HCV infection drawing on data from
four rural communities in Puerto Rico collected
in 2014-15. The emphasis of this project will be on
the use of block modeling and network statistical
analysis to isolate indicators of high risk that result
from dyadic relationships among injectors and the
injection “roles” that result from these interactions.
In the process, the students will help document HIV
and HCV prevalence and incidence for injecting
drug users in the region, which in turn will be used
by the research team to develop a framework for
interventions aimed at these unique problems.
REBECCA VELEZ
Professor Cynthia Willis Esqueda
Psychology and Institute for Ethnic Studies
Unique Social Stressors and Health Outcomes for Latinos
This project addresses underlying connections or
mediators between Latino stress exposure and health
consequences for Latinos. Rebecca Velez will assist to
identify the relationships between stress exposure
(e.g., daily events, discrimination, and employment
disparities), health behaviors (e.g., psychological
dysfunction and coping skills), and mental and
physical health outcomes in Latinos, based on
acculturation and social support. Understanding
these relationships will provide a comprehensive
conceptualization of the pathways leading to health
outcomes of Latinos living in the U.S.
MCNAIR PROGRAM PARTNERSHIP
In addition to the summer REU, MHDI has created an Undergraduate Research Assistant Program in collaboration
with the McNair Scholars program at UNL. This programs enables students who “just miss” the McNair financial
qualification cut off to work directly with MHDI faculty affiliates and our leadership team on issues surrounding
health disparities. MHDI UGRAs utilize and wide combinations of skills to understand and disseminate minority
health disparity information to the UNL community and beyond, and to bring together an audience that could
form the basis of a research community. In addition to work on faculty projects, this has also included an update
of the MHDI website, the posting of weekly emailed announcements on MHDI related events and news, and the
creation of several successful social media campaigns.
23 MHDI 2016

POST-DOCTORAL SUPPORT
MHDI supports a number of advanced researchers at the post-doctoral level. In 2016, two MHDI Post-Docs,
Deadric Williams and Anitra Warrior worked on projects in minority health and health equity that advanced
their own ongoing research, and allowed them to draw on the support and mentorship of UNL faculty. Dr.
Warrior’s post-doctoral focus was the development of a strategic plan and organizational format that would
allow greater health and research collaboration between the Tribal Nations of Nebraska and the University
of Nebraska. The goal was the creation of a future organization that would serve Native Americans through
community initiated projects and help University researchers to address and reduce health disparities in Native
communities.
Dr. Warrior provided outreach and communication with the Tribes and community centers, helping to develop
and deepen relationships between the Tribes and the University. Through a series of meetings, a charter was
formed and the list of participating groups was expanded to include Native American service organizations in
Lincoln, Omaha, and Chadron. The final result of these efforts was the establishment of the Native American
Health and Research Coalition, a Native American-led non-profit board headquartered at the Lincoln
Indian Center. The Board includes members of the Omaha, Ponca, Santee and Winnebago Tribes as well as
representatives from the Lincoln Indian Center, Chadron Native American Center and the Nebraska Urban
Indian Health Coalition. This board will now serve as a leading advocate for addressing Native American
health disparities in the state, and as a conduit for University-based researchers to work with the Native
American community on health related projects.
These scholars also produced scientific publications, grant applications, and conference presentations that
help launch their careers as health researchers. In the process, they further MHDI goals of creating a wider
community of UNL health research scholars. Many of our past and present scholars are now transitioning
to full time faculty positions, using the training they received at UNL to further the training of students across
the United States. Here is what some past MHDI Post-Docs have accomplished: Tess Neal is an assistant
professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Arizona State University, Brandy Clarke is an assistant professor
of Psychology at the Munroe-Meyer Institute, and Deadric Williams will start as an assistant professor of
Sociology at UNL in the fall.
ANNUAL REPORT 24

GRANTS & PUBLICATIONS
SUBMITTED PROPOSALS
Cheadle, J. Khan, B. Risk Take’n N’Stuff, National Institutes of
Health, $275,000.
