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URI researcher receives ACS grant to develop new quantitative models

KINGSTON, R.I. -- November 27, 2006 --
When contemporary health professionals conduct long-term intensive studies to describe what drives addictive behaviors such as smoking, their studies produce tremendous amounts of data.
To help analyze those data and characterize critical processes underlying addiction, University of Rhode Island Assistant Professor of Behavioral Science Theodore Walls has received an award from the American Cancer Society (ACS) to develop new quantitative models. These models will be based on the integration of models used in engineering and the physical sciences with statistical approaches used typically in behavioral science.

For more information visit Theodore Wall's website at www.uri.edu/faculty/walls

Description of URI and the Department of Psychology

The University of Rhode Island is a state-supported coeducational institution with an enrollment of approximately 3100 graduate and 10,300 undergraduate students and a full time faculty of 615 instructors at its main campus. It was founded in 1892 as one of the land grant colleges and in 1971 became one of the first four sea grant colleges in the United States. The University is located in the picturesque village of Kingston, in historic South County near the state's beautiful coastline and many lovely beaches. Kingston is 30 miles south of the capitol city of Providence and within easy access of the main population areas of the region, including Boston and New York City.

The Psychology Department is one of the largest departments within the College of Arts and Sciences, the largest college in the University. The department has 31 full-time faculty, approximately 750 undergraduate majors, and 110 graduate students, 100 of whom are enrolled in doctoral programs. The department offers training leading to the Ph.D. in three areas: clinical psychology, behavioral science (formerly, experimental psychology), and school psychology. The Psychology Department is an energetic and productive department and is committed to excellence in education, research and service. A major focus of the department is the development and encouragement of all forms of multicultural diversity. Both the undergraduate and graduate programs have been described by the highest ranking administrative officers of the University as excellent and are generally considered to be among the most outstanding programs at the University (See our departmental mission statement on the department web site).

The Psychology Department is located in the Chafee Social Science Center. The department occupies third and fourth floors with faculty, secretarial and graduate assistant office space, conference and meeting rooms, and research laboratories. Additional space is located on the first floor for a variety of research and training activities. These facilities include: laboratories for research in cognition, perception, and behavioral psychology; the Psychological Consultation Center with rooms for consultation and one-way observation rooms for research and training; and office space for graduate assistants. Allied with the Psychology Department is the Cancer Prevention Research Center, which occupies a nearby building and provides research space for some Psychology faculty and graduate students. The Psychology department has close ties to the Multicultural Center, the Feinstein Center for a Hunger-Free America, the Women's Center, the Center for Nonviolence and Peace Studies, and the Advance program for women in science. Less than an hour away is the Providence campus which offers the B.A. in Psychology for non-traditional students and also houses the Community Research and Services Team.

Behavioral Science Program Description

The Behavioral Science Program is a small (35 student) program leading to a doctoral degree (Ph. D.) in psychology. Students entering with a Bachelor's degree earn the Master of Arts degree (MA.) as part of the doctoral program. The objective of the program is to provide a rigorous base of knowledge in psychology, including data analytic and methodological skills. Students are able to develop research and content specializations through department-wide focus areas. Experiences in basic and applied research are emphasized. Our graduates are employed in such diverse roles as academic research and teaching positions, professional positions in industry, and in roles such as evaluation specialists in public service and policy settings.

Program Strengths

At the University of Rhode Island, we seek to bring the power of science to bear on meaningful social issues. Our Behavioral Science Program is strong in research methods, with several internationally known quantitative methodologists and solid qualitative research opportunities as well. We share the conviction that research designs and data, rigorously applied, are powerful tools for transforming our understanding and guiding effective action.

Applied research focus: We have a number of faculty engaged in work on the prevention of health problems and the promotion of well-being for problems such as alcohol, tobacco, and other addictions; sexually transmitted diseases and AIDS; and cancer prevention across a spectrum of risk factors. Another area of strength for us is work on the effects of cultural difference, defined broadly to include ethnicity, race, sexual orientation, gender, social class and their intersections.

