We are going to spend the next several weeks spotlighting the recipients of the Spring 2014 Faculty Research Grants. Get to know these distinguished faculty members below!

Name: Sunyoung Park

University: Louisiana State University

Title of Proposal: Influential factors for learner persistence in intensive online learning: Mutual impacts of self-regulated learning strategy, instructor-learner interaction, and learner satisfaction

Bio: Dr. Sunyoung Park is an assistant professor in the School of Human Resource Education and Workforce Development at Louisiana State University. She received her PhD from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Her research interests include organizational culture; learning in the workplace; knowledge sharing; and integration of human resource development, human performance technology, and instructional technology. Mailing Address: 291 Coates Hall, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA. Email: spark65@lsu.edu

Name: Elizabeth Gazza

University: University of North Carolina-Wilmington

Title: Identifying Priorities and Satisfiers of Online RN-BS Student in an Accelerated Program: A Pilot Study

Bio: Elizabeth A. Gazza PhD, RN, LCCE, FACCE is an associate professor of nursing at the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) where she teaches in the online accelerated RN-BS program. Dr. Gazza has facilitated learning in all levels of nursing education from LPN through DNP and has extensive experience in the development and delivery of online courses and programs. While serving as an administrator in higher education she successfully led program accreditation activities for online programs. Dr. Gazza’s current research interests focus on nursing faculty development, including approaches to enhancing the online teaching-learning experience.

Name: Ronda Mintz-Binder

University: University of Texas at Arlington

Title: A Longitudinal Comparison of Academic Partnership Coach-Based Graduate Nursing Students to Traditional Graduate Nursing Students

Bio: Dr. Ronda Mintz-Binder has been an assistant professor with the University of Texas at Arlington College of Nursing since 2007, after receiving her Doctorate in Nursing Practice Degree from Case Western Reserve University. Prior to this appointment, she was the Dean of Los Angeles City College, a community college in downtown Los Angeles, California for 5.5 years. Dr. Mintz-Binder began her teaching career at the UCLA School of Nursing and has taught across all levels of nursing. Her research area is focused on psychosocial issues within the educational setting. This research grant enables a continuation of a longitudinal study that looks specifically at stress and sense of belonging in nursing graduate students enrolled in either the Academic Partnership program or the traditional, in the seat program.