CEHD News Family Social Science

CEHD News Family Social Science

In memoriam—Bonnie Braun

Dr. Bonnie Braun passed away on Sunday, November 5, at her home in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. She was 76 years old. From 1994 to 1998, she served as the first associate dean for outreach and associate professor in the College of Human Ecology in the Department of Family Social Science.

As associate dean, she was responsible for both Cooperative Extension and Continuing Education. She was challenged to generate revenue through adult education, grants, and contracts. She also served on the initial Great Plains Interactive Distance Education Alliance (IDEA) that envisioned family and consumer science degree programs delivered through internet technology.

In 1997, Braun teamed up with Professor Jean Bauer on an initiative to help people better understand the impacts of new federal legislation on welfare reform. Their goals were to measure the social and economic implications of welfare reform on families and to monitor state and local responses. Their project, “Responding Knowledgeably: From Welfare Reform to Well-Being,” received an award for Outstanding Achievement in Public Issues Education presented by the Farm Foundation and the National Public Policy Education Committee.

Read her full obituary.

Family Social Science graduate students share research on national stage

Sixteen graduate students from the Department of Family Social Science will share posters, papers, and presentations at this year’s National Council on Family Relations annual meeting.

In addition, FSOS faculty and alumni will also present at NCFR, being held in Orlando with a virtual satellite location at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana.

One of Jessica Simpson’s two posters, “What is useful for sibling interventions in foster care? Perspectives and ideas from those with former foster care experience,” was named “Best Student Poster”Award in NCFR’s Sibling Relationships Focus Group. Simpson was first author and collaborated with fellow students Guanyu Wang, Ana Mireya Diaz, Janette Driscoll, and Haoran Zhou under the leadership of Armeda Wojciak, associate professor and Couple & Family Therapy program director.

Simpson will also present the poster, “The Family Education Diabetes Series (FEDS): Improving health in the American Indian community through innovative research- and care-partnerships,” and three papers, “Longing to belong”: The ambiguous loss of Indigenous fostered/adopted individuals;” “What is known about Indigenous adults who were adopted as children? A critical review of the literature;” and “Identifying risk factors for clinically significant behavioral problems among American Indian children in child welfare.”

Why the ambitious schedule? Simpson explained.

“Indigenous youth are overrepresented in child welfare, yet underrepresented in child welfare research,” says Simpson. “My presentations will raise awareness related to grief, loss, and challenges to identity that occur as a result of foster care and adoption, particularly for Indigenous individuals and communities.”

Graduate students Reo Wang and Jessica Simpson will also present a poster and paper during NCFR.

At the satellite virtual event at Champaign-Urbana, Reo Wang will present the poster, ” Family Gender Environment Measure Validation with a Gender Diverse Sample,” and the paper, “Sexual Stigma and Beliefs in LGBTQ+ Parent Socialization: The Mediating Roles of Positive LGBTQ+ Identity and Community Attachment.”

Wang noted the unique opportunity to discover future collaborators.

 “This conference provides a unique platform for me to disseminate my research findings to a diverse audience of scholars and practitioners in the field of family relations,” Wang says. “By presenting my work, I have the opportunity to engage in academic discourse, receive constructive feedback, and foster collaborations with other researchers.”

Poster presentations

Ana Mireya Diaz, “Examining Educational Policies for Youth in Out-of-Home Care: A Comparative Analysis of Costa Rica, Panama and Wisconsin (USA).”

Janette Driscoll, “Improving Parental Sense of Child-Caring and Support Through the Learning Through Play Calendar: Evidence in a Low-Income Setting,” and “What Is Useful For Sibling Interventions in Foster Care? Perspectives and Ideas From Those With Former Foster Care Experience.”

Nusroon Fatiha, “Reverse Migration Stress, Trauma, Coping, and Resilience in Narratives of Cambodian American Deportees and Their Families,” and “The Family Education Diabetes Series (FEDS): Improving Health in the American Indian Community through Innovative Research- and Care- Partnerships.”

Yunqi He, “Measurement of Mother’s and Father’s Parenting: A Multi-trait, Multi-method Investigation of Convergent Validity.”

Umme Kawser, “Improving parental sense of child-caring and support through the Learning Through Play calendar: Evidence in a low-income setting, “Therapist supporting and undermining behavior scale,” “Role of imams in divorce decision-making.”

