EDUCATIONAL counseling & school psychology
Motivation and Learning Lab Presentation
Educational psychology graduate students and
undergraduate members of the P20 Motivation and
Learning Lab led by Dr. Ellen Usher presented research
papers on a panel at the UK Appalachian Research
Symposium and Arts Showcase. The panel, entitled
“Exploring Contextual Influences on Students’ Educational
Beliefs in an Eastern Kentucky School District,” featured
work by Amanda Butz (Ph.D. student), Chelsea Adams (M.S.
student), Audrey Conway (M.S. student), Ashley Hall (’14
M.S. graduate), Rachel Husk (undergraduate in pyschology),
and Jessica Dias (undergraduate in psychology). These
young scholars presented papers that show the unique ways
in which contextual factors influence rural Appalachian
students’ educational beliefs. The findings presented
come from the Motivation and Achievement in Rural
Appalachia project, a multi-year research study examining
the relationship between contextual factors and academic
motivation in rural Appalachia. The Appalachian Research
Symposium took place March 7 at the William T. Young
Library on the University of Kentucky campus.
Portions of this work will also be presented later this
year at the annual meetings of the American Educational
Research Association and the Association for Psychological
Science.
ISSEL
(from page 11)
years, Dan and Cheri eventually moved back to Denver
(where Dan had coached the Nuggets twice, following his
playing career) to be closer to their adult children, who
identify Denver as their home.
“I owned my own interior design company (with two dear
friends) and dabbled in marketing, design and travel,” Cheri
said. “Our kids married and had kids of their own. Sheridan
married Rick Whipple and we have two grandkids, Ben, 12,
and Addy, 10. Scott married Kristen Ely, and we have two
grandkids, Brody, 5, and Greyson, 3. They are expecting
their third child in July. They are the love of our lives!”
Cheri’s sister, Vicki Sageser, and her husband, Gene, still
live in Lexington. Vicki was also a Kentucky cheerleader and
graduated from the UK College of Education. She currently
is a part-time instructor in the college’s Department of
Kinesiology and Health Promotion, where she teaches CPR
and first-aid.
“Because of her involvement with UK, I have been
able to keep in touch with past teachers there as well as
administrators in the College of Education,” Cheri said.
“She is a role model to me and a devoted Christian woman.
My dad, Virgil Hughes, is there in Lexington as well, and he
is 89. He is so proud of my art, and I love him dearly. My
COE COMMUNICATOR | MARCH 2015
mom died at 67 years old of emphysema, but I know she is
proud as well. They were wonderful parents and loved Dan
as their own son.”
Today, Cheri is still learning and painting with other
artists in Denver to improve her ability and style. She mainly
enjoys watercolor on different types of papers but does some
acrylics as well. She paints mostly from photos of things she
captures and loves. Her only regret is that she didn’t start
years earlier.
She has partnered with Your Frame of Mind Galleries in
Lexington on the release of two UK-themed paintings thus
far – The Horse and Wildcat Glory.
“My idea of The Horse came from our love of
thoroughbreds