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We’ve all heard of the Bermuda Triangle—that part of the Atlantic best known for sensationalized myths about aliens, wormholes and the lost city of Atlantis. But zoom out a little, and you’ll learn that this patch of ocean is just one part of the Sargasso Sea, which holds mysteries of its own.

The Sargasso Sea is a 2-million-square-mile region of the North Atlantic Ocean bounded by four circulating ocean currents, creating calm, warm and highly saline waters covered by dense mats of free-floating brown macroalgae known as Sargassum, which lend this patch of sea its name. This microalgae forms a floating tropical rainforest that provides food and refuge for ocean life from fish to sea turtles—and serves as the exclusive breeding ground for the enigma that is the American eel.

“American eels have a cool life history,� said Andrea Ward, PhD, vice provost for research and libraries. “They reproduce in the Sargasso Sea and then migrate thousands of miles into rivers all along the east coast of the U.S. and Canada, where they can stay in fresh water for many years until they return to the Sargasso Sea to reproduce and die.� Because it takes place in this deep sea location, no one has ever directly witnessed the eel mating process, and as yet, eels have not been bred in captivity.

Young eels drift thousands of miles on ocean currents as transparent, leaf-shaped larvae before transforming into tiny “glass eels� and making their way to the freshwater rivers, streams and estuaries of eastern North America, where they spend the majority of their lives—sometimes decades—growing slowly into yellow eels and eventually the darker adult “silver eels.� Capable of breathing through their skin and even wriggling overland through wet grass to reach new waterways, American eels are remarkably adaptable, yet their populations have declined sharply in recent decades.

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For the past two years, Dr. Whitley and her research partner, William Massey, PhD, of Oregon State University, have been developing the United States’ first-ever comprehensive youth sports mental health guidelines. In the absence of federal regulations or a dedicated government ministry, these guidelines close a problematic policy gap. They’re the product of input from more than 100 athletes, families, coaches and experts, translating both scholarly research and lived experience into actionable, evidence-based guidance for youth sport leaders.

Rethinking the Youth Sports Ecosystem

In many youth sport settings in the United States, any adult can show up and volunteer to become a coach, no prior experience or training required. Dr. Whitley wants to change that. “We need to make sure volunteers are coaching in ways that are physically safe,� she said. That means, at the very minimum, conducting background checks and sport safety training.

But training coaches to support mental health is trickier. “How do we help coaches understand how to build psychologically safe, developmentally appropriate environments where kids can flourish? How do we help coaches cultivate a sense of inclusion and belonging?�

Dr. Whitley’s guidelines lay out a clear path forward—not only for coaches, but for parents, too. As her research revealed, parents’ behavior can make or break their child’s experience. “Time and again, we heard from young athletes that the worst part is the car ride home after the game.�

“� (Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, May 2026), a related article Dr. Whitley co-authored with Dr. Massey, recounts young athletes’ frustration with their parents’ postgame critiques. Parents becoming critics rather than caregivers, even when their feedback is well-meaning, only adds fuel to the fire. Much like coaches, Dr. Whitley believes, parents have to be trained how to “show up.�

A Landmark National Initiative, Supported by $450,000 in Grant Funding

Dr. Whitley’s research has been supported by high-profile organizations across the country. A $100,000 grant from the powered phase one, with another $100,000 from Movember powering phase two—along with a $250,000 grant from the . For this most recent grant, Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ was selected as just one of 10 inaugural partners in its Empower Every Coach (EEC) program, enabling Dr. Whitley’s work to be connected with a national portfolio of other systems-level youth sport projects.

“Mental Health Guidelines for Youth Sport Across the United Statesâ€� kicked off in early 2025 with an intensive literature review, encompassing 20,000 research papers and programming from 80-plus programs and organizations, as well as a series of national focus groups and an Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ study, which allowed her team to get feedback from 22 experts in the intersection of youth sport and mental health. Later in 2025, Dr. Whitley and her team held a two-day expert advisory panel at Nike’s headquarters in New York City to finalize the guidelines and develop a plan for dissemination.

In July 2026, the project entered a new, much-anticipated phase: implementation and testing. Dr. Whitley and her team began working with a cohort of “anchor partners,� spanning grassroots, school-based and performance sport settings from coast to coast.