Kadija Mussa, Relationship Commitment, Perception of Alternative Partner, and Relational Problem Solving.”

Somayeh Naderi, “Model of the relationship between police experiences and well-being with the mediation of social support in gender-diverse people.”

Cante Nakanishi, “Relationship Commitment, Perception of Alternative Partner, and Relational Problem Solving.”

Guanyu Wang, “Paternal Impact on Children’s Psychosocial Adjustment in Chinese Immigrant Families: A Systematic Review.”

Ting Xu, “Patterns of parent smartphone use throughout the day and associations with parent characteristics;  Role of Social Capital on Public Charter School Students’ Perceived Academic Competence.”

Yubo Xu, “Bibliometric Analysis of Family Studies in Technology Use in Parenting Over The Past Ten Years.”

Hanna Yu, “Navigating Economic Hardship: The Impact of Losing Work Hours, Working Remotely, and Childcare in Families With Children.”

Cahya H. Yunizar, “The Narratives of Women’s Lived Experience During Global Pandemic in Gejog Lesung Art Performance in Rural Indonesia,” and “Exploring Hmong Women’s Divorce Related Stressors and Ways in Navigating Social Support Post-Divorce.”

Paper presentations

Connor Callahan, “A Systemic Review of How Trans and Gender Expansive Youth and Their Parents Navigate Gender-Affirming Care” and “Testing the Construct Validity of the Family Gender Environment Measure: Gender Based Group Differences in Family Gender Environment.”

Alex Hanson, “Parent and adolescent perceptions of parent smartphone addiction: A longitudinal descriptive analysis.”

Eunyoung Park, “Bridging Innovation and Tradition: Typologies of Parent-Adolescent Communication In-Person and Using Technology.”

FSOS welcomes new CFT faculty

By Kevin Moe for Connect magazine, edited

Ronald Asiimwe

A professor.
Ronald Asiimwe, assistant professor, Family Social Science.

Ronald Asiimwe has joined Family Social Science as an assistant professor of couple and family therapy specializing in culturally responsive practices. Asiimwe (Dr. A) grew up in Uganda. He holds a BA in community psychology from Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda, an MS in marriage and family therapy from Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee, Oklahoma, and a PhD in human development and family studies with a specialization in couple and family therapy from Michigan State University, East Lansing. Dr. A has research and clinical experience practicing in the U.S. and in his home country of Uganda. His research program integrates multicultural perspectives to study how trauma affects parenting, child/youth outcomes, and overall couple and family relationship functioning in underserved communities in the USA and in Sub-Saharan Africa. He also has research interests in measurement and scale validation, alongside the development of systemic family therapy in Africa. 

“I am particularly driven to these areas with the goal to discover scientifically proven and culturally responsive practices that can help individuals and families in underserved communities negotiate crises, improve parenting, couple, and family relationships, and improve overall mental and emotional wellbeing of underserved families and communities,” he says. 

This fall, Asiimwe was honored with the International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy John Douglas Award for his EFT initiatives in East Africa. The John Douglas Award is an annual award given to an EFT member who has made a significant contribution to the growth of the EFT model internationally.

He has also been recognized with the Family Process Institute’s 2022 Dissertation Grant Award, the 2023 New Writers Fellowship from the Family Process Institute, and the 2022 Excellence in Graduate Teaching award from Michigan State University. He is also a former fellow of the Certificate in Leadership program of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) and recently joined the AAMFT board.

Fun fact: What do you do in your downtime?

I enjoy playing tennis, traveling, reading and watching comical books or TV shows, running marathons, skiing, watching soccer, and college basketball.

FSoS graduate student wins national honor

A graduate student.
Miguel Quinones. Photo by Julie Michener.

A symposium presentation submitted by Miguel Quiñones, graduate student in the Family Social Science PhD program, has been selected as the 2023 Association for Financial Counseling & Planning Education® Outstanding Symposium Putting It into Practice: Innovation, Updates, and Ideas Award Winner by the AFCPE® Symposium Task Force and reviewers.

He will lead a symposium session on “What Is ‘Culturally Relevant’ Financial Education, Really? Bridging Theory and Practice” at the 2023 AFCPE annual symposium in New Orleans in November. His research explores Latino family well-being and how Latino families’ socioeconomic situation affect their financial practices.

He has presented several webinars for UMN Extension on “Tandas”, an informal financial practice that addresses the social, cultural, and economic needs of Mexican American families.