Submitted 06/16/2016.
Cheadle, J. Goosby, B. Operationalizing Stress in Daily Life:
Assessing the Use of Biosignals from Wearable Sensors National
Institutes of Health, $275,000.
Submitted on 06/16/2016.
Dalla. R. Using Community-Based Participatory Research to
Reduce Knowledge, Education and Training Gaps: Focused
Attention on FGM/C among Somali Women in the Heartland
DHHS, $332,850.
Submitted on 04/15/2016.
Dombrowski, K. Bevins, R., Crawford, D. Dekraai, M. Johnson,
M. Khan, B., Pytlik Zillig, L., Smith, J. Syron, C., Tyler, K., Welch-
Lazoritz, M. The Nebraska Center on Rural Drug Use, National
Institutes of Health, $8,171,308.
Submitted on 01/28/2016.
Dombrowski, K. Khan, B. Promoting Community Conversations
about Research to End Native Youth Suicide in Rural Alaska,
National Institutes of Health, subcontract Univ of Massachusetts-
Amherst, $481,167.
Submitted on 4/29/2016.
Goosby, B, Cheadle, J. Enhancing Physiological Stress
Measurement Using Wearable Sensors and Smart Devices,
National Institutes of Health, $275,000.
Submitted on 06/16/2016.
Goosby, B. Cheadle, J. Nelson, T. One Day at a Time: Using
Wearable Sensors to Measure Stress and Resilience among
Disadvantaged Young Mothers and their Children, National
Institutes of Health, $275,000.
Submitted on 02/16/2016.
Goosby, B. Nelson, T. Cheadle, J. Using Mobile Health
Technologies to Monitor and Contextualize Stress, National
Institutes of Health, $275,000.
Submitted on 02/16/2016.
Khan, B. Dombrowski, L. Expansion of an Open-Source Mobile
Software Platform for Rural Social, Behavioral, and Health
Research, Rural Futures Institute, $100,000.
Submitted in 05/2016.
Syron, C. Safe Injection Kit Development (Supplement to Puerto
Rico Grant #27104), Sappi North America – Ideas that Matter,
$5,000.
Submitted on 7/24/2015.
25 MHDI 2016

CONTRACTS
Anderson-Knott, M. NQIC for Adoption/Guardianship Support
& Preservation: Evaluation Component for Winnebago Tribe of
Nebraska, ACYF Children’s Bureau, $23,969
Anderson-Knott, M. Native Families for Native Children Diligent
Recruitment Project Evaluation, ACYF Children’s Bureau,
$55,997
Anderson-Knott, M. Nebraska State Health Status Assessment,
Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services Division
of Public Health Office of Community Health and Performance
Management, $30,950
Anderson-Knott, M. Minority Health Grant Evaluation Grant
Cycle 2015-17, Nebraska Department of Health and Human
Services Office of Health Disparities and Health Equity, $27,492
Anderson-Knott, M. Chronic Disease 1422 Grant Evaluation,
Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services Division
of Public Health Chronic Disease Prevention and Control,
$72,000
Anderson-Knott, M. Strategic Prevention Framework
Partnerships for Success Evaluation, Nebraska Department
of Health and Human Services Division of Behavioral Health,
$111,719
AWARDED PROPOSALS
Dombrowksi, K. & Khan, B. Measuring Social Behavior via
Dynamic Network Interaction, National Institutes of Health,
$810,875
Whitbeck, L., Crawford, D., & Syron, C.
