Publications

This study presents a theory-driven evaluation of GeoBus, a mobile science lab designed to deliver hands-on, “fun learning experiences” via a solar powered, technology-rich learning environment brought directly to K-12 students in Central Florida Title 1 schools. While STEM education is widely recognized as essential for promoting equity, many schools, particularly in under-resourced communities, continue to face barriers to accessing meaningful and inclusive science learning opportunities. GeoBus was created in response to this need, offering students an informal learning environment with exposure to geospatial technologies and interactive science content.

Drawing on mixed-methods data, including content from the GeoBus website and scheduling pages, onboarding materials, student activity response and thank-you notes, staff interviews, and teacher survey results, this dissertation evaluates the program theory by assessing the alignment between the program’s intended design and its actual implementation. By articulating the key components of the program’s theory and mapping causal pathways, this study explores how, why, and for whom the program is most effective. Rather than offering a conclusive judgement, logic analysis is used to clarify the program’s underlying assumptions, compare them with existing research, and enhance thoughtful reflection among stakeholders. The findings contribute to the broader field of informal science education by offering a model for how university-led outreach programs can expand access to STEM learning while highlighting equity and student agency. Recommendations are provided for scaling similar interventions and supporting the long-term development of science identity and awareness of career pathways in diverse student populations.

This study provides evaluation results of a pilot program to improve the response to intimate partner violence (IPV)-related nonfatal strangulation (NFS) in Puerto Rico. A Strangulation/ Suffocation Investigative Worksheet was formally incorporated into the Puerto Rico Department of Justice to be used by prosecutors when strangulation was identified during the investigation of a domestic violence complaint. Legal outcomes of 296 IPV-related NFS cases prior to (n=121) and after implementation (n=175) of the pilot program were examined. Results show preliminary support for the effectiveness of a standardized investigative worksheet in facilitating prosecution of IPV-related NFS cases. Recommendations for future implementation are discussed. 

Manuscript in Progress

About the Project: ISBS is currently collaborating with Lift Orlando and the Orlando Housing Authority (OHA) to conduct in-person structured interviews with over 200 residents of two OHA communities in Orlando as part of a HUD Choices neighborhood grant. Residents are being asked about what they value most in their communities and what improvements they would like to see in the future. This paper will focus on the unmet needs discovered from the interviews.

Lorenzo, Elise, Carina McClean, and Jason A. Ford. 2025. "Young adult medical cannabis patients in Florida: Gender differences in characteristics of use, experiences at dispensaries, and association with health-related problems." Journal of Drug Issues 55 (1): 17-32.

In recent years there has been an increase in cannabis use among adults in the U.S., which corresponds with changes in state-level laws making cannabis available for medical/recreational use. While cannabis became available for medical use in Florida in 2014, it was not until a ban on smoking cannabis was lifted in 2019 that the number of patients began to increase. The data for the current study are the Florida Young Adult Cannabis Study and focus on 415 medical cannabis patients (MCP). We identified several significant differences between male and female MCP. Female MCP initiated regular cannabis use at a younger age and reported more frequent cannabis use. Female MCP were more likely to endorse self-treatment motives while male MCP were more likely to endorse recreational motives. As Florida is one of the largest and most diverse states in the U.S., research on MCP is needed to inform policy.

https://journals.sagepub.com/share/KZ8NMGH83N6ZWUAUCXJN?target=10.1177/00220426231189486

Hawthorne, Timothy L., Kayla R. Toohy, Bo Yang, Lain Graham, Elise M. Lorenzo, Hannah Torres, Morgan McDonald, Fernando Rivera, Kirsten Bouck, and Linda J. Walters. 2022. "Mapping emotional attachment as a measure of sense of place to identify coastal restoration priority areas." Applied Geography 138 (2022): 102608.

Our applied case study demonstrates how knowledge from community stakeholders about emotional attachment (as a key component of sense of place) can inform and influence future coastal restoration priorities at various scales in the Indian River Lagoon, Florida (USA). We map aggregate measures of emotional attachment from community stakeholders using Geographic Information Systems. We then analyze this human systems level data with kernel density estimation measures at the broader lagoon scale and with inverse distance weighted measures at more localized scales. By connecting these mapped results back to the primary reasons that participants provided for having high or low emotional attachment in a location, we show how varying spatial patterns of emotional attachment as a primary component of sense of place within and across broader geographic regions can be represented, mapped, and visualized to enhance future restoration priorities. We demonstrate how aggregate results gained from community stakeholders can help restoration teams prioritize their science communication and education strategies to align human systems level data with natural systems level data.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0143622821002241

Lorenzo, Elise, "How Vegetarian Students' Dietary Patterns Are Affected During Covid-19 Social Distancing" (2020). Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023. 246.

Under COVID-19 social distancing regulations, this study investigated how individuals varied their dietary patterns and their vegetarian identity during this time. Some vegetarianism literature suggests that social interactions can be more influential on a vegetarian individual's eating behavior than external forces or individual willpower (Cherry 2006). Meanwhile, food environment literature suggests the environment plays the most significant role in an individual's dietary behavior (Zimmerman & Connor 1989; Shannon 2013; Pettygrove & Ghose 2016); however to date, such literature has not yet been applied to individuals identifying as vegetarians. Interviewed were University of Central Florida students and alumni who identify as vegetarian. Information about their feelings regarding their identity and eschewing of animal products were collected using an online survey following the Unified Model of Vegetarian Identity (UMVI) and Dietarian Identity Questionnaire (DIQ) (Rosenfeld & Burrow 2017; 2018). All individuals expressed they felt their designated place of quarantine was a positive environment. Nine out of ten reported an increase in cooking from spending so much time with "access to the kitchen" with the majority of the participants reporting that during their period of social distancing they felt their identity had either been "fortified" during this time, "gotten better" or had not changed at all. This study adds new knowledge to the vegetarian literature about key variables affecting dietary behavior associated with one's vegetarian identity and corresponding dietary patterns during a period of radical lifestyle changes and regulated social interaction. This project is unique due to the nature of the unprecedented time period of COVID-19 social distancing across Florida and the nation, limited restaurant options due to nation-wide closures, limited menus, and supply shortages due to statewide orders to remain indoors as much as possible (Executive Order No. 20-71, 2020).

https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd2020/246 https://purls.library.ucf.edu/go/DP0023549