Quiñones also collaborated last spring with Joyce Serido, FSoS professor and extension specialist, to create a new Family Social Science undergraduate course that explored the core concepts of financial decision-making for contemporary college students, taking into account their diverse backgrounds, lived experiences, and financial goals. It was a pilot for an approved course in the FSOS minor in Family Financial Studies.

He was honored with a CEHD Outstanding Student Employee Award in April for his “exceptional service contributions to the CEHD, the University community, and the surrounding community.”

Learn more

The Department of Family Social Science will hold three information sessions about graduate programs, Tuesdays, September 26, October 10, and October 31, all 9 – 10 a.m. CST. Register for one or more of the sessions at this Google form.

FSoS professor honored

A professor.
Ronald Asiimwe, assistant professor, Family Social Science.

Ronald Asiimwe, assistant professor in Family Social Science, has been honored with the International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy John Douglas Award for his EFT initiatives in East Africa. The John Douglas Award is an annual award given to an EFT member who has made a significant contribution to the growth of the EFT model internationally.

Emotionally focused therapy is an evidence-based intervention for treating various problems among couples including, marital distress, depression, anxiety, and trauma. The EFT model is well known as a humanistic approach to psychotherapy and is based in the science of attachment theory. ICEEFT is an international community of over 6,000 mental health professionals in 40 countries committed to promoting the understanding and application of the EFT model.

Asiimwe joins the FSoS faculty this year in the Couple and Family Therapy Doctoral program. His research program integrates multicultural perspectives to study how trauma affects parenting, child/youth outcomes, and overall couple and family relationship functioning in underserved communities in the USA and in Sub-Saharan Africa. He also has research interests in measurement and scale development, alongside the development of systemic family therapy in Africa. This fall he also begins service on the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy Board of Directors.

He received his doctoral degree in Human Development and Family Studies, with a specialization in Couple and Family Therapy, from Michigan State University. He received a Master of Science in Marriage & Family Therapy from Oklahoma Baptist University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Community Psychology from Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda, his home country.

FSoS seeks candidates

The Department of Family Social Science and the UMN Extension’s Department of Family, Health and Wellbeing seek a tenure track assistant professor whose research includes studying family health, resilience and thriving in the context of social and economic inequalities. The successful candidate will use community-based applied research approaches to examine how social and economic inequalities impact family resilience and thriving and the ways in which families use their cultural assets and community resources in navigating oppressive structures.

Job ID# is 356317. Learn more in this PDF or visit the UMN HR website to read and apply.

Second annual Age-Friendly University Day scheduled

FSOS research will be shared in breakout sessions during the UMN School of Public Health’s second annual Age-Friendly University Day Monday, June 26. The event, held at the McNamara Alumni Center, will attract over 250 retirees, older Minnesotans, and lifelong learners for keynote speakers, breakout sessions, and exhibits. Diana Pierce will deliver the keynote address and Chris Farrell, NPR correspondent, will moderate a panel on “Finding Purpose and Passion.”

The breakout sessions will inform guests about financial fraud, mindfulness, and climate change and 15 exhibitor booths will provide additional resources. Learn more and register here: z.umn.edu/AgeFriendlyEvent23!”

Undergrad profile – Lemlem Jardo

Lemlem Jeldo received her bachelor’s in 2021 and is currently pursuing her master’s in nursing. Her goal is to earn her Doctor of Nursing Practice with a focus on midwifery. She credits FSOS with its focus on how culture, religion, and intimacy affect children and families as the “…Perfect undergrad major for master’s in nursing students.”

Lemlem Jardo.

Jeldo said Sara Axtell, an FSOS lecturer, helped guide her in preparing to apply to the School of Nursing and was also a graduate school reference. Internships are a key component of the undergraduate major in Family Social Science so that students complete their degree with work experience that helps them launch their career.  

“I went to her office and we would talk about all these opportunities,” says Jeldo. “My family didn’t really understand what the degree was and Sara spent a lot of time with me talking about what I could do. My internships helped me to get accepted to my program and gain more experience.”

Axtell guided her towards an internship as a personal care assistant where she worked with patients with disabilities, learned how to dispense medications, and gained valuable patient care experience that helped prepare her for the master’s in nursing program.