Indigenous Pathways of Substance Use and Mental Health
through Early Adulthood, National Institutes of Health,
Subcontract from UMD, $101,165
Dombrowski, K. Matthews, K. You Are Rural Health
(YouRhealth), Rural Futures Institute, $19,951
Dombrowski, K. Matthews, K. Supporting of UNMC partnership
with Dr. Shinobu Watanabe-Galloway, Social & Behavioral
Sciences Research Consortium, $5,000
Dombrowski, K. Matthews, K. Toward a Novel Informal Systems
of Community Health Assessment Instrument: Using Network
Science to Better Measure Social Determinants of Health for
Food Related Conditions, Food for Health - NU System Internal
Grant, $19,990
Doctoral Dissertation Research: Cheadle, J. Population
Neuroscience Approaches to Minority Discrimination and
Health, National Science Foundation, $11,997
Williams, D. ‘Couples’ Physiological Synchronicity: Stress,
Health, and Relationship Functioning in Everyday Life, UNL
Center for Brain, Biology and Behavior Seed Grant, $5,000
ANNUAL REPORT 26

2016 PUBLICATIONS
Barrett, S.T., Geary, T.N., Steiner, A.N., Pudiak, C.M., & Bevins, R.A.
(submitted). Sex differences and the role of dopamine receptors
in the reward-enhancing effects of nicotine and bupropion.
Addiction Biology.
Bevins R.A., & Charntikov, S. (2015). We know very little about
the subjective effects of drugs in females. ACS: Chemical
Neuroscience.
Bright, B. & Soulakova, J.N. (2015). Wald-type testing and
estimation methods for asymmetric comparisons of poisson
rates. Statistics in Biopharmaceutical Research.
Bright, B., & Soulakova, J.N. (In Press). Evaluating the performance
of simultaneous stepwise confidence intervals for the difference
between two poisson rates. Communications in Statistics:
Simulation and Computation.
Charntikov, S., Falco, A.M., Fink, K., Dwoskin, L.P., & Bevins, R.A. (in
revision). Sazetidine-A in combination with other ligands affects
appetitive responding controlled by nicotine: Import of sex.
Charntikov, S., Pittenger, S.T., Thapa, I., Bastola, D.R., Bevins,
R.A., & Pendyala, G. (2015). Ibudilast reverses the decrease
in phosphatidylethanolamine-binding protein 1 induced by
methamphetamine intake. Drug and Alcohol Dependence.
Cheadle, J.E., Walsemann, K., & Goosby, B.J. (2015). Teen alcohol
use and social networks: The contributions of friend’s influence
and selection. Journal of Alcoholism and Drug Dependence.
Colaner, C. W.*, & Soliz, J. (in press). A communication-based
approach to adoptive identity: Theoretical and empirical support.
Communication Research.
Dalla, R. L., & Kennedy, H. R. (2015). “I want to leave—go far
away…I don’t want to get stuck on the reservation”: Examining
developmental trajectories and indicators of well-being among
the adolescent-aged children of Navajo Native American teenage
mothers. Journal of Adolescent Research.
Diamond, J., McQuillan, J., Spiegel, A.N., Hill, P.W., Smith, R., West,
J., & Wood, C. (Submitted). Viruses, vaccines and the public.
Museums & Social Issues.
Falco, A.M., & Bevins, R.A. (2015). Individual differences in the
behavioral effects of nicotine: A review of the preclinical animal
literature. Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior.
Gallois, C., Gasiorek, J., Giles, H., & Soliz, J. (in press)
Communication accommodation theory and its future: Principles
and vistas. In H. Giles (Ed.), Communication accommodation
theory: Conjuring identities. Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press.
Gangi, K., & Soliz, J. (in press). De-dichotomizing intergroup and
interpersonal dynamics: Perspectives on communication, identity,
and relationships. In H. Giles & A. Maass (Eds.), Advances in and
prospects for intergroup communication. New York: Peter Lang.
Gasiorek, J., Giles, H., & Soliz, J. (2015). Accommodating new vistas.
Language and Communication.
Goosby, B.J., Cheadle, J., & McDade, T. (2016). Birth weight, BMI,
and body size change over the early life course: Chains of risk to
adult inflammation? Social Science and Medicine.
Goosby, B.J., Cheadle, J.E., & Mitchell, C. (Forthcoming).
Discrimination and racial inequities in health (Biosocial
Mechanisms). Annual Review of Sociology.
Goosby, B.J., Cheadle, J.E., Strong, W., & Nelson, T. (Forthcoming).
