For many with traumatic brain injury (TBI), going to college is a realistic goal; however there is little documentation of the challenges faced by those with TBI who attend college. The primary purposes of this study were to document the academic challenges (studying, in-class experiences, time management, psychosocial aspects) reported by adults with TBI, and to investigate relationships between these challenges and the physical, cognitive and psychosocial consequences of TBI. An electronic anonymous survey was distributed. Of the 35 respondents with TBI, nearly all reported the need to review material more and a majority reported that others do not understand their problems. In-class experiences of being nervous before tests, forgetting what is said in class, and getting overwhelmed in class were also reported by a majority. Those who reported more physical, cognitive and psychosocial consequences of their injury also identified more academic challenges as well, although cognitive consequences alone predicted academic challenges better than all of the consequences combined. Psychosocial aspects also predicted academic challenges to a lesser extent. In spite of these findings, nearly half of the respondents had not heard of or had never accessed campus disability services. To develop effective on-campus service delivery models, additional research is needed to understand why students do or do not make use of existing services.

It is feasible to deliver a hybrid supported education program that is dynamically responsive to individual students' needs and learning styles. Reasons for including both functional and standardized test outcomes are discussed.

In recent years, nanomaterials have entered our daily lives via consumer products; thus, it has become increasingly important to implement activities to introduce these novel materials into chemistry curricula. Here we introduce a newly developed fluorescent nanomaterial, carbon dots, as a more environmentally friendly alternative to heavy-metal semiconductor quantum dots to be used as a model nanomaterial for experiments at multiple educational levels ranging from high school to upper-division college laboratories. These dots, which are polymeric in nature, can be made from a variety of carbon precursors and a cross-linker such as ethylenediamine. The synthesis, which involves heating in a conventional microwave, is quick and straightforward and can be carried out in typical high school chemistry laboratories. The resulting solution is fluorescent without further purification. To increase the complexity for entry-level college students, absorption and emission spectra of the carbon dot solution can be collected as an introduction to spectroscopy. In more advanced undergraduate lab courses, the quantum yield can be determined with a standard reference fluorescent material such as quinine sulfate. Atomic force microscopy or transmission electron microscopy images can also be collected to illustrate the morphology of these particles where such specialty instruments are accessible.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can affect developmental trajectories as well as language, attention, memory, executive functions, and other cognitive skills related to literacy. Literacy demands change through adolescence and into young adulthood, with academic literacy demands increasing and vocational literacy demands being introduced. Speech-language pathology services must evolve with the literacy needs of each client. This article discusses assessment and treatment approaches designed for adolescents with TBI and recommendations for adapting literacy interventions from the learning disabilities literature. Through proper assessment and intervention, speech-language pathologists can have a meaningful impact on the academic and vocational literacy needs of adolescents with TBI.

By focusing on four recent publications, this highlight reveals mechanisms underlying nanoparticle-induced ROS generation and the resulting cellular oxidative stress.