Dr. Floren published in four national journals
Michael Floren, Ph.D., assistant professor of Mathematics and director of the Statistics program at Misericordia University, was involved in four papers recently published in national journals while also working with the federal government on multiple collaborative projects.
Published in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine, “Time to antibiotic administration: Sepsis alerts called in the emergency department versus in the field via emergency medical services,” looked at patients with sepsis and investigated if it is more helpful for an emergency medical technician (EMT) to call in an alert at the time the patient is in an ambulance, or by the examining doctor after the patient is delivered to the hospital. Sepsis is a potentially life-threatening condition caused by the body's response to an infection.
This is the first publication co-authored by a Misericordia statistics student, Lindsay Kane ’20, who collaborated with Dr. Floren during the research process. The study concluded that sepsis alerts called in the field led to the faster administration of antibiotics. No increase in adverse effects was seen when antibiotics were administered sooner.
The second paper, “Exploring the Relationship Between Pedagogy and Counselor Trainees’ Multicultural and Social Justice Competence,” was published in the flagship journal of the American Counselling Association, the Journal of Counseling & Development, and is one of the first quantitative studies to utilize the new Multicultural and Social Justice Counseling Competencies (MSJCC). The study looked at three different teaching methods: didactic, experiential, and community service learning, aiming to determine the optimal style that best helps students develop in MSJCC when delivered at the graduate level. Ultimately it was found that all three teaching methods had relative strengths and detriments, depending on the competency being examined. The greatest growth was seen in the areas of multicultural relationships, multicultural skills, and social justice advocacy constructs.
“Accreditation by Design: Developing an Instrument to Measure Teacher Candidates’ Perceptions of Preparedness in the InTASC Standards” published in the Journal of Educational Research and Innovation focused on measuring teaching standards that the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation requires to be assessed for teacher education programs. Through this research, a measurement instrument, the InTASC Candidate Self-Perception Instrument (ICSPI), was designed to specifically address how well schools have prepared their educators to meet the Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium teaching standards.
Lastly, “A stitch in time saves clots: A multicenter analysis of venous thromboembolism chemoprophylaxis in patients with traumatic brain injury,” published in the Journal of Surgical Research, examined intracranial hemorrhaging, blood clots, and the drugs used to prevent blood clots. The study explored the effects of a particular treatment and at what stage it was given to patients to determine how to prevent adverse side effects and how to best save lives. It was concluded that early usage of the VTE-CHEMO treatment does benefit high-risk patients suffering from traumatic brain injuries.
As a statistician, Dr. Floren is accustomed to working with a variety of different constituents and being on the cutting edge of multiple fields. He is passionate about what he does; when asked about how he would feel if all of his papers were published, he says, “I’d be excited that I actually helped people and contributed something that’s worthwhile.” Statistics is a collaborative field that allows practitioners to take on projects that involve professionals and experts from diverse backgrounds.
As the Director of the Statistics program at Misericordia University, Dr. Floren has the added benefit of working with students and colleagues from other academic areas. He also directs Misericordia’s Statistical Consulting Center, which serves as a resource for the campus community and offers applied student learning opportunities to statistics majors.
The need to analyze data and conduct quantitative research is increasingly growing among a wide range of fields. Currently, Dr. Floren is currently working with the national government, state and national coalitions, and individuals from the fields of biology, education, psychology, and public health. He has collaborated with approximately 300-400 clients over the past decade who, through their research endeavors, have collaborated with Dr. Floren and his students on a variety of research projects published in academic journals and presented at research conferences.
For more information on the Statistics program at Misericordia University, visit misericordia.edu/statistics.