Discrimination and sleep patterns in parent/child pairs. Journal of
the Social Sciences. Special Issue “Biosocial Pathways of Well-
Being Across the Life Course.”
Goosby, B.J., Malone, S., Richardson, E., Cheadle, J., & Williams,
D.T. (forthcoming). Perceived discrimination and markers of
cardiovascular risk among low-income African American youth.
American Journal of Human Biology.
27 MHDI 2016

Goosby, B.J., Straley, E., & McDade, T. (Forthcoming). Racial
discrimination, allostasis, and sleep: Implications for population
level disparities. Population Research and Policy Review.
Goosby, B.J., Malone, S., Richardson, E., Cheadle, J., & Williams,
D.T. (forthcoming). Perceived discrimination and markers of
cardiovascular risk among low-Income African American youth.
American Journal of Human Biology.
Goosby, B.J., Malone, S., Richardson, E., Cheadle, J.E., & Williams,
D. (2015). Perceived discrimination and markers of cardiovascular
risk among low-Income African American Youth. American
Journal of Human Biology.
Goosby, B.J., Malone, S., Richardson, E., Cheadle, J.E., & Williams,
D. (2015). Perceived discrimination and markers of cardiovascular
risk among low-Income African American youth. American Journal
of Human Biology.
Kaiser, L.L., Chaidez, V., Neelon, M., Algert, S., Horowitz, M.,
Martin, A., Mendoza, C., & Ginsburg, D. (2015). Food resource
management education with SNAP participation improves food
security. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior.
Killoren, S. E., Rodríguez De Jesús, S. A., Updegraff, K. A., &
Wheeler, L. A. (2015). Sibling relationship quality and Mexicanorigin
adolescents’ and young adults’ familism values and
adjustment. International Journal of Behavioral Development,
early view.
Killoren, S. E., Wheeler, L. A., Updegraff, K. A., Rodriguez de Jesus,
S. A., & McHale, S. M. (2015). Longitudinal associations among
parental acceptance, familism values, and sibling intimacy in
Mexican-origin Families. Family Process.
King, C. (forthcoming). Food insecurity and housing instability in
vulnerable families. Review of Economics of the Household.
King, C., Markowitz, S., & Ross, H. (2015). Tobacco control policies
and sudden infant death syndrome in developed nations. Health
Economics.
Lin, M.C., Giles, H., & Soliz, J. (in press). Problematic
intergenerational communication and caregiving in the family:
Elder abuse and neglect. In L. N. Olson & M. A. Fine (Eds.),
Examining the darkness of family communication: The harmful,
the morally suspect, and the socially inappropriate. New York:
Peter Lang.
Lundahl, A., & Nelson, T.D. (2015). Sleep and food intake: A
multisystem review of mechanisms in children and adults. Journal
of Health Psychology.
Lundahl, A., Kidwell, K.M., Van Dyk, T.R., & Nelson, T.D. (2015).
A meta-analysis of the effect of experimental sleep restriction
on youth’s attention and hyperactivity. Developmental
Neuropsychology.
Martin-Storey, A., Cheadle, J.E., Skalamera, J., & Crosnoe, R. (2015).
Exploring the social integration of sexual minority youth across
high school contexts. Child Development.
Meendering, J.R., Boeckner, L., Jensen, B., Stluka, S., Kattelmann, K.,
Wey, H., Droke, E., Bowne, M., Fischer, J.A., Wallinga, M., Guzman,
M.D., Anderson-Knott, M., Takahashi, S., Hall, J. (2015). Innovation
and collaboration: Creating a transdisciplinary childhood
obesity prevention graduate certificate program. A Focus on
Sustainability and Expansion. Journal of Nutrition Education and
Behavior.
Nelson, T.D. (2015). Pediatric sleep: Associations with
executive functioning, ADHD, and beyond. Developmental
Neuropsychology.
