Roger Peters, PhD, was recently awarded a Fulbright Specialist grant in Paraguay, South America to work with colleagues from the Department of Psychology at the Catholic University in Asuncion. Fulbright activities will include: (1) conference and workshop presentations related to evaluation of substance use disorders within the judicial system, (2) training and consultation with the National Centre of Addictions to enhance treatment services for substance use and co-occurring mental disorders in the public health system, (3) developing program evaluation and needs assessment protocols to help improve addiction treatment services, and (4) adapting the Colombo Plan's Universal Treatment Curriculum (UTC) for use in academic programs at Catholic University. Dr. Peters will also provide mentorship for students and faculty members at Catholic University, and will explore opportunities for exchange programs with USF. This is his second Fulbright Specialist award, with the first grant project completed in Ghana, West Africa in 2015. Dr. Peters will be traveling to Paraguay for the Fulbright project in April - May 2017.

Dr. George Yao, professor of architecture, National Cheng Kung University, will present "Protecting Long-term Care Facilities from Typhoons in Taiwan" on Wednesday, January 18, 2017 at 10:30am in MHC 1503. The rise in the older adult population has heightened safety concerns in a country with frequent typhoons. Dr. Yao and his team of researchers will describe the country's recent disaster experience and efforts to prepare vulnerable nursing homes and other facilities for future disasters. They will discuss lessons learned from Florida's disaster experiences.

The Department of Criminology extends an invitation to all CBCS faculty and staff to attend two upcoming events. The first is a workshop on Time-Series Analysis conducted by Dr. Mitch Chamlin, scheduled for January 26th from 20in in SOC 351. The second is his research presentation on causality to be given on January 27th at 10am in SOC 351. All are invited to attend both or either of these events.

Robert Weech-Maldonado, MBA, PhD, will present "Under-resourced Nursing Homes: Differentiating between High and Low Performers" at 10:30am on Friday, January 27, 2017 in the USF College of Public Health Auditorium 1023B. Dr. Robert Weech-Maldonado is Professor and L.R. Jordan Endowed Chair in the Department of Health Services Administration at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Currently, he is Co-Director of the Center for Health Organization and Transformation (CHOT) funded by NSF, Analysis Core Director of the UAB Resource Center on Minority Aging Research (RCMAR), and Co-Director of the Research Program for the Minority Health Research Center (MHRC). He is also Senior Scientist of the UAB's Center for Outcomes and Effectiveness Research and Education and the Center for Comprehensive Healthy Aging. Dr. Weech-Maldonado's research interests include examining the organizational, management, and community factors associated with higher quality and financial performance among nursing homes.

The deadline for applications for undergraduate research assistantships to be offered through a special program known as The Moms Project has been extended through January 31, 2017. An award of $500 each will be awarded to undergraduate students who will be conducting research during the Spring and/or Summer semesters, 2017. In order to be eligible for The Moms Project Assistantships, students must be:

• Completing an undergraduate major or minor in the College of Behavioral & Community Sciences;
• Conducting research in one of the three priority areas of The Moms Project:
   
• Substance abuse
• Nutrition and well being
• Positive aging
   
• Collaborating with a CBCS faculty member and/or doctoral student who will serve as a research mentor for the undergraduate student. 

The application may be found here. The priority areas may be broadly interpreted and some examples are provided on the webpage to demonstrate the wide range of possibilities. Additional information about the Moms Project, including previous recipients, may be found here.