Browsing by Author "Thorpe, Chevon"

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    Blasted Flies and Nanoparticles for TBI
    Hockey, Kevin S.; Sholar, Christopher A.; Sajja, Venkata Siva Sai Sujith; Hubbard, W. Brad; Thorpe, Chevon; VandeVord, Pamela J.; Rzigalinski, Beverly A. (Brain Injuries and Biomechanics Symposium, 2013-09-19)
    This presentation briefly summaries two major areas of work in our lab, development of a Drosophila model of blast injury and treatment of traumatic brain injury (TBI) with cerium oxide nanoparticles. First, we discuss the design, methodology, and results for the Drosophila blast model, and its relevance to human head injury. Briefly, we found that the Drosophila model was able to reproduce the decreased lifespan and early death seen in military personnel exposed to repetitive mild blast and NFL players exposed to repeated mild head injury. Next we discuss our in vitro and in vivo work with cerium oxide nanoparticles as neuroprotective and regenerative agents for treatment of TBI. Using a tissue culture model for TBI, we found that cerium oxide nanoparticles, delivered up to 6 hrs. post-injury, improved neuronal survival and maintained near-normal glutamate signaling in neurons of mixed organotypic brain cell cultures. In vivo, we found that delivery of cerium oxide nanoparticles prior to lateral fluid percussion brain injury in the rat, improved motor performance, learning and memory.
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    An Intrinsic Case Study of Virginia Tech's George Washington Carver Assistantship Program: Fostering Student Success Through Culturally Engaging Campus Environments
    Johnson, Kellie Victoria (Virginia Tech, 2024-05-30)
    The pursuit of underrepresented and underserved graduate students who attend Predominantly White Institutions to pursue disciplines and careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). Despite the increase in the number of underrepresented minorities in graduate school, underrepresented and underserved graduate students in STEM disciplines are encountering experiences that directly affect their graduate matriculation. This study took a case study approach to investigate the Virginia Tech George Washington Carver Assistantship Program's impact on supporting underrepresented and underserved graduate students in STEM disciplines and to assess further the extent to which their participation in this support program influences their academic and career success. Given the substantial financial resources allocated to the program and the annual student enrollment, a comprehensive case study needed to be conducted to gain deeper insight into the Carver program and the stakeholders that engaged with the program to enhance future programming and sustainability. It was essential to assess the Carver program's effectiveness in promoting student success and addressing the factors that impact underrepresented and underserved graduate students in STEM fields. Triangulation is used in this study to inform and strengthen the research findings from past program scholars, current scholars, and faculty. The Carver program is not generalizable to other programs, students, and faculty because the experiences are specific to the participants in this study. The findings illustrate that the evolution program's evolution cultivates a culturally engaging culture and climate to foster graduate student success.