Nelson, T.D., & Hankey, M. (in press). Evidence-based practice
in pediatric psychology. In M.C. Roberts & R.G. Steele (Eds.),
Handbook of pediatric psychology (5th ed.). New York: Guilford.
ANNUAL REPORT 28

Nelson, T.D., Haugen, K.A., Resetar Volz, J.L., Zhe, E., Axelrod, M.I.,
Filigno, S.S., et al. (2015). Overweight and obesity among youth
entering residential care: Prevalence and correlates. Residential
Treatment for Children & Youth.
Nelson, T.D., Nelson, J.M., Kidwell, K.M., James, T.D., & Espy, K.A.
(2015). Preschool sleep problems and differential associations
with specific aspects of exe-cutive control in elementary school.
Developmental Neuropsychology.
Nicholas, J., Voss, J., Tsuji, J., Fulkerson, N., Soulakova, J. & St Pierre
Schneider, B. (2015). Time course of chemokine expression and
leukocyte infiltration after crush muscle injury in mice. Innate
Immunity.
Nuru, A., & Soliz, J. (2015). Parental socialization of
ethnic identity: Perspectives from multiethnic individuals.
Qualitative Research Reports in Communication.
Painter, K., Cleveland, A., Takahashi, S., Fischer, J., Hall, J.,
Jensen, B., Boeckner, L., Anderson-Knott, M., Wallinga, M. (2015)
KidQuest: A nutrition and physical activity program designed for
preadolescent students. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition &
Dietetics.
Perez-Brena, N. J., Wheeler, L. A., Updegraff, K. A., & Schaefer,
D. (2015). Mexican American adolescents’ gender-typed
orientations: The role of sibling and friend characteristics.
Archives of Sexual Behavior.
Pittenger, S.T., Barrett, S.T., Chou, S., & Bevins, R.A. (submitted).
The effects of varenicline on methamphetamine selfadministration
and drug-primed reinstatement in female rats.
Behavioral Brain Research.
Pittenger, S.T., Zeplin, L.C., Dwoskin, L.P., & Bevins, R.A. (in press).
The effect of switching pharmacological intervention during
extinction on nicotine-evoked conditioned responding in rats.
Psychopharmacology.
Schmitz, R.M., & Tyler, K.A. (2015). Homeless young people’s
experiences of caregiver rejection. Journal of Child and Family
Studies.
Simpson, J.L., Grant, K.M., Daly, P., Kelley, S.G., Carlo, G., & Bevins,
R.A. (submitted). Psychological burden in men and women
methamphetamine-dependent patients in treatment. Journal of
Psychoactive Drugs.
Soliz, J. & *Bergquist, G. (in press). Communication
accommodation theory: Quantitative analysis. In H. Giles (Ed.),
Communication accommodation theory: Conjuring identities.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Soliz, J. (in press). Communication and grandparent-grandchild
relationships. In C. R. Berger & M. E. Roloff (Eds.), International
encyclopedia of interpersonal communication.
Soliz, J. (in press). Divergence and convergence. In C. R. Berger &
M. E. Roloff (Eds.), International encyclopedia of interpersonal
communication.
Soliz, J. (in press). Interethnic communication. In C. R. Berger &
M. E. Roloff (Eds.), International encyclopedia of interpersonal
communication.
Soliz, J., & Fowler, C. (2015). Intergenerational relationships and
the sandwich generation. In J. F. Nussbaum (Ed.), Handbook of
lifespan communication. New York.
Soliz, J., Giles, H., & Gasoriek, J. (2015). Communication
accommodation theory: Innovative contexts and applications.
Language and Communication.
Soliz, J., & Rittenour C. E. (in press). Generativity in the family:
Grandparent-grandchild relationships and the intergenerational
transmission of values and worldviews. In V. Waldron & D. Kelley
(Eds), Developing good relationships: Moral communication
across the lifespan. New York: Peter Lang.
Soulakova, J.N., Bright, B., & Crockett, L.J. (In Press). Perception of
time since smoking cessation: Time in memory can elapse faster.