The Seven Guidelines Making Real-World Impact

For the next 18 months, these anchor partners will serve as an important proving ground. As they put the mental health guidelines into practice, they’ll be reshaping their sport programs from the ground up, turning potential pressure cookers into the safe havens they were always meant to be.

The first three guidelines set a developmental baseline: prioritizing young athletes’ physical, psychological and social growth over performance. The rest address mental health directly, covering subjects like crisis response training, clear access to mental health resources and emergency preparedness plans.

“Lots of programs have emergency plans for physical injuries, but what about mental health?� Dr. Whitley said. “If there’s a collective trauma in the community, or something really hard has happened for one athlete on the team, we don’t want program leaders to be figuring out what to do on the fly.� She’s also determined to enhance mental health literacy. Coaches should be able to recognize early signs of distress and, critically, gauge if their athletes are just having a bad day, “or if it’s something more serious that needs to be escalated.�

A Healthier Future for Youth Sports

During the testing phase, Dr. Whitley’s team will be collecting data from their anchor partners, working in real time to refine the “Mental Health Guidelines for Youth Sport Across the United States.� “We’ll be learning as we go,� she said. “Where are the friction points? What is and isn’t feasible? How can we make sure the guidelines are ready for a broader rollout?� At the end of 2027, they’ll synthesize their findings into an open-access tool kit that can be accessed by any sport program leader, anywhere.

Though the guidelines will remain a work in progress for some time, Dr. Whitley is excited about the possibility of real, systems-level change—especially as some states are finally beginning to legislate mental health training and coach requirements. “I hope our guidelines will help shape those policies,� she said. “And eventually we’ll have a clear foundation for rebuilding youth sport as a healthier, more inclusive ecosystem.�

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support eligible institutions of higher education in expanding their capacity to serve low-income students by strengthening their academic quality, institutional management and fiscal stability. To qualify, an institution must have at least 50 percent of its degree students receiving need-based assistance or a substantial number of enrolled students receiving Pell Grants, in addition to low educational and general expenditures. Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ has demonstrated a deep commitment to the enrollment and upward mobility of low-income and first-generation students, evidenced through its undergraduate population—33 percent of undergrad students are Pell recipients, and of the undergraduate students who provided their parents’ highest degree, 45 percent identified as first-generation college students.

Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ Ascend will largely support low-income students and help them become more successful in college and in their future careers. “Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ is well known for the social mobility of its graduates,â€� said Andrea Ward, PhD, vice provost for research and libraries, who led the development of this grant. “Through this program, Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ will continue to show its commitment to working with students to not only succeed in the classroom but also once they graduate.â€�

The program focuses on three areas:

• Transforming the advising system for first-year students, providing a more holistic experience that incorporates faculty and staff training on how to effectively support and engage with today’s students, helping them to transition more easily to college, move into their desired major and continue through graduation.
• Reworking and augmenting Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­â€™s First-Year Seminar program, an existing requirement for nearly all first-year students that serves as a yearlong orientation program. Students will undergo evaluations to develop skills and learn the critical academic, behavioral and financial competencies necessary for postsecondary persistence and self-sufficiency. Mentorship is built into the plan; upper-class students will serve as mentors to first-year students, and alumni will be invited to speak to students about internships and career opportunities during a Career Day at Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­â€™s Manhattan Center.
• AI-ready workforce development, helping to build AI literacy and develop AI skills necessary for students’ academic disciplines and careers. AI training will also be provided to faculty from both a teaching and a research perspective, teaching them the value that AI brings to an educational experience. As part of this effort, a new AI Cross-Disciplinary Certificate program will also be developed by Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­â€™s Innovation Center.

Through these strategic efforts, Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ aims to elevate first-year persistence, accelerate on-time graduation, expand long-term degree completion and advance educational equity by eliminating the historical achievement gap between Pell-eligible and non-Pell students.

Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ Ascend is a collaborative effort led by Louise Geddes, PhD, interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and co-led by Salvatore Petrilli ’05, EdD, senior associate dean for academic operations and general education, Lee Stemkoski, PhD, professor of computer science and mathematics and director of the Innovation Center, and Debra Kyriacou, executive director of the Office of Academic Services and Retention. It is expected that the program will result in higher retention rates for first-year students and improvements in the four-year graduation rate, in addition to decreasing the gaps between students receiving Pell awards and those not receiving Pell awards.

“This grant offers us the opportunity to enact a holistic advising practice to suit each student’s journey at Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­,â€� said Interim Dean Geddes. “It can help students, many of whom might be the first in their family to attend college, in finding their feet at the institution. Our goal is to support all students as they learn how to find their passion, hone their skills and develop their future careers.â€�

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I am writing to share an important update regarding the future of our Hudson Valley Center, where we have offered graduate-level social work education since 1973. As I mentioned during the full faculty meeting last week, the Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ Board of Trustees approved the closure of our Hudson Valley Center, located at the MidHudson Regional Hospital in Poughkeepsie, New York, at its September 18, 2026, meeting. Following the Spring 2027 semester, our Master of Social Work (MSW) students at the Hudson Valley Center will transition to one of our other MSW program offerings, including at the Manhattan Center in New York City or online, and our Doctor of Social Welfare (DSW) students will transition to Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­â€™s Manhattan Center.

In making this decision, the board and administration assessed how to best deliver our programs sustainably while providing the highest-quality resources. Consolidating our footprint will allow us to strategically centralize resources and student support services while ensuring the long-term financial sustainability of our programs.

Academic Continuity for the Current Year and the Future

Our immediate priority is ensuring a successful, uninterrupted academic year for our current students. Our faculty and staff remain committed to our Hudson Valley Center students’ education and training, and all classes, practicums and schedules for Fall 2026 and Spring 2027 will continue as planned.

We have also developed pathways to ensure that no student’s progress toward their degree is hindered. To that end, School of Social Work Dean Joanne Corbin, PhD, and her staff have met with impacted students and faculty. Students will be able to transition their enrollment to our fully online program, to Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­â€™s new Manhattan Center on Fifth Avenue or the Garden City campus, based on what works best for their life and schedule. These changes will not result in any change in cost for the student.

We are committed to making this transition as smooth and supportive as possible, while maintaining our valuable connections to the Hudson Valley through our many alumni and partners. Please feel free to reach out to Dean Corbin at jcorbin@adelphi.edu with any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Christopher Storm, PhD
Provost and Senior Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs

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Ez-Zouhra Elmaaiden, PhD, is a visiting assistant professor of chemistry. A research and development scientist with multidisciplinary expertise in bioanalysis, preclinical research and formulation development, her work focuses on bioactive compound extraction, molecular biology workflows and cosmeceutical innovation. She holds multiple patents in extraction technologies and natural product development, bringing extensive experience in interdisciplinary project management, commercialization and graduate student mentorship.

Wan Ling Fahrer is a visiting assistant professor of , bringing more than two decades of experience across higher education, K–12 schools, museums and community-based arts learning. Her work centers on art education, museum and object-based learning, and inclusive approaches to contemporary art and pedagogy. She has held appointments at Hunter College, Queens College and the School of Visual Arts, plus museum education roles at institutions including MoMA, the Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center, the Guggenheim and the New Museum. Fahrer has received the Keith Haring Scholarship Award and multiple outstanding art teacher awards from the NYC Department of Education, and previously served as president of the University Council for Art Education. She holds an MA in Art History from Hunter College and a BFA from the School of Visual Arts.

Marissa Galler, PhD ’26, is a clinical assistant professor in the College of Nursing and Public Health. With a clinical background spanning critical care, oncology and palliative care, her research focuses on nurse practitioner communication surrounding end-of-life conversations. An alumna of Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­, where she earned her PhD, she also holds degrees and advanced certifications from Hofstra University, the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ), Thomas Jefferson University and St. Luke’s Hospital School of Nursing.

Charleen Jacobs-Mcfarlane ’06, PhD ’23, is an assistant professor in the College of Nursing and Public Health. A nurse scientist, adult nurse practitioner and double alumna of Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­, her clinical practice and research focus on health equity and rare disease care, particularly sickle cell disease. She previously served as a clinician-scientist and nurse practitioner at the Mount Sinai Center for Sickle Cell Disease, a postdoctoral fellow at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and a faculty member at Yale University and Columbia University. She earned both her BSN and PhD in nursing from Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­.

