Barrett Klein, Biology, presented "The Insect Epiphany: How Our Six-Legged Allies Shape Human Culture" at Morbid Anatomy on Monday, Dec. 15 online.

Barrett Klein, Biology, presented "Communicating Science" at the North American section of the International Union for the Study of Social Insects on Dec. 11 online. The recorded workshop will be made available online.

Bixi Qiao, Psychology, co-authored the article "Directed Motivational Currents in US Undergraduate Language Learners: A Mixed‐Methods Study" in the "International Journal of Applied Linguistics," published on Dec. 2 by Wiley. Directed motivational currents (DMC) are periods of intense engagement in tasks related to highly valued goals. The current study examined the prevalence and characteristics of DMC experiences in learning of languages other than English among undergraduate students from two universities in the U.S., along with factors that may promote DMC. This study investigated both internal and external contributors, including hope, language mindset, and teachers’ autonomy support. Using a mixed-methods approach, the data indicated that learners’ DMC experiences were generally highly intense and short lived and more evident in learners with low to intermediate proficiency levels. Hope directly predicted DMC experiences; language mindset and teachers’ autonomy support indirectly predicted DMC through hope.

Bixi Qiao, Psychology, authored the article "Teacher-Targeted Bullying: A Meta-Analysis of Student Bullying of Teachers" in "Trauma Violence & Abuse," which was accepted for publication by Sage. This meta-analysis examined the prevalence of student bullying against teachers, drawing from both teacher-reported victimization and student-reported perpetration. Following the PRISMA guidelines, this study systematically searched across seven databases (e.g., ERIC, Scopus, Academic Search Ultimate) and identified 59 studies spanning 26 countries. Included studies were peer-reviewed journal articles written in English. The analysis included data from a total of 203,535 teachers and 110,021 students. The pooled prevalence of student bullying against teachers was 51.1% (based on 14,022 teacher reports) and 17.3% (based on 78,001 student reports). Among teacher-reported cases, pooled prevalence rates were calculated, including verbal (ranged from 9.00% [belittling] to 37.70% [saying mean things]), physical (ranged from 1% [weapon pulled] to 39.5% [obscene gesture]), relational (ranged from 4.40% [isolation] to 44.40% [ignoring]), sexual (ranged from 2.90% [physical sexual bullying] to 14.20% [verbal sexual bullying]), cyberbullying (6.40%), and bullying based on personal characteristics (14.80%). In contrast, student-reported cases focused on verbal (ranged from 3.10% [verbal threat] to 10.30% [saying mean things]), physical (ranged from 2.60% [kicking and slapping] to 5.20% [damage property]), and cyberbullying (5.70%). Findings highlighted discrepancies in pooled prevalence rates between teacher and student reports of TTB. This study identified three moderators (based on teacher reports): country of origin, publication year, and recall period. These findings highlighted the need for targeted interventions and professional development programs to systematically address student bullying against teachers to increase awareness and improve knowledge for both teachers and students, and improve school climate.

W. Thomas Means, Recreation Management & Recreational Therapy, presented "The Structure of U.S. Recreational Camps: Models, Operations, and Meaningful Experiences" at the 23rd International Sports Sciences Congress on Dec. 3 in Erzurum, Turkey. Means' invited keynote examined U.S. camp models, accreditation standards and evidence-based practices for fostering meaningful experiences. During his visit, Means also toured regional camps to explore potential partnerships for future international collaborations.

Laurie Harmon, Recreation Management & Recreational Therapy, was interviewed by Meredith Lawrence & Reed Smidt of MRPA On The Air Podcast, a podcast for Minnesota Recreation and Park Association members and friends, on Oct. 29. Hosts Meredith and Reed talked with Harmon, Chad Simich from Flagship Recreation, and student member Andrew Blahnik at the MRPA Annual Conference 2025. The conversation with Laurie included discussion of the important role UWL's recreation management program plays in the growth of community recreation regionally and nationwide.

Daniel Bretl, Alexa Fleegal and Paul Schweiger, all Microbiology; and Mason Stenzel, Microbiology MS; co-authored the article "Expression of hemerythrin-like genes from the obligate aerobe Myxococcus xanthus improves the growth of the industrially relevant Gluconobacter oxydans" in "Frontiers in Microbiology," published on Dec. 15 by Frontiers Media S.A. This work represents both undergraduate research (Alexa) and master's research (Mason) that was supported by URC, RSEL, and FRG grants, as well as The McGinley Endowed Professorship in Microbiology.