Her advice? “Build relationships with a professor for letters of recommendation and other opportunities. Go to office hours and get help. Even if you doubt yourself, keep working and don’t give up.”

FSOS Couple and Family Professors to lead workshop for therapists

Steven Harris (left) and Bill Doherty, professor in Family Social Science and co-directors of Minnesota Couple on the Brink project.

Bill Doherty and Steven Harris, professors in Family Social Science and co-directors of the Minnesota Couples on the Brink Project, will lead a free workshop Friday, May 5 for therapists.

In the workshop, “Helping Individuals Facing Divorce Decisions,” Drs. Doherty and Harris will discuss evidence-based information and specific skills to work with individual therapy clients facing a possible divorce.

Deciding about divorce is one of the most consequential and emotional issues clients bring to individual therapy. Often, it’s the “leaning-out” client who wants help deciding whether to end a marriage or seek help for the relationship. Other times it’s the “leaning-in” client who wants to stay married and is distressed that their partner is talking about divorce. 

“Either way, our standard therapy models are silent about how to help people in this crucible of choice,” says Doherty.

Based on more than a decade of work in “discernment counseling” with couples where one is  leaning out and the other is leaning in, Doherty and Harris will provide research-based information to assist therapists to work effectively with these clients.

Workshop outcomes

  • The different needs of leaning in and leaning out spouses
  • What research shows about clients in these situations
  • Practical skills tailored to each kind of client
  • Resources to offer these clients

With a specific focus on working with individual clients (not couples), the first half of the workshop will address working with the “leaning out” partner and the second half the “leaning in” partner.

Workshop details

Helping Individuals Facing Divorce Decisions

May 5, 2023

9 a.m. – noon

Via Zoom, free

Register (a reminder and the Zoom link will be sent a few days prior to the workshop).

Questions? Contact Erin Guyette, FSOS graduate student.

Doherty to keynote international conference

Bill Doherty will keynote the 2023 International Conference on Contextual Therapy in Long Beach, CA, May 25-27. The conference is co-chaired by Manijeh Daneshpour, a PhD alumni of the Department of Family Social Science and currently a Distinguished Professor and Systemwide Couple and Family Therapy Director of Alliant International University in California. Learn more about the conference.

FSOS seeks Department Administrator

The Department of Family Social Science seeks a Department Administrator who will be responsible for the strategic planning and implementation of administrative (day-to-day) operations. This position works closely with department leadership and requires a knowledge and understanding of University policies, practices and processes, as well as sound judgment and decision-making skills. The successful candiate will be responsible for establishing and maintaining effective relationships with department faculty, staff, students, and other key constituents across the college and University ensures outstanding customer service by motivating and leading operational support staff. Visit the UMN careers site and search for job number 353145: https://lnkd.in/gbZeD6zV

McGuire to lead Extension webinar on ambiguous loss

Jenifer McGuire, professor and extension specialist in Family Social Science, will co-present an Extension webinar on “Rural Resiliency in Times of Ambiguity,” noon (CST), Tuesday, March 28.

Jenifer McGuire, professor and extension specialist., Department of Family Social Science.

Building resilience is a proven strategy when facing adversity, but what if that adversity isn’t as clear-cut as something like a death, a sale, or a financial change? This webinar will discuss how to build resilience in times when loss, grief, and stress may feel unclear or unending.

McGuire and co-presenter, Emily Krekelberg, extension farm safety and health educator, will introduce the theory of ambiguous loss and its applications to agriculture, as well as share resilience strategies to use when facing the unknown and uncontrollable.

“Most farmers face factors that are completely out of their control, and that can’t be fixed by just working harder,” says McGuire. “A shift in gears and a new way of seeing the situation might be the key to farming success for years to come. We hope this workshop will be an opportunity for individuals and families to reflect on rural and farm stress and find alternative ways to remain viable.”

The webinar is free. Learn more and register on the UMN Extension site.

McGuire and Krekelberg recently updated “A Changing Way of Life: Ambiguous Loss and Farming,” an Extension research publication originally authored by Pauline Boss, ambiguous loss pioneer, researcher, author, and professor emeritus in the Department of Family Social Science. Extension also offers ambiguous loss facilitator training workshops statement. Visit this Extension site to learn more.

Extension offers slate of free webinars

Extension’s family-focused webinars support greater health, resilience, and well-being for all.

Join one or more of these free webinars to learn more about shopping and cooking, wellness and recovery, making your home healthier, and much more.