Collaboration: Clinical and School Program students and faculty work alongside Behavioral Science students and faculty on many kinds of research, and the research strengths of the Behavioral Science collaborators are in demand for projects linked to clinical, school and community concerns. Students are encouraged to seek out opportunities to work and learn with a variety of faculty and collaborative programs.

Flexible requirements: Behavioral Science program requirements are relatively flexible, making it possible to "tailor" your academic experiences and research practica to focus on the strengths you want to build for your own professional direction.

Multicultural emphasis: Our research and curriculum requirements reflect commitment to a science that actively engages with the realities of our multicultural world. Although we cannot promise perfection, we do work hard on these challenges and we have been acknowledged on our campus for doing so. You will find faculty and students representing a range of cultures, broadly defined to include race and ethnicity, social class, gender, disability, and sexual orientation. We are committed to building the knowledge base with research that genuinely expands our understanding of diverse lives. Furthermore, we are committed to teaching and applying that knowledge with competencies suited for our multicultural world.

Basic information about our program of study, our program faculty, curricular requirements, and the admissions process are provided on this site. In addition, general information about the psychololgy department should be reviewed in considering our program.

Interdisciplinary Interest Areas

The Department has special strength in several interest areas that involve faculty and graduate students from all three of our Ph.D. programs. Students in the Behavioral Science Program are encouraged to explore opportunities in at least one of these interest areas, which represent promising avenues for professional development.

Research Methodology. Training in quantitative methods, qualitative methods, evaluation research, experimental and quasi-experimental designs, consulting, data management, and programming for research applications.

Gender and Multicultural Issues. Interest in antecedents and consequences of gender, sex, sexual orientation, class, and ethnic similarities and differences, through the life span.

Health Promotion. Focus on environmental, physiological, interpersonal, and community factors associated with illness, as well as behavioral and community-based strategies to promote health. Specific interests include processes of self-change directed toward cancer prevention and AIDS risk reduction; women's health issues; alcohol, tobacco, and other drug abuse prevention in community settings; and etiology of alcohol use, misuse and prevention.

Developmental Studies. Consideration of topics in human development throughtout the lifespan from early childhood to senior populations. Special foci on well-being, anxiety, family, school, and applied longitudinal designs and analyses.

