RESEARCH AT TEXAS WOMAN'S UNIVERSITY

FACULTY PROFILE SYSTEM

Dr. Early's  main areas of research are E-learning in health education, women's health, and culture and health. Dr. Early finished three studies this year relative to E-learning and health education, specifically on "affective" strategies for online instruction. She presented her findings in Spring 07 at AAHPERD's National Convention in Baltimore and the Texas Distance Learning Association's Annual Meeting in Galveston. She will also present two of her research articles on "self actualization of online faculty" and the use of asynchronous audio communication in the virtual classroom along with Drs. Lynda Murphy and Tara Gallien at the E-Learn Global Conference in Quebec City, Canada,  in Fall 2007.

Dr. Early and Dr. Kristin Wiginton are co-investigators of a large epidemiological study investigating predictors and co-morbidities of autoimmunity in North Texas.  A "seed money" grant from the TWU Office of Research and Sponsored Programs and the Arthritis Foundation provided the funding to purchase the hospital discharge data of over 66,000 cases. Drs. Wiginton and Early are seeking more external funding to launch a parallel study investigating predictors and co-morbidities of over 21-autoimmune diseases using the out-patient hospital data.