Susan Kang ’14, MS ’15, DPT, is a clinical assistant professor of health and sport sciences. An Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ alumna and former graduate assistant in the Human Performance Lab, Dr. Kang is excited to return to Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ and join her colleagues in the exercise science program. Her professional experience spans clinical testing and a variety of rehabilitation settings, including acute care, sports, neuromuscular and cardiac rehabilitation. Through her private practice, Blueprint Performance Physical Therapy, she helps active adults return to the activities and goals that matter most to them. Dr. Kang holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in exercise physiology and earned her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree.

Kyungmin Lee, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Department of Environmental Studies and Sciences and sustainability director. Her research spans energy policy, climate policy, urban sustainability and community development, using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Her recent work focuses on applying AI techniques to analyze public responses to environmental issues through large-scale image analysis. Dr. Lee holds a doctoral degree in energy and environmental policy, a master’s degree in environmental studies, and a bachelor’s degree in economics.

Louise Lee, EdD, is associate professor and founding program director of Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­â€™s new Physician Assistant (PA) Program, to be housed within the College of Nursing and Public Health. Dr. Lee has worked as a PA educator for more than 26 years and as a clinically practicing PA in internal medicine and emergency medicine for nearly 40 years, holding leadership roles including department chair, program director, and director of didactic, clinical and research programs at universities across New England and New York. She has taught clinical medicine, patient assessment, and healthcare law and ethics, among other subjects. Dr. Lee holds a doctorate in education with a focus on higher education leadership, a master’s degree in healthcare administration and a bachelor’s degree in PA practice.

Yongjin Lee, PhD, is an assistant professor of health and sport sciences. Building on a decade as a K–12 physical education teacher and teacher community leader, Dr. Lee’s research examines how teacher and student reflection strengthens social and emotional development and informs curriculum design and instructional strategy. His recent work highlights physical education as a vehicle for building social awareness and responsible decision-making, and he is currently studying how artificial intelligence can support reflection among teachers and students to promote character and ethical growth.

Kathleen O’Connor is an assistant professor in the College of Nursing and Public Health. She is a PhD candidate at Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ and a nurse practitioner and clinical researcher whose background spans pulmonary medicine, post-operative surgical care and nursing education. She previously served as an adjunct instructor at Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­, a nurse practitioner and research coordinator at Northwell Health, and a clinical nurse at the Hospital for Special Surgery. O’Connor’s dissertation is focused on Rosemarie Rizzo Parse, PhD’s humanbecoming paradigm. She currently teaches pharmacology, fundamentals of nursing lab and health assessment lab at the undergraduate level, and her scholarly interests include nursing theory, competency-based nursing education and the human experience of isolation. She earned an MS from Pace University and bachelor’s degrees in nursing and kinesiology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Carlos Encina Oleart, PhD, is a visiting associate professor of sociology. A sociologist, journalist and organizational researcher, his work spans policy research, societal analytics, strategic communications and qualitative methodology. As a former investigative journalist and international correspondent for Chile’s La Tercera, he covered major national and global events, including human rights abuses during the Pinochet regime, the 2008 Wall Street financial crisis and international politics. He has advised multinational technology companies on strategic content and taught courses in criminology, gender studies, Latin American politics, the sociology of race and qualitative research methods.

Esi Quaidoo, PhD, is an assistant professor of nutrition and dietetics. A registered dietitian nutritionist and public health researcher, her work spans clinical nutrition consulting, community health and dietetic practice. She previously served as a nutrition consultant at Mission Clinic Accra and worked as a researcher and educator at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She holds a PhD in Public Health from UMass Amherst, an MPhil in Human Nutrition from the University of Ghana and a BSc in Biochemistry from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology.

