Volume 14 (2022)

According to a recent report highlighted by the New York Times (2022), Gen Z, which includes today’s college students, have begun replacing sites like Google with social media sites, such as TikTok as their primary search engine for important information. Unfortunately, a recent study found that about 20% of the search results for major topics ranging from COVID-19, recent elections, or the war in Ukraine included misinformation. This trend adds to the growing concern that young people are becoming more susceptible to misinformation than ever before. For college students, this is a particular concern as it may become more difficult for them to discern what news is fake and what is real.

The importance of educating students on how to navigate sources of information has never been higher. This is why we are proud to provide an avenue for the publication of high quality interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary works of scholarship by the students at Southern Adventist University. This journal and the faculty editors play an important role in showcasing student research that meets the standards of high quality, scholarly work.

We have now been publishing the Journal of Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Research (JIUR) for 14 years. Throughout those years, we have been privileged to have the support of a committed team of professors who have given their time to being on the editorial board. This time is no different and we want to thank those who were willing to spend hours reading, commenting, and reviewing the submissions for this publication: Dr. Ruth Williams, Psychology; Dr. Rachel Williams-Smith, Journalism and Communication; and Dr. Keith Snyder, Biology. In addition, we received editing assistance from Abigail Hansen, our new copyeditor. We are also grateful to the administration at Southern Adventist University, especially Dean Tammy Overstreet in the School of Education and Psychology, for their continued support and encouragement of the Journal of Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Research.

Finally, I want to thank our Graduate Assistant, Jillian Roberts, who’s tireless efforts made the publication of this edition possible. Though Jillian’s responsibilities have recently expanded to include managing the department’s social media presence, her dedication to the JIUR has not decreased. I could not be more thankful for her work to produce the journal.

Tron Wilder, Ph.D.

Editor-in-Chief