Joined 2020

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Dr. Julie Tippens, advisor

I am from New York and came to Nebraska in the fall of 2020. My research interests include holistic health and wellbeing in migration-affected emerging adults. I enjoy using community-driven approaches and visual methods. My previous research has heard the narratives of refugee and immigrant community health workers during the Covid-19 pandemic as well as multigenerational African immigrant sibling relationships.

Why CYAF at University of Nebraska-Lincoln

I chose to come to UNL due to Nebraska being a large resettlement location for refugees and immigrants. Upon learning that Nebraska once resettled the most refugees per capita, I was intrigued and wondered why resettlement in the Midwest was so popular. I came to explore the lived experiences and uplift the voices of refugees and immigrants.

Awards

Othmer Fellowship

Margaret Fedde Fellowship

Michael & Susan Dell Foundation Fellowship

Outstanding Research Contribution Award, SUNY Geneseo

Lab Participation

Health Equity amidst Relocation and Displacement (HEARD) Lab

Publications

1. Bearss, B., Martin, A., Dorsey Vinton, S., Chaidez, V., Palmer-Wackerly, A. L., Mollard, E., Edison-Soe, L., Chan, N., Estrada Gonzalez, E., Carter, M., Coburn, K., Xia, Y., & Tippens, J. A. (2023). "Too many jobs and not enough hands": Immigrant and refugee community health workers at the frontlines of the Covid-19 pandemic. Under review in Qualitative Health Research.
2. Tippens, J. A., Erwin, S., E., Dutra Gross, R. M., Eller, K. E., Bearss, B., Kemp, B., Mollard, E., Njiru, L., Okwarah, P., Palmer-Wackerly, A. L., & Lakati, A. (2023). Multisystemic Resilience and Psychosocial Wellbeing among Older Refugees: A Systematic Review with Implications for Mental Health and Psychosocial Support.  Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health.  
3. Bearss, B., Wague, O., Patil, N., Shawkat, A., Bukuru, A., Palumbo, N.P., & DeHart, G.B. (2019) African Immigrant College Students’ Concepts of Sibling Relationships; A Secondary Analysis. GREAT Day Proceedings, State University of New York at Geneseo. 

Technical Reports

Hazen, K.P, Garay, T., Paxton, P., & Bearss, B. (2023) Children’s Justice Clinic 2020-2022 Final Evaluation Report 

Rutt, J., Bearss, B. Lui, D., & Barmore, J. (2022) Promoting Research-Based Instructional Methods for Enhancing and Reforming STEM Education. Year Four Annual Evaluation Report.

Carstens, E., Anderson-Knott, M., Kasabian, A., Boyle, C., Barmore, J., Gebhart-Morgan, L., Bearss, B., Kunitzer, M., Wertheimer, J., Hasin, S., & Goh, F.  (2022). “Nebraska Substance Abuse Prevention Block Grant Region 1-5 Reports.” Prepared for the Department of Behavioral Health (DBH), Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (NE DHHS).