Browsing by Author "Briganti, Jonathan S."

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    Developing a Plan for a More Diverse, Inclusive, and Equitable Library at a Research 1 Land-Grant University
    Briganti, Jonathan S.; Dodson, Brittany; Haugen, Inga; McMillan, Gail; Mecham, Ronald; Ogier, Andrea; Phillips, Shannon; Wright de Hernandez, Anthony (ACRL Diversity Alliance, 2021-12-20)
    Using the Virginia Tech strategic plan as a guide, a team of its University Libraries faculty and staff designed a strategic planning approach for the library that directly engaged with University goals and explored two areas: 1) contributing to the equity-, diversity-, and inclusion-related (EDI) goals laid out in the University strategic plan, and 2) expanding upon efforts to broaden diversity and representation in the library. The team identified four major themes: accessibility, climate, employment and professional development, outreach, and advocacy, and used these themes to develop specific recommendations. The process served to shine the light on these topics within the library, allowing for reflection and self-understanding, crucial components to change and grow with more attention to inclusion and diversity. Recognizing a need for change, it is hoped the report leads to better advocacy and ally-ship and brings issues to light for other libraries engaging in similar processes.
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    Development and Feasibility of an Online Brief Emotion Regulation Training (BERT) Program for Emerging Adults
    Gatto, Alyssa Jo; Elliott, Truitt J.; Briganti, Jonathan S.; Stamper, Michael J.; Porter, Nathaniel D.; Brown, Anne M.; Harden, Samantha M.; Cooper, Lee D.; Dunsmore, Julie C. (Frontiers, 2022-06-10)
    Mental wellness is a critical component of healthy development in emerging adulthood and serves to protect against stress and promote resilience against psychopathology. Emotion regulation is a key mechanism for effective prevention because of its role in socio-emotional competence and its transdiagnostic significance for psychopathology. In this feasibility study, a brief, time and cost-effective emotion regulation training program for emerging adults (BERT) was developed and tested using the RE-AIM framework. Importantly, building interventions within the context of an implementation framework, such as the RE-AIM framework, enhances the chances that an intervention will be able to scale out and scale up. First, the brainwriting premortem method was utilized to refine program content, conducting focus groups a priori to identify potential program failures prior to program implementation. Undergraduate students (n = 12) attended four focus groups presenting initial program content. Four clinicians were also interviewed to determine program barriers. Qualitative analyses aggregated participant feedback to identify compliments, changes, and concerns about BERT and critical feedback was immediately implemented prior to initial testing. BERT was rooted in cognitive-behavioral practices and informed by the Gross model of emotion regulation. The 5-week program was then examined in a college sample (N = 42) to evaluate implementation (low attrition, high content engagement, favorable attitudes, low incidence of technical errors, costs), reach (enrollment and completion demographics comparable to the population in which recruitment took place), and efficacy (positive change in emotion regulation pre- to post-program). Of the recruited participants, 36 remained in the study where 27 completed at least 80% of program content. Repeated-measures ANOVAs exhibited significant improvements in emotion regulation, psychological distress, and negative affectivity, suggesting promising initial efficacy. Initial data provide support for feasibility and a future randomized control trial. BERT has potential significance for promoting healthy development as its brief electronic format reduced barriers and the program development process incorporated stakeholder feedback at multiple levels to inform better implementation and dissemination.
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    Fostering Communities of Transformation in STEM Higher Education: A Multi-institutional Collection of DEI Initiatives
    Briganti, Jonathan S.; Sible, Jill C.; Brown, Anne M. (Virginia Tech Publishing, 2024-02-01)

    Dive into the multifaceted landscape of inclusive excellence in STEM education with Fostering Communities of Transformation in STEM Higher Education. This scholarly work examines transformative initiatives from Virginia Tech, Radford University, Trinity Washington University, and Towson University, showcasing their role as catalysts in cultivating inclusive excellence across diverse STEM disciplines. Take inspiration from their projects and guidance from their lessons learned with this collection. Are you reviewing or adopting this book for a course?
    Please help us understand your use by filling out this form. How to access this book
    The main landing page for this book is https://doi.org/10.21061/fosteringcommunities.
    The open textbook is freely available online in multiple formats including PDF and EPUB.
