Hannah Hardy, Senior

Duties at the ACORN Center: At the ACORN center, my primary role is to aid my research mentor Dr. Corbett with the PACE Greenville study that is researching the effects that an Amazon Alexa device may have on older individuals. My current role in this study is to enter the data collected into a database, which I will soon analyze. Additionally, I am a part of a scoping review researching the effects of digital technology and social connectedness for individuals with one or more chronic condition. My primary role in this project has been to conduct literature reviews and analyze the information collected with the intent to  write a manuscript on the topic.

Research Focus: My current research focus is on the PACE Greenville Study that involves using an Alexa device in the homes of older individuals with one or more chronic condition. The goal of this study is to research the effects that technology may have on this population regarding their chronic conditions and quality of life overall. Although my biggest concentration is on the PACE Greenville Study, my focus overall is on the effects that technological devices may have on individuals, the older population specifically.

Why I have enjoyed working in the ACORN center: Working at the ACORN center has given me countless opportunities that have allowed me to grow as not only a researcher but as a person. When I first started working with the program, I had no idea what I wanted my focus to be on, only knowing that I wanted to take part in research regardless. Today, I can say with a great amount of confidence that my current concentration at the ACORN center, is what I would like to pursue throughout the entirety of my college career. Additionally, during my time with the ACORN center, I have made countless relationships with the most incredible people that have allowed me to grow professionally and personally.

Ashley Jones

Duties at ACORN Center: I assist Dr. Vick in analyzing data, finding new data, and identifying information that fits into scientific research models. 

Research Focus: My research focus is the socioeconomic determinants of the impact of sickle disease in African American communities in the state of South Carolina. Currently, my research mentor and I are working writing a literature review on my findings. As we progress forward in my research, we plan to conduct research that includes a survey at two important sickle cell centers in Columbia, SC

What do you enjoy about working with the ACORN Research center? This year was my first time being a part of the ACORN community. It felt like home, and everyone was extremely welcoming and comforting. I found the most comfort in Dr. Vick who has interests in sickle cell disease as well, and she introduced me to this amazing community. I enjoy the ACORN community because when I speak, everyone is fully engaged and supportive of my ideas and what I am interested in. Have peers who are interested in what you are doing and being so encouraging is such an amazing feeling to have. 

Tomo Ono

Duties at the ACORN Center: At the ACORN Center, my primary involvement is with the ACORN SEEDS research group, where I work with other students and faculty advisors to explore a topic of interest through student-led research and projects. I am also starting the process of working on my honors thesis, so I will likely be working with the ACORN Center in that capacity as well. 

Research Focus: I am interested in the topics of stress and nursing burnout, and in my freshman year, I explored stress and coping mechanisms in nursing students across the continuum of their education through an independent project. Additionally, I collaborated with the ACORN SEEDS group to investigate stress and substance use in the general undergraduate population at USC. In terms of future research, especially for my honors thesis, I am interested in building off of what I have already done and the domains of community and public health.

Why I enjoy working for the ACORN Center: I enjoy working for the ACORN Center because of the research-oriented students and faculty, who provide invaluable support and guidance for scholarly endeavors. The research areas that the ACORN Center engages in have a real ability to positively impact people's wellbeing, and that has been inspirational. Getting to work on projects and engage with faculty who have extensive experience with research has been a great learning experience, and I look forward to continuing my collaboration with this amazing group! 

Shegun Santos

Duties at the ACORN Center: My responsibilities in the ACORN center include collaborating with other ACORN undergraduate students in group research projects and working on my own personal efforts.

Research Focus: My research focus is on the health of vulnerable and underserved populations, more specifically in the field of mental health. Currently, my honors thesis focuses on students from a rural background in college settings and mental health literacy.

Why I enjoy working for the ACORN center: Working for the ACORN center has provided a wonderful opportunity to work with passionate individuals in research and has exposed me to various fields of research that I otherwise would not have had the opportunity to explore. Not only that, the ACORN center hosts an amazing environment for learning and communication and has helped me grow professionally.

Mia Barron, PhD Student

Duties at ACORN Center:  My duties at the ACORN Center are to aid my mentor and principal investigators with coding, data abstraction, and literature review of their proposed research studies and to further develop my own research.

Research Focus: My topic area of interest is patient-provider communication among African American individuals with systemic lupus erythematosus and other chronic autoimmune conditions. I am particularly interested in strategies and/or tools used to enhance and improve communication among patient and providers.

