Grants Fund Research Supporting Young Turkish Refugees, Improving Health of African-American Moms and Babies

In a new initiative that illustrates the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and community-engaged research at Duquesne, two projects have been selected to receive initial seed funding through the Office of the Provost, the Center for Community-Engaged Teaching and Research (CETR) and the Office of Research.

These Community-Engaged Research Grant awards will reach up to $10,000 for each of two years, with external funding expected to sustain the programs, said Dr. Lina Dostilio, CETR director.

“In this inaugural year, we selected two teams to invest in and build academic research programs that are of importance to the local community,” Dostilio said.

While building a more just and equitable world is central to Duquesne’s mission, an additional principle of this community-engaged research is social and environmental justice.

The two projects selected focus on educational and health issues. Here is an introduction to the research:

Wise Women: An Untapped Community Asset

This project is designed to improve the maternal-child health crisis affecting African-Americans in the United States. The team, including three community partners, will lay groundwork to gain the wisdom and trust of female community elders who can informally share valuable information about diabetes. In the U.S., African-American women are less likely to receive prenatal care and nearly four times more likely to die from causes related to pregnancy as non-Hispanic, white women. Health outcomes for their babies are linked to those of their mothers—and infant mortality rates for African-Americans in 2010 were twice as high as those of non-Hispanic whites. According to information from the Allegheny County Department of Health, the maternal-child health gap may be even greater in Pittsburgh than nationwide.

Support for Refugee Families with School-Aged Children in the Pittsburgh Area through Ethically Based Community Centers: An Additive Model for Family Engagement, Student Linguistic and Academic Development, and Teacher Preparation

This project will identify and work with immigrant Ahiska families involved with the Turkish Cultural Center of Pittsburgh, helping to welcome and integrate the newcomers into the Pittsburgh community. After identifying needs such as emotional support, academic and language development, the team will design appropriate programs with cultural center volunteers and teachers.

The Researchers

Wise Women: An Untapped Community Asset

Dr. Jessica Devido
Dr. Jessica Devido

Dr. Jessica Devido, assistant professor of nursing and a board-certified pediatric nurse practitioner. Research focus: maternal and children’s health, including preconception counseling for African-American women with diabetes.

Dr. Cathleen J. Appelt
Dr. Cathleen J. Appelt

Dr. Cathleen J. Appelt, assistant professor of sociology. Research focus: inequalities in health and health care, particularly for underserved groups of veterans, including African-Americans, those with mental illnesses and those who are homeless.

Terri Baltimore
Terri Baltimore

Terri Baltimore, director of Neighborhood Engagement for the Hill House Association, developer of the Hill District Community Collaborative and co-founder of the Dot Talley Center to provide supportive housing for women and children as well as Find The Rivers, a group focused on green spaces, health and wellness, and the local economy.

Celeta Hickman
Celeta Hickman

Celeta Hickman, a founder of the Ujamaa Collective in the Hill District and a member of the Pittsburgh Public Schools’ Equity Advisory Panel.

Paul Abernathy
Paul Abernathy

Paul Abernathy, a sub-deacon in the Greek Orthodox Church and director of the church’s FOCUS Pittsburgh ministry, which centers on community trauma and, last year, launched free primary and mental health services.

Support for Refugee Families

Dr. Laura Mahalingappa
Dr. Laura Mahalingappa

Dr. Laura Mahalingappa, assistant professor of English as a Second Language (ESL). Research focus: preparing pre-service teachers to support culturally and linguistically diverse students.

Dr. Anne Marie FitzGerald
Dr. Anne Marie FitzGerald

Dr. Anne Marie FitzGerald, assistant professor of educational leadership. Research focus: urban education, the intersection of housing and education policy.

Dr. Nihat Polat
Dr. Nihat Polat

Dr. Nihat Polat, associate professor and director of the ESL Specialist Certificate and the master’s program in the Department of Instruction and Leadership. Research focus: applied linguistics, acquisition of a second language and teacher education.