K. Lynn Robinson, PhD, is assistant professor of . She holds a PhD in Arts Administration, Education and Policy (concentration in art education) from The Ohio State University, began her studies at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and earned a Master of Heritage Preservation from Georgia State University. She brings extensive experience in exhibit design and activation for arts institutions as a curatorial and archival assistant, and as a facilitator of community-based art and teacher development in arts integration. Her research expands the definition of educators to include caregivers exploring the arts and community-based interventions to support a “village� model for young Black learners and their caregivers, within and beyond formal schooling. She serves on the editorial review boards of Art Education, Visual Arts Research and the Journal of Social Theory in Art Education, and as an editorial assistant for the Journal of Cultural Research in Art Education.

Jason Spencer, PhD, is assistant professor of communications, teaching and researching AI, emerging media, podcasting, virtual production and immersive storytelling, with a focus on how AI, XR and adaptive learning can support creative practice, personalized education and public communication. He earned his PhD from Texas A&M University, where his work in virtual production and AI-assisted education produced six intellectual property disclosures. His 20-plus years in film, TV and emerging tech include work with PBS, MTV Networks, Bravo, and documentaries by Blackside and Florentine Films, as well as teaching 1,800-plus students at Texas A&M, Prairie View A&M University, The Art Institutes and CUNY. Dr. Spencer’s current work explores how emerging tech can expand human creativity and learning while preserving human judgment, authorship and agency.

Sloan Vahldieck is an assistant teaching professor in the College of Nursing and Public Health. She is a nurse educator and adult nurse practitioner whose career reflects a deep commitment to clinical excellence, student development and community service. She has taught at Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ since 2018; after discovering how much she loved teaching, Vahldieck returned to graduate school to pursue her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree at Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­. As an adult nurse practitioner at St. Francis Hospital, she provides comprehensive occupational health services, diagnostic interpretation and employee wellness support. Her earlier roles in the emergency department shaped her expertise in triage, quality assurance, interdisciplinary teamwork and high‑acuity patient care and developed her focus on initiatives that improve safety, strengthen clinical practice and enhance patient outcomes.

Eric Dean Wilson, PhD, is an assistant professor of English and faculty member in the Low-Residency MFA in Creative Writing program. He is the author of After Cooling: On Freon, Global Warming, and the Terrible Cost of Comfort (Simon & Schuster, 2021), a work of literary nonfiction weaving the science and history of Freon with reflections on living meaningfully in a warming world. His essays have appeared in The Baffler, Orion, Esquire, Time, and Evergreen Review, among other publications. He holds an MFA in nonfiction writing from The New School and a PhD in English from the CUNY Graduate Center, and previously taught at Wagner College. He is currently writing a book-length work of literary nonfiction for Timber Press.

James Zahardis, PhD, is a visiting assistant professor of chemistry. He earned his doctorate at the University of Vermont and completed postdoctoral fellowships at both The University of Iowa and the University of Vermont. His research expertise centers on physical chemistry, with specializations in aerosols, mass spectrometry and Raman spectroscopy.

To learn more about the members of Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­â€™s faculty, visit our Faculty Profiles.

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As we come to the close of the Spring 2026 semester, we’d like to share some updates on Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­â€™s Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) reaccreditation process and how we’ve progressed during the semester.

A successful reaccreditation relies on the voices of our entire community, and this spring, we have been actively listening:

• In February, Steering Committee Co-Chairs Lawrence Hobbie and Liz Ciabocchi met with the Student Government Association to provide updates and information about the MSCHE re-accreditation process. The students were highly engaged, providing valuable insights into their educational experiences and offering thoughtful suggestions for how we can continue to improve.
• Interim Provost Susan Dinan provided key updates to the Board of Trustees in March, while Drs. Hobbie and Ciabocchi briefed the Deans Council, Assistant/Associate Deans and Executive Leadership during March and April.

Behind the scenes, our seven working groups—each dedicated to a specific Middle States standard—have been hard at work gathering and analyzing data from across campus. They are on track for a June 1 completion date for the first draft chapters of our University Self-Study, which will serve as the foundational blueprint for our institutional review.

As we move from data gathering to review, here is what you can expect over the next year:

• Summer 2026: The MSCHE Executive Steering Committee will review, edit and connect the working groups’ chapters into a single, cohesive draft Self-Study report.
• Fall 2026: We will distribute the draft Self-Study to the entire Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ community for review and feedback. Additionally, our appointed MSCHE team chair will conduct a preliminary visit to our campus.
• March/April 2027: The full MSCHE evaluation team will arrive for their official Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ campus visit.
• June 2027: MSCHE will render its final reaccreditation decision.