    A paperback print version (in color) is available and can be ordered here. ISBNs
    ISBN (PDF): 978-1-957213-84-2
    ISBN (EPUB): 978-1-957213-83-5
    ISBN (print): 978-1-957213-82-8
    Table of contents 1. Preparing STEM Teachers to Be Change Makers 2. Resequencing the Chemistry Curriculum to Retain Chemistry Majors 3. Delayed Enrollment in General Chemistry Recitation 4. Assessing Changes in Student Engagement Using a Mixed-Methods Approach 5. Development and Assessment of a Four-Week Summer Research Experience for Undergraduates 6. Creating Impactful Moments 7. Community, Curriculum, and CUREs 8. We’re All in This Together
    VIGNETTE: Reflecting on the Impact of Engelpalooza 9. Teaching to Make Math Resonate 10. Strategies for Creating and Sustaining Inclusive Makerspaces 11. Creating a Space in the Curriculum for Effective Mentoring to Foster Student Connections and Agency 12. Gunpowder Code Club 13. Using Departmental Book Clubs to Bridge the Faculty-Staff-Student Gap 14. Institutionally Advancing Inclusive Excellence 15. From the Soul
    About the editors
    Jonathan S. Briganti
    Jonathan S. Briganti works in the Virginia Tech University Libraries as the manager of the DataBridge program, which trains undergraduate students from across all disciplines in applied data science and consults with partners across and beyond campus to improve the quality of their data and its outputs. He received both his BS and MS from Virginia Tech and has since found passion in creating open-source educational resources and accessible research environments to bring a more engaged and diverse pool of researchers to the table. Jill C. Sible
    Jill C. Sible serves as Associate Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education and Professor of Biological Sciences at Virginia Tech where she has worked since 1998. She is the Program Director of Virginia Tech’s Inclusive Excellence project, which has empowered science faculty and departments to apply a learning mindset and data-informed approach to changing classes, curricula, and culture to be inclusive of all students, especially those historically marginalized in science and higher education. Anne M. Brown
    Anne M. Brown is an Associate Professor and Associate Director in Research and Informatics under University Libraries, Virginia Tech and is an Affiliate Professor in the Biochemistry Department. As a computational biochemist, her research focuses on computer-aided drug discovery and the aggregation process of amyloids. She is committed to undergraduate research and outreach. Today, she continues in her lifelong mission to create and expand opportunities for students of all backgrounds and provide them with mentorship to facilitate their success. Suggested citation
    Jonathan S. Briganti, Jill C. Sible, and Anne M. Brown, eds. (2024). Fostering Communities of Transformation in STEM Higher Education: A Multi-institutional Collection of DEI Initiatives. Blacksburg: Virginia Tech Publishing. https://doi.org/10.21061/fosteringcommunities. Licensed with CC BY 4.0. View errata | Report an error Accessibility
    Virginia Tech is committed to making its publications accessible in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Please contact publishing@vt.edu if you are a person with a disability and have suggestions to make this book more accessible. Cover design: Catherine Freed
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    Neuromodulating Alkaloids from Millipede Defensive Secretions
    Menegatti, Carla; Wood, Jared S.; Banks, Paige; Knott, Kenneth; Briganti, Jonathan S.; Briganti, Anthony J.; McNally, Samuel V. G.; Marek, Paul E.; Brown, Anne M.; Jones, Tappey H.; Williamson, R. Thomas; Mevers, Emily (American Chemical Society, 2024)
    Millipedes have long been known to produce structurally diverse chemical defenses, including hydrogen cyanide, terpenoid alkaloids, and oxidized aromatics. Although the hydrogen cyanide and oxidized aromatic producing millipedes have been well studied, less than 10% of the terpenoid alkaloid producers have been chemically investigated. Several previous studies have shown that alkaloids disorient predators, but their biochemical target is currently unknown. Herein, we investigated the defensive secretions of a colobognath millipede, Ischnocybe plicata, and elucidated the constitution, absolute configuration, and conformation of four new highly oxidized terpenoid alkaloids, termed ischnocybines, using a range of analytical techniques. The ischnocybines are actively secreted from the defensive glands and were shown to disorient ants, a likely common predator. Evaluation of the ischnocybines in a panel of neuroreceptors revealed that ischnocybine A possesses potent (Ki 13.6 nM) and selective (100-fold) binding affinity for sigma-1, an orphan neuroreceptor, over sigma-2. These molecules represent the most complex alkaloids to be discovered from millipedes and provide the first potential insights into a biochemical target responsible for their defensive properties.