GAFFNEY, S.C. (courtesy limestone.edu) — A Limestone University Professor of Physical Education and three members of the University’s Honors College recently had their collaborative peer-review research manuscript accepted and published in the American Journal of Educational Research.
The article, “Successfully Initiating a Bike-Share Program in Smaller Communities: The College or University as a Focal Point,” was a part of the students’ required research in the Limestone Honors College capstone class taught by Dr. Felicia Cavallini. The three students included Mason Gilbert, Abigail Smith, and Alison Walsh.
The students presented their bike-share plan to Gaffney City Council in April, where they shared a proposed plan to incorporate such a program, highlighting the need, solution, cost, and funding of implementing such a plan.
“Presenting a proposed bike-share plan to Gaffney City Council and publishing their senior honors capstone class project in a peer-review research journal is the height of high-impact practice experiences integrally woven in our Honors College curriculum,” Cavallini explained. “What an exceptional accomplishment for Mason, Abby, and Alison. I am so very proud of them and all their hard work to help bring a bike share program to Gaffney.”
In addition to appearing before city council, the students presented their bike-share plan at the Limestone University Research Symposium this past spring. Their literature of review research paper was in each of their disciplines related to the bike-share program.
“One thing that I found during my research is that a big part of sustainability of bike-share programs is partnering with universities, which is why it is so exciting that were able to do this at Limestone,” explained Walsh, who is from Irmo.
Smith, who is from Germantown, MD, added, “The aim of bike shares is to improve air quality, decrease traffic congestion, and to improve cycling levels, which would lead to an increase in physical activity to improve overall health.”
“Using Limestone as a pilot program will encourage high usage and a love for the bike-share program to work its way into Gaffney in the future,” said Gilbert, who is from Wake Forest, NC.
The students’ bike-share initiative is a part of an ongoing project that was jump-started in 2017 by students Sophie Bosserhoff, Marina Carbonari, and Carleigh Davis. When the idea was initially presented, those students were in their final semester at Limestone, completing an internship with Cavallini.
The American Journal of Educational Research is a peer-reviewed, open access journal that provides rapid publication of articles in all areas of educational research. The goal of this journal is to provide a platform for scientists and academicians all over the world to promote, share, and discuss various new issues and developments in different areas of educational research.
The full article in the American Journal of Educational Research can be read here.