We look forward to continued collaboration as we demonstrate Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­â€™s ongoing commitment to academic excellence, institutional effectiveness and student success. If you’d like more information on the process and timeline, please visit our MSCHE website or email us at msche@adelphi.edu.

Warm regards,

Liz Ciabocchi and Lawrence Hobbie
Co-Chairs, Middle States Steering Committee

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Dr. Caro, who studied human evolutionary biology at Harvard University before pivoting to zoology and animal biology at the University of Oxford for her doctorate, has spent most of her career researching the dynamics between bird parents and their offspring, integrating concepts from behavioral neuroscience, evolutionary biology and urban biology. “I’m interested in how birds’ social behavior evolves when there’s a tension between two evolutionary incentives: cooperation and competition,� she said.

Bird families are the perfect petri dish for this tension. Parents want their offspring to cooperate and survive, but they may also, as Dr. Caro puts it, “be a little selfish and want their partner to do more of the work.�

Publishing Research That Expands Understanding of Bird Behavior

Recently, Dr. Caro was the first author on an article, “� (Behavioral Ecology, May 2025), that adds a new dimension to our understanding of bird parent behavior. Among evolutionary biologists, conventional wisdom holds that bird parents respond to their offspring begging for food with fixed behaviors, or behaviors that have evolved over time into something specific and unchanging. But Dr. Caro suspected that parents are actually plastic, or flexible, when responding to their offspring’s signals, particularly in different environmental conditions.

Dr. Caro took to the woods to conduct an experiment. She gave half of the resident bird population extra food to simulate ideal environmental conditions. The other half experienced no change to their environments. Additionally, she cross-fostered broods to ensure that chicks in both populations would behave similarly, leaving environmental conditions the only remaining variable.

Over the subsequent week, parents did not concentrate their feeding on the chicks that were the largest or loudest. Instead, Dr. Caro’s theory proved correct. The parents who received extra food became “nice, equitable parents,� she explained, while parents in harsher conditions surrendered to survival of the fittest. “These parents selectively ignored the runts, which means they were making decisions about which of their offspring were most likely to survive when food was low.� Ultimately, parents displayed plasticity in responding to multiple sources of information, including local environmental conditions and their assessments of each chick’s size and behavior.

Exploring Parenting Differences Between Males and Females

Dr. Caro’s “� (Behaviour, July 2025) illuminates another bird family dynamic—this time couples. “In my work, I was noticing that male and female parents made decisions differently. Mothers took longer to make a decision and were more likely to change their minds,� often clashing with fathers over feeding. But, she wondered, were these conflicts purely the product of biological differences in birds?

To find out, she conducted a meta-analysis on 31 bird species, comparing how mothers and fathers responded to offspring begging alongside social and physiological traits that could influence conflict. The results were unexpected. “I went in expecting birds to show similar patterns to mammals, where females are almost always more responsive and provide the vast majority of parental care,� she said. “But across every bird species, sex difference was minimal. Only when I looked within species did I start to see other patterns.�

In bird species with strong bonds between males and females, fathers were more responsive to offspring begging for food. In species with less stable bonds, however, fathers were less responsive to begging, leading females to compensate by taking on a greater share of parental care. Rather than an innate difference among sexes, then, Dr. Caro’s findings demonstrate that varying levels of responsiveness among males and females are likely shaped by the types of bonds they form.

Whether she’s depositing mealworms in bird nests or running statistical analyses, Dr. Caro believes a mixture of research methods will always yield the best result. “Comparative meta-analyses allow me to see the big picture across species. Then I can zoom into the details with experimental work,� she said. “My findings from an experiment might lead me to do a meta-analysis or vice versa. This is just such a rich field with so many different axes to explore.�

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A New Framework for Understanding Homework Help