Webinars on how to save money, manage debt and stay on a budget will also be available in Spanish.

The UMN Wellbeing Program, administered through the Office of Human Resources, offers 200 well-being points per webinar for employees and spouses covered by the University’s medical insurance.

View the full schedule at the Extension web site.

FSoS professors organize free workshop for therapists

Bill Doherty and Steven Harris, Family Social Science professors and co-directors of the Couples on the Brink Project, will hold a free workshop for therapists on Friday, Dec. 9, 10 a.m. – noon via Zoom.

William Doherty.

“Seeing Beyond the Person in the Room: Couple Sensitive Individual Therapy” is their response to research released earlier this year that discovered how individual therapists sometimes undermine couple relationships.

“Most clinical conversations about couple relationship problems occur in individual therapy, not couples therapy,” says Doherty. “But individual therapy models offer little guidance for how to address relationship problems.”

 The result is that therapists may inadvertently support their client’s view of the partner or inappropriately diagnose the never-seen partner.

“A one-sided narrative of a complex relational problem doesn’t help the client and can undermine the relationship,” says Harris. “Even couples therapists can make the same mistakes when doing individual therapy.”

A professor.
Steven Harris.

This workshop will share new research on this topic conducted by the Couples on the Brink Project and provide specific tools and guidelines for helping individual clients in the context of their relationship, while avoiding common traps when therapists are seeing just one member of a couple.

No continuing education credits are provided but participants are encouraged to apply to their board for CE approval.

The workshop is free however registration is required. Please register using this form. A Zoom link will be sent prior to the workshop.

Weiler presents at national conference

Lindsey Weiler, associate professor and Family Social Science honors faculty representative, made two presentations virtually at the national conference of the Engagement Scholarship Consortium in September: “Addressing children’s mental health via University-community partnerships,” and “Therapeutic youth mentoring and the promotion of college student wellbeing.”  Alex Hanson, a current MA/PhD student in Family Social Science, was co-author of both papers.

FSOS grad student shares research

FSOS graduate student Guanyu Wang presented her research at the Men and Families: An International Interdisciplinary Approach conference in Toronto, Canada. She joined scholars from 21 countries and regions sharing their research at the international conference. She presented the paper, “Paternal Impact on Children’s Psycho-social Adjustment in Chinese Immigrant Families: A Critical Review of the Use of Theories”. Wang’s research agenda includes cultural and contextual impacts on family dynamics and parenting.

Solheim shares international expertise

Cathy Solheim, Family Social Science professor and director of graduate studies, shared her considerable international experience with a group of visiting scholars from Kazakhstan. The 14 scholars are from various regions of Kazakhstan and are building knowledge and capacity in research methods, innovative teaching approaches, and academic leadership, sponsored by the Bolashaq International Scholarship, a highly prestigious Fellowship in Kazakhstan supported by the government.

A group of scholars.
Dr. Solheim, first row, center, and the Bolashaq Scholars group from Kazakhstan.

Solheim, who as a graduate student was among the first University of Minnesota scholars to travel internationally, shared her experiences in collaborating and co-publishing with international scholars and working in global settings. She has led numerous student study abroad courses to Thailand and her research agenda includes transnational family systems and refugee family resettlement and adjustment.

The Bolashaq Scholars are hosted as part of the College of Education and Human Development’s International Initiatives. Their six month program is designed to provide a structured experience with organized seminars, workshops, field experiences, and projects.

FSOS professor to take research project on the road

a professor.
Virginia Solis Zuiker.

Virginia Solis Zuiker, associate professor in Family Social Science, will be conducting research at two county fairs this summer as part of a University of Minnesota pilot program.

The University of Minnesota’s Driven to Discover initiative (D2D) is conducting a pilot project to extend research opportunities to county fairs across Minnesota.

The D2D Research facility at the Minnesota State Fair has reached over 110,000 individuals since 2013, however the majority of participants are from the metro area, representing a disproportionately high percentage of urban residents. Research that supports the needs of rural Minnesotans is of paramount importance in fulfilling the University’s land grant mission and demonstrating the University’s value beyond the metro area.  Consequently the initiative is expanding to include county fairs and test the D2D infrastructure this summer.

“Fair board leaders are excited about our presence and we’re thrilled to bring research opportunities out to rural communities,” says Annie Hotop, manager of D2D.

