Three students from the African American Studies Program participated in the 7th Annual Undergraduate Student Expo on April 11, 2014. The Expo provides a forum for students, faculty, and the UAB community to discuss cutting edge research and creative topics and to examine the connection between research, education, creative activities, and experiential learning.

Amy Nicole Kincaid Thomas

Research Topic: “How Healthy is She?: Examining Factors Related to African American Female Adolescent Obesity Rates”

Amy’s research examines obesity health disparities for African American adolescent girls. It investigates the relationship between obesity health disparities and the variables of race, socioeconomic status, inconsistent family influence, unstable environments, and the lack of physical activity.

Taylor Simpson

Research Topic: “Mental Health in Foster Children”

Taylor’s research studies the great need for mental health care in the foster care system. It reports that children and teens in the foster care system have disproportionately high rates of psychiatric disability, but often the foster parents are unaware that the child they take in may have a mental illness, which results in the problem going unaddressed.

Courtney Fletcher:

Research Topic: “Autism: Not Equally Diagnosed by Race and Ethnicity”

Courtney’s research examines Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), a group of developmental disabilities that cause social impairment, communication difficulties, and behavioral challenges. Her research finds that ASDs occur across all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic classes, but that African American children are more likely to get misdiagnosed or be diagnosed later than other races or ethnicities.