“When I started studying homework and parenting, I found that the literature was divided between proponents and opponents of parental involvement, or focused on topics like whether parental involvement is academically effective. The parent-child relationship was completely overlooked,â€� said Dr. Gershy Tsahor. “As children grow up, there are fewer opportunities for parent-child interactions that are meaningful, so I began looking at homework as one context for interaction that was already built into the family’s daily routine. Parents are so busy that if there’s a way to foster the relationship that is already structured in family life, it makes for an ideal opportunity.â€�

Dr. Gershy Tsahor’s theoretical paper positions homework as not just an academic task, but as a unique opportunity for “joint attentionâ€� between parents and children during middle childhood—the developmental stage between early childhood and adolescence. The work is grounded in questions like “What do children need from their parents during middle childhood?â€� and “What kind of parental involvement enables a child to feel seen, valued and supported, as well as feeling that there is sufficient trust in them to do things successfully alone?â€�

The resulting approach—employing �joint attention� during homework—moves beyond the traditional argument for or against parental homework involvement and instead focuses on the quality of parent-child interactions during homework time. In developmental psychology, the concept of joint attention refers to one person coordinating, with purpose, their focus of attention with another person on a single object or task. More succinctly, it means two people paying attention to the same thing at the same time.

In early childhood, joint attention plays an important role in language development, social bonding and learning. Dr. Gershy Tsahor’s article suggests that homework is a structured opportunity to maintain and strengthen these moments even as children grow older and such occasions are fleeting.

Practical Implications for Parent-Child Homework Interactions

Many parents find themselves increasingly involved in their children’s homework, yet sometimes feel uncertain about the right level of support. Some worry about creating dependence on their help, while others fear their children will fall behind without a helping hand. With a national survey by NORC (National Opinion Research Center) at the University of Chicago showing that 80 percent of parents help with homework on at least a weekly basis, practical guidance on how to help is useful for those seeking equilibrium.

“Doing this the ‘right way’ is a big concern for parents,� Dr. Gershy Tsahor said. “They understand the importance of helping their child academically, but most parents are not educators. They are confused about how to help.�

Her research offers a strategy to help parents navigate these concerns. She notes that while parents may not have the pedagogical training to promote their child’s academic skills, what they are able to do is help their child find meaning and motivation in what they are doing. “Parents are the most important adults in their child’s life. Helping children find meaning in what they have done during the school day allows parents to be witnesses and reinforcers, not instructors,� Dr. Gershy Tsahor said.

Most importantly, she said, the focus should shift from a pedagogical, often stressful approach to one that creates meaningful experiences—an opportunity for mutual discovery rather than instruction. “Instead of providing the answers, parents can ask open-ended questions that help children think through problems while maintaining a shared focus on the work,� she said. “They can sit with a child as they work through math problems, pointing out patterns together, or discuss the themes in a reading assignment.�

She says that taking away the uncertainty and negativity from homework time is the key. “It’s important for parents to know they don’t need a teaching degree to help their kids succeed.�

Taking a Tailored Approach

Effective homework support looks different for different children and families—some children may need more structured joint attention sessions, while others benefit from having parents available but less directly involved. “The key is maintaining the quality of shared focus and collaboration rather than trying to take a one-size-fits-all approach,� she said.

“When people have children, they often feel there is a ‘right way’ to parent or a ‘correct’ strategy to use. While it can be reassuring to feel we have a script to follow, there is so much diversity in children and parents that this is often not feasible. It just creates more stress,� Dr. Gershy Tsahor said.

She recommends that parents try to think about their goal and fine-tune and tailor their interactions. Ask questions like What does my child need from me in this context? and How can I join them in this process?

“This requires parents to be truly present, but ultimately they have the opportunity to learn something really important about their child’s life and get a glimpse into their child’s world.�

In soon-to-be-published research, Dr. Gershy Tsahor examines the impact of an intervention that teaches parents to dedicate the initial five minutes of homework preparation to a guided observation of their child before offering assistance. Findings included an enhanced understanding of their child’s mental experience and decreased levels of hostility during homework time, highlighting the importance of parental awareness of their child’s mental state during homework and tailoring the experience to consider their perspective and capabilities.

Beyond Academic Outcomes

Dr. Gershy Tsahor’s work encourages parents to consider outcomes beyond grades and test scores. While academic achievement remains important, the joint attention framework has significant added benefits: strengthened parent-child relationships, enhanced communication skills and increased confidence in learning.

