UROP Research Mentor Project Submission Portal: Submission #968

Research Mentor Information
---------------------------
Primary Research Mentor Name: Nancy C. Marencin Ph.D. CCC-SLP
Research Mentor Preferred Pronouns: she/her/hers
When potential research assistants are reaching out via email, what is your preferred honorific?: Dr.
Contact Email (FSU Email if affiliated): nmarencin@fcrr.org
Position Title: Faculty
FSU College (if applicable): Arts and Sciences
FSU Department or Non-FSU Organization Affiliation: FCRR, Psychology
Headshot (optional): https://cre.fsu.edu/system/files/webform/urop_project_proposal_portal/15466/NancyM_4.jpg

Additional Research Mentor(s)
-----------------------------
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from above): {Empty}
Research Assistant Supervisor Preferred Pronouns: {Empty}
Research Assistant Supervisor Preferred Honorific?: {Empty}
Contact Email (FSU Email if affiliated): {Empty}
Name of Other Faculty/Collaborator(s) (if applicable): Richard Wagner Ph.D.
Other Faculty/Collaborator(s) Preferred Pronouns: he/him/his
Other Faculty/Collaborator(s) Preferred Honorific?: Dr.
Contact Email (FSU Email if affiliated): rkwagner@psy.fsu.edu

Overall Project Details
-----------------------
Title of the Project: Examining Early Language and Literacy Profiles of African American Preschoolers
Project Keywords: children, language, literacy, reading, development, dialect
Are you currently looking for research assistants?: No
Number of Research Assistants Needed : 4
Relevant Research Assistant Major(s):
open to all majors

Project Location:: On FSU Main Campus
If the project location is off campus, does the research assistant(s) need to provide their own transportation?: {Empty}
Please select the choice that most accurately describes your expectations for the research assistant(s):: Partially Remote
Approximately how many hours a week would the research assistant(s) need to work?: 5-10 hours
Roughly what time frame do you expect research assistant(s) to work?: Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Overall Research Project Description:
The purpose of the proposed study is to describe the factor structure of emergent literacy (i.e., Print Knowledge, Phonological Awareness, Nonword Repetition) and oral language (i.e., Nonword Repetition, WH-Questions, Sentence Repetition, Receptive and Expressive morphosyntax, Receptive and Expressive Vocabulary) performance of African American children attending Head Start preschools in the southeast United States. We will first utilize confirmatory factor analysis to determine if a strict unidimensional model (representing Emergent Literacy and Oral Language combined) or a complex model representing two latent factors (one for Emergent Literacy and one for Oral Language) best fit the data. Utilizing Factor Mixture Models (FMM), we will then determine if there are unique classifications of individuals with consideration of the latent factors of emergent literacy and oral language or unidimensional factor of emergent literacy and oral language combined. Finally, we will determine if dialect density or degree of dialect variation (DVAR) is a significant predictor of FMM group membership. 

Research Tasks:
literature review, data entry, data analysis

Skills that research assistant(s) may need::
required: basic computing skills, attention to detail, access to a computer with stable internet connection if working remotely, interest in language/reading development and English dialects 
recommended: experience with or desire to learn descriptive statistics, experience with or desire to learn REDCap,  

Mentoring Philosophy:
I believe the most exciting and insightful research utilizes involves interdisciplinary team members working in a community of practice. Mentorship within a community of practice allows team members to choose just how much expertise they would like to develop in areas that meet the goals of the combined research team, and allows team members to develop their own goals that can be supported by the most experienced team members within a safe environment.  

Please provide a link to your publications, a video clip, or a website for your research project (if applicable):: https://fcrr.org/person/nancy-marencin-phd
Please add any additional information here (if applicable)::
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=q-cP_egAAAAJ&hl=en


Are you interested in participating in the UROP Research Mentor Roundtable?: No
Roundtable times and Zoom links:
{Empty}

UROP Program Elements
---------------------
Mentor Handbook, FAQs, and Communication: Yes
UROP Performance Evaluation: Yes
Materials Grant: Yes
UROP Poster Presentation: Yes

{Empty}
Year: 2024
update url: https://cre.fsu.edu/urop-research-mentor-project-submission-portal?element_parents=elements/research_mentor_information/headshot_optional_&ajax_form=1&_wrapper_format=drupal_ajax&token=aQFDzlgTbvpx1hSyDXXAawceHvSE2HFbaKAZY557P94