What do you enjoy working with ACORN Center research? The most enjoyable aspect of working with the ACORN Center is having the ability to work alongside effective, knowledgeable, friendly, and respectedprofessionals who are always willing to share their expertise. During my short time here, I have learned so much. The ACORN Center has provides opportunities beyond the classroom. The experience to work hands on with specific projects enhances my learning and is helping to prepare me for the next level as a nurse scientist.

Bridget Hamilton, PhD Student

Duties at the ACORN Center: Assisting with qualitative and quantitative analyses and drafting manuscripts for professional publications.

Research Focus: Conducting small area analyses of health disparities throughout metro-Atlanta to understand barriers and facilitators of reproductive health outcomes in the context of structural racism.

Why I enjoy working for the ACORN Center: The mentoring and resources available within the ACORN Center are available nowhere else. Working at the ACORN Center has connected me with the best of the best in using nursing science to research health disparities. My work with the ACORN Center has assisted me in my journey to be an independent nurse scientist. 

April Hutto, PhD Student

Duties at ACORN Center: My duties at the ACORN center include serving as principal investigator on my own projects with the help of my research mentors!

Research Focus: My research focus is on the military population, specifically military children with TRICARE coverage. My research is mostly qualitative and examines the experiences patients have. I also focus on continuity of care and how it affects health outcomes for those with chronic disease. 

What do you enjoy working with ACORN Center research? I love working at the ACORN center because it allows me to feel that I am making a tangible contribution to the field of research in an area that I am truly passionate about. I am able to take my personal passions and experiences and use them to guide my research. I also enjoy being able to make connections with such educated and respected faculty. It is truly a privilege!

Rebecca Kemp, PhD Student

Activities with ACORN Center: Participation in PACE research with Dr. Cindy Corbett for research internship.

Research and Scholarship Focus: Medication adherence in African Americans with Type 2 diabetes to oral antidiabetic medications

What do you enjoy about being a member of the ACORN Center?: Being able to gain experience and knowledge about different research methods and software that are used to analyze the data.

Christina Bhola

Duties at ACORN Center: Assisting Dr. Corbett in projects and participating as a research subject when necessary, contributing to data collection and discussion of projects. 

Research Focus: Projects involving geriatric populations and nursing technology that may aide in higher quality of life. 

What do you enjoy working with ACORN Center research? The ACORN center is full of talented people to learn from, great ongoing projects, and passionate teams of people ready to change lives. It makes me excited to be part of that team. 

Charlotte Burts

Duties at ACORN Center: My role within the ACORN center is to aid my research mentor Dr. Wright with duties such as conducting literature reviews and performing data analysis, as well as becoming a researcher on my own personal projects.

Research Focus: My research focus is on Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, and the experiences and struggles of those affected. Currently, my research mentor and I are conducting research to aid in the development of a digital platform for care and support for this chronic condition on multiple different levels such as exercise, social support, and symptom management. I personally am focusing on the link between PCOS, mental health issues, and physical activity, and how it impacts the lives of women who suffer from this condition.

What do you enjoy working with ACORN Center research? I have loved working at the ACORN center, as it allows me to feel like I am supporting women with a common yet underrepresented chronic condition and getting to learn many fundamental aspects of scientific research all at the same time. This opportunity has allowed me to take my personal interests and turn it into something that I can further explore in my research and learning pursuits. I have also greatly enjoyed getting to establish new relationships with faculty and learn more about all of the opportunities for research and exploration within the College of Nursing. I am so grateful for the opportunity to develop my abilities overcoming challenges and constant learning, all while continuing to foster my passions in research!

Melissa Danilov

Duties at ACORN Center: My role within the ACORN center is to collaborate with my mentors Dr. Raynor and Dr. Vick to write a manuscript about my personal project which is conducting a survey on registered nurses of all education levels in the South Carolina region to explore knowledge gaps and perceptions of Opioid Use Disorder (OUD). I’m also here to support other undergraduate students conducting research at this center. 

Research Focus: My research is currently focused on nursing knowledge of Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) and its treatment. With a minor in neuroscience, I also am exploring how neurotechnology can play a role in treating OUD. As a future psychiatric mental health nurse, I plan to continue working with and researching substance use disorders including OUD. 

What do you enjoy working with ACORNS Center Research? I like working with ACORNS because I get to share my academic passions and discover the passions of other students and faculty. I’m also happy that I can make connections with a very educated, ambitious, and supportive faculty. Because stress is a well-known risk factor for developing a chronic illness, undergraduate students are collaborating as a group to explore stress prevalence at our university. I’m very excited that we can coordinate such a project here at the center.

Shelby Lester

Duties at the ACORN Center: My responsibilities within the ACORN center are to conduct my own research for my honors thesis with the help of my thesis mentor, Dr. Vick, and engage in a group research project with other ACORN undergraduate students. 