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			URI News Flash URI researcher receives ACS grant to develop new quantitative models KINGSTON, R.I. -- November 27, 2006 -- When contemporary health professionals conduct long-term intensive studies to describe what drives addictive behaviors such as smoking, their studies produce tremendous amounts of data. To help analyze those data and characterize critical processes underlying addiction, University of Rhode Island Assistant Professor of Behavioral Science Theodore Walls has received an award from the American Cancer Society (ACS) to develop new quantitative models. These models will be based on the integration of models used in engineering and the physical sciences with statistical approaches used typically in behavioral science. For more information visit Theodore Wall's website at www.uri.edu/faculty/walls Description of URI and the Department of Psychology The University of Rhode Island is a state-supported coeducational institution with an enrollment of approximately 3100 graduate and 10,300 undergraduate students and a full time faculty of 615 instructors at its main campus. It was founded in 1892 as one of the land grant colleges and in 1971 became one of the first four sea grant colleges in the United States. The University is located in the picturesque village of Kingston, in historic South County near the state's beautiful coastline and many lovely beaches. Kingston is 30 miles south of the capitol city of Providence and within easy access of the main population areas of the region, including Boston and New York City. The Psychology Department is one of the largest departments within the College of Arts and Sciences, the largest college in the University. The department has 31 full-time faculty, approximately 750 undergraduate majors, and 110 graduate students, 100 of whom are enrolled in doctoral programs. The department offers training leading to the Ph.D. in three areas: clinical psychology, behavioral science (formerly, experimental psychology), and school psychology. The Psychology Department is an energetic and productive department and is committed to excellence in education, research and service. A major focus of the department is the development and encouragement of all forms of multicultural diversity. Both the undergraduate and graduate programs have been described by the highest ranking administrative officers of the University as excellent and are generally considered to be among the most outstanding programs at the University (See our departmental mission statement on the department web site). The Psychology Department is located in the Chafee Social Science Center. The department occupies third and fourth floors with faculty, secretarial and graduate assistant office space, conference and meeting rooms, and research laboratories. Additional space is located on the first floor for a variety of research and training activities. These facilities include: laboratories for research in cognition, perception, and behavioral psychology; the Psychological Consultation Center with rooms for consultation and one-way observation rooms for research and training; and office space for graduate assistants. Allied with the Psychology Department is the Cancer Prevention Research Center, which occupies a nearby building and provides research space for some Psychology faculty and graduate students. The Psychology department has close ties to the Multicultural Center, the Feinstein Center for a Hunger-Free America, the Women's Center, the Center for Nonviolence and Peace Studies, and the Advance program for women in science. Less than an hour away is the Providence campus which offers the B.A. in Psychology for non-traditional students and also houses the Community Research and Services Team. Behavioral Science Program Description The Behavioral Science Program is a small (35 student) program leading to a doctoral degree (Ph. D.) in psychology. Students entering with a Bachelor's degree earn the Master of Arts degree (MA.) as part of the doctoral program. The objective of the program is to provide a rigorous base of knowledge in psychology, including data analytic and methodological skills. Students are able to develop research and content specializations through department-wide focus areas. Experiences in basic and applied research are emphasized. Our graduates are employed in such diverse roles as academic research and teaching positions, professional positions in industry, and in roles such as evaluation specialists in public service and policy settings. Program Strengths At the University of Rhode Island, we seek to bring the power of science to bear on meaningful social issues. Our Behavioral Science Program is strong in research methods, with several internationally known quantitative methodologists and solid qualitative research opportunities as well. We share the conviction that research designs and data, rigorously applied, are powerful tools for transforming our understanding and guiding effective action. Applied research focus: We have a number of faculty engaged in work on the prevention of health problems and the promotion of well-being for problems such as alcohol, tobacco, and other addictions; sexually transmitted diseases and AIDS; and cancer prevention across a spectrum of risk factors. Another area of strength for us is work on the effects of cultural difference, defined broadly to include ethnicity, race, sexual orientation, gender, social class and their intersections. Collaboration: Clinical and School Program students and faculty work alongside Behavioral Science students and faculty on many kinds of research, and the research strengths of the Behavioral Science collaborators are in demand for projects linked to clinical, school and community concerns. Students are encouraged to seek out opportunities to work and learn with a variety of faculty and collaborative programs. Flexible requirements: Behavioral Science program requirements are relatively flexible, making it possible to "tailor" your academic experiences and research practica to focus on the strengths you want to build for your own professional direction. Multicultural emphasis: Our research and curriculum requirements reflect commitment to a science that actively engages with the realities of our multicultural world. Although we cannot promise perfection, we do work hard on these challenges and we have been acknowledged on our campus for doing so. You will find faculty and students representing a range of cultures, broadly defined to include race and ethnicity, social class, gender, disability, and sexual orientation. We are committed to building the knowledge base with research that genuinely expands our understanding of diverse lives. Furthermore, we are committed to teaching and applying that knowledge with competencies suited for our multicultural world. Basic information about our program of study, our program faculty, curricular requirements, and the admissions process are provided on this site. In addition, general information about the psychololgy department should be reviewed in considering our program. Interdisciplinary Interest Areas The Department has special strength in several interest areas that involve faculty and graduate students from all three of our Ph.D. programs. Students in the Behavioral Science Program are encouraged to explore opportunities in at least one of these interest areas, which represent promising avenues for professional development. Research Methodology. Training in quantitative methods, qualitative methods, evaluation research, experimental and quasi-experimental designs, consulting, data management, and programming for research applications. Gender and Multicultural Issues. Interest in antecedents and consequences of gender, sex, sexual orientation, class, and ethnic similarities and differences, through the life span. Health Promotion. Focus on environmental, physiological, interpersonal, and community factors associated with illness, as well as behavioral and community-based strategies to promote health. Specific interests include processes of self-change directed toward cancer prevention and AIDS risk reduction; women's health issues; alcohol, tobacco, and other drug abuse prevention in community settings; and etiology of alcohol use, misuse and prevention. Developmental Studies. Consideration of topics in human development throughtout the lifespan from early childhood to senior populations. Special foci on well-being, anxiety, family, school, and applied longitudinal designs and analyses.
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