Journal of Addictive Behaviors: Therapy & Rehabilitation.
Soulakova, J.N., Huang, H., & Crockett, L.J. (In Press). Racial/ethnic
disparities in consistent reporting of smoking-related behaviors.
Journal of Addictive Behaviors: Therapy & Rehabilitation.
29 MHDI 2016

Svingen, L., Dykstra, R.E., Simpson, J.L., Bevins, R.A., Carlo,
G., DiLillo, D., & Grant, K.M. (submitted). Examination of
the associations among family history of substance use,
childhood abuse, and age of first drug use in persons with
methamphetamine dependence. Journal of Addiction
Medicine.
Swalve, N., Barrett, S.T., Bevins, R.A., & Li, M. (2015). Examining
the reward-enhancement effects of phencyclidine and its
interactions with nicotine on lever-pressing for a visual
stimulus. Behavioral Brain Research.
Wheeler, L. A., Updegraff, K. A., & Crouter, A. C. (2015).
Mexican-origin parents’ work conditions and adolescents’
adjustment. Journal of Family Psychology.
Williams, D., Cheadle, J.E., & Goosby, B.J. (2015). Hard times
and heart break: Linking economic hardship and relationship
distress. Journal of Family Issues.
Young, L.B., Grant, K.M., & Tyler, K.A. (2015). Community-level
barriers to recovery for substance dependent rural residents.
Journal of Social Work Practice in the Addictions.
Swalve, N., Pittenger, S.T., Bevins, R.A., & Li, M.
(2015). Phencyclidine transiently attenuates nicotine
selfadministration and potentiates stress-induced
reinstatement in the presence of a visual stimulus.
Psychopharmacology.
Tyler, K.A., & Melander, L.A. (2015). Child abuse, street
victimization, and substance use among homeless young
adults. Youth & Society.
Tyler, K.A., Schmitz, R.M., & Adams, S.A. (2015). Alcohol
expectancy, drinking behavior, and sexual victimization
among female and male college students. Journal of
Interpersonal Violence.
Vierregger, A., J., Hall, J., Sehi, N., Abbott, M., Wobig, K.,
Albrecht, J., Anderson-Knott, M., Koszewski, W. (2015). Growing
healthy kids: A school enrichment nutrition education
program to promote healthy behaviors for children. Journal of
Extension.
Walsemann, K., Goosby, B.J., & Farr, D. (2016). Life course SES
and cardiovascular risk: heterogeneity across race and by
gender. Social Science and Medicine.
Wheeler, L. A., Killoren, S. E., Whiteman, S. D., Updegraff,
K. A., McHale, S. M., & Umaña Taylor, A. J. (2015). Romantic
relationship experiences from late adolescence to Young
adulthood: The role of older siblings in Mexican-origin families.
Journal of Youth and Adolescence.
ANNUAL REPORT 30

FINANCIAL REPORT
Funded by the UNL Office of Research & Economic Development and the Tobacco Settlement Funds,
the Minority Health Disparities Initiative was formed in Fall of 2012 with a steering committee that
defined the mission and vision through a series of meetings in one year.
MHDI Financial Report FY 2015 - 2016
Personnel
Undergraduate Assistant Program $23,357.94
Coordinator $22,158.56
Research Support $50,479.68
Postdoctoral Research $5,099.78
Benefits $19,563.87
Total Personnel $120,659.83
Other Expenses
Infrastructure & Communications $5,520.35
Office & Supplies $8,845.15
Administrative Support $2,173.61
Speaker Series $4,654.97
Conversation Series $1,843.95
Retreats $10,774.85
Travel $16,859.97
Total Other Expenses $50,671.85
Total Expenses $171,331.68
31 MHDI 2016

CONTACT
MINORITY HEALTH DISPARITIES INITIATIVE
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
206 Benton Hall
Lincoln, NE 68588-0623
Tel: 402-472-3205
Fax: 408-263-0119
Email: kdombrowski2@unl.edu
ANNUAL REPORT 32