Research Focus: My research is centered around the curriculum for USC undergraduate (UG) students in the College of Nursing. Specifically, I am evaluating the preparedness of nursing students to cope with the grief experienced from patient loss. My research includes a systematic review of literature on the best practices in teaching coping methods, a curriculum review of the UG nursing curriculum, and semi-structured interviews with students and faculty. 

Why I have enjoyed working in the ACORN center: I am new to working in the ACORN center this semester, but have been working closely with Dr. Vick the past year. I have already enjoyed engaging with Dr. Vick on a weekly basis and forming a good connection with a faculty member. I am looking forward to working closely with and learning from more faculty! Additionally, I am eager to collaborate with other undergraduate students who have a passion for research. I see a bright future ahead working in the ACORN center!

Elle Naylor

Duties at ACORN Center: My duties at the ACORN center include conducting research for my Honors College thesis with the help of Dr. Raynor, my thesis director, and engaging in group research projects.

Research Focus: My current research focus is on adults that have parents with alcohol use disorder (AUD), specifically exploring the quality of their sibling relationships, internal resilience, and perceived mental health. I am interested in preventative approaches to alcohol use disorders in families.

Why I have enjoyed working with ACORN Center research: I have loved the opportunity to work with the ACORN Center because the faculty have welcomed and supported me from the start, providing me with a team-oriented space to learn and grow. I have been encouraged to step out of my comfort zone and accomplish more than I ever expected. As a public health student, it has been beneficial to have an interdisciplinary perspective of both nursing and public health students, faculty, and researchers. 

Chrisogonas Odhiambo

Duties at ACORN Center: Development and customization of data collection and processing software tools, training of new users on the tools, user support, data analysis, neural network training, process documentation, manuscript preparation.

Research Focus: AI, Machine Learning Applications of wearable sensors.

What do you enjoy working with ACORN Center research? I enjoy working with a diverse talented self-driven team, bringing on board a wide knowledge-base. Importantly, our study seeks to address a major common challenge of poor medication adherence.

Khushi Patel

Duties at ACORN Center: At the ACORN center, I work on inputting data, writing papers and abstracts, transcribing interviews and coding different aspects of the projects I work on. Project topics: medication adherence, patient-provider communication, medicine-focused AI research, perceptions of COVID-19 among uninsured populations. 

Research Focus: My research focus is on patient-provider relationships, specifically what factors impact trust and how this varies across income levels. 

What do you enjoy working with ACORN Center research? I've learned more than I could have ever imagined working at the ACORN center, finding interests and passions I didn't even know I had! All the faculty at the ACORN Center is extremely friendly, welcoming, and knowledgeable. It is not only a great work environment but also an amazing learning environment.

Sydney Reichardt

Duties at the ACORN Center: My duties at the ACORN Center include assisting with data collection, contributing to academic journal publication, and conducting research for my Honors College thesis with the help of Dr. Cindy Corbett, my thesis director and the director of the ACORN Center. 

Research Focus: My research focuses on chronic conditions; one specific focus is Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS). 

Why I enjoy working for the ACORN center:  As a person living with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, helping others with chronic conditions, as well as improving our understanding of these conditions, is important to me. I love working at the ACORN Center because it allows me to conduct research that will better the lives of people and truly make a difference.

Addie Simpson

Isabel Stringfellow

Duties at the ACORN Center: Assisting Dr. Corbett and Lizzy Combs, the project coordinator, in enrolling patients in studies, doing data analysis and data entry, working to help PhD students with any research they need done and literature reviews to help with grant writing.

Research Focus: So far most of the focus has been with smart technology and aging populations, though we also helped with some work focused on Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome.

Why I enjoy working for the ACORN center:  The ACORN Center provided me with my first research experience and showed me how much of an impact I can make in the community. I'm interested in the intersection of research and hands-on patient and/or participant experience which I get both of at ACORN. My clinical interests can be matched with innovative ideas about taking care of others through research opportunities at ACORN.

Natalie Trimble

Duties at the ACORN Center: My duties at the ACORN center include serving as principal investigator on my own projects with the help of my research mentors!

Research Focus: My research focus in on the military population, specifically military children with TRICARE coverage. My research is mostly qualitative and examines the experiences patients have. I also focus on continuity of care and how it affects health outcomes for those with chronic disease. 

Why I enjoy working for the ACORN center: I love working at the ACORN center because it allows me to feel that I am making a tangible contribution to the field of research in an area that I am truly passionate about. I am able to take my personal passions and experiences and use them to guide my research. I also enjoy being able to make connections with such educated and respected faculty. It is truly a privilege!