“When families approach homework as an opportunity for meaningful connection, children develop more positive attitudes toward learning and greater resilience. They continue to trust the adults in their life as a reliable source of help,� said Dr. Gershy Tsahor. “These outcomes can be more valuable in the long term than immediate academic gains.�

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As an expert in maternal and child health inequalities, and a Nigerian native herself, Dr. Yusuf saw a research question in the making—and the chance to make a difference. “I wanted to understand how much Nigerian parents really knew about HPV, about the cancers it causes, about the vaccine itself and if they intended to get it,� she said. “By gathering that information in advance, we could identify reasons for potential HPV vaccine hesitancy and understand how to convince parents to immunize their children when the vaccine became available.�

Addressing a History of Vaccine Skepticism

In Nigeria, cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women. Yet the nation’s immunization rates have historically been extremely low, in part due to mistrust of Western medical intervention. So while the HPV vaccine offers close to total lifelong protection against cervical cancer, Dr. Yusuf wasn’t certain Nigerian parents would see the vaccine as a silver bullet for their children. But to change parents’ minds, Dr. Yusuf knew she would first have to identify what was holding them back.

Dr. Yusuf and her team interviewed more than 1,000 parents and caregivers across Kano State, the most populous state in Nigeria. Participants were asked several questions, including if they had ever heard of HPV, the main reason they would not want to vaccinate their child(ren), and whether they would pursue the vaccine if it were available for free or more cheaply. At the time of Dr. Yusuf’s study, the HPV vaccine was only available for a substantial fee from private hospitals.

Discovering the Drivers of Parental Hesitancy

The interviews returned some unexpected results. Given the history of vaccine skepticism in Kano, Dr. Yusuf said she “predicted very low intention rates going in.� But about 67 percent of parents indicated a willingness to vaccinate their children if the vaccine were free or subsidized. Dr. Yusuf also found that parents in urban areas were more likely to be hesitant, which came as a surprise. “I assumed people in rural areas would have less access to news and educational materials, so they would be less aware of the vaccine,� she explained, “but it might actually have been because they have minimal access to social media and therefore less misinformation.� Fathers showed higher rates of hesitancy than mothers, which “should worry us. Nigeria is a patriarchal society, so fathers are the ones making key decisions for the family.�

In addition to “high-risk groups,� the study conclusively identified the most common reasons for vaccine hesitancy. In general, hesitant parents were (1) concerned about the vaccine’s safety, (2) did not believe their child(ren) needed it, (3) had not received a recommendation from their doctor, or (4) were not aware of the vaccine itself. In fact, only about 4 percent of participants had ever heard of HPV.

Dr. Yusuf is no stranger to the complicated factors that shape a population’s relationship with vaccination. Having previously studied immunization coverage gaps in the United States, she sees a clear difference between vaccine-hesitant American and Nigerian parents. “The biggest problem in the U.S. is probably misinformation or disinformation from social media. But in Kano, few people have access to social media.� Why, then, do rumors and myths about vaccines still run rampant, even for urban residents? “Many Nigerian communities believe what their religious and cultural leaders say. And sometimes those leaders say things that are misleading or inaccurate.�

Using the Right Tools to Champion Vaccination

Now that Nigeria’s HPV rollout is underway, public health officials can target these variables—whether in isolation or together—when developing vaccination campaigns. As Dr. Yusuf noted in her subsequent report, “� (Vaccine: X, December 2024), “tailoring interventions to address the unique compositions and concerns of these communities is essential for improving vaccine uptake.�

In particular, public health programs in Kano must address knowledge-related barriers when designing and implementing interventions. “We need to partner with trusted figures in the community to make sure people are getting accurate information,� Dr. Yusuf said. “We need to focus on educating, creating awareness, and stressing the link between vaccines and cancer prevention.�

Dr. Yusuf is currently completing an article from the study’s qualitative component, which will provide in-depth information on how to increase HPV vaccine uptake and actionable strategies for vaccine managers and policymakers in Kano. While she admits we still have much more to learn about the vaccine’s uptake in northern Nigeria, her work is steadily helping close the immunization gap, one study at a time.

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