 Dr. Zuiker’s research project, “Let’s Talk About Money,” will survey the money values and behaviors, as well as money management practices of rural Minnesotans who attend county fairs in Greater Minnesota. Her research agenda includes family financial issues, economic well-being of families – particularly diverse families, as well as family resource management. Dr. Zuiker is a longtime member of the Association for Financial Counseling & Planning Education(AFCPE) and is the University’s supervising faculty member for the AFCPE’s Accredited Financial Counselor program. The Department of Family Social Science is the only AFC accredited program in the state of Minnesota.

She will be at the Rock County Fair in Luverne Friday and Saturday, July 29 and 30, 12 – 7 p.m. and at the Beltrami County Fair in Bemidji, Thursday, August 11, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.

The D2D initiative is sponsoring research booths at county fairs in Fillmore, Rock, Fairbault, Stevens, and Beltrami Counties.

FSOS Undergraduate students are front and center this spring

Undergraduates in Family Social Science are sharing their senior year internship and research experiences in videos and posters this spring at both virtual and in-person events.

Field Experience helps students bridge from classroom to real world

Undergraduates are required to complete the FSOS course “Field Experience” that includes 100 hours at community work and learning sites around the Twin Cities. Designed to help students practice skills they’ve learned in the classroom and gain career-building experience, students are sharing what they learned in Flipgrid videos at the Spring 2022 Virtual Undergraduate Showcase site.

Mark Fleury interned as a Supervised Parenting Monitor for Family Wise Services in St. Paul where he monitored parent-child visits and documented what he observed.

“What I have seen in these months is that regardless of the level of distress that these families are dealing with, these visits are really a sacred space,” he says. “What I learned is that treating these parents with dignity and respect actually helps them cultivate healthier relationships with their kids.”

He adds that being able to see this play out in tangible ways has been gratifying as he plans to earn his Master of Professional Studies in Addiction Counseling and become a licensed alcohol and drug counselor (LADC) to help families heal from addiction.

Here’s the direct link to Flipgrid: https://flipgrid.com/6c9c410d  to view undergraduates’ videos.

Research is also a major component in FSOS

FSOS undergraduate students also have the option to do a research internship if their post-graduation plans are to pursue a career in fields where research is a key skill.   

Three undergraduate students from Family Social Science shared their research at the U of M’s Undergraduate Research Symposium in the Coffman Union Great Hall in April. Others will be sharing their projects at the Spring 2022 Capstone Celebration in May.

Maggie Greenleaf (right) discussed her research with Leslie Schiff, director of the Office of Undergraduate Research.

The Undergraduate Research Symposium is an annual research fair held every Spring that gives all undergraduate researchers from all University of Minnesota campuses a chance to share their research, scholarly, and creative projects with the University community. 

Maggie Greenleaf shared research on “Decolonizing Research Methodology,” a partnership with the National Native American Board School Healing Coalition and the First Nations Repatriation Institute. Previously Greenleaf and Sara Axtell, FSOS instructor and Greenleaf’s undergraduate research advisor, were “Peoples’ Choice” winners in the Education Research & Educational Equity category for their poster at the College of Education and Human Development’s Research Day in March.

Amy Wegner (left) discussed her research with Margaret Kelly, senior teaching specialist and director of undergraduate studies, and Stacey Horn, department head and professor, both in the Department of Family Social Science.

Amy Wegner also presented her research poster at the Symposium. Mentored by Susan Walker, associate professor, Wegner is the lead on the collaboration project, “Statewide Jurisdictional Comparison of Equity and Access in ECFE During the 2020-2021 School Year,” with FSOS PhD graduate students, Malina Her and Lila Khan.

Claire Busse shares her research at CEHD Research Day.

Claire Busse presented her research during the symposium and also at the CEHD Research Day in March. She developed a trauma-informed leadership training that incorporated her knowledge about trauma and how it impacts people’s minds and bodies for peer leaders in the University of Minnesota’s marching band. Busse is a UMN Honors student and was advised by Lindsey Weiler, associate professor and FSOS honors faculty representative. You can read more about her story on the CEHD news blog.

Spring 2022 Capstone Celebration

The Family Social Science Spring 2022 Capstone Celebration will give undergraduates the opportunity to share their research projects with the U of M community, family, and friends. The event is Friday, May 6, 3:30 – 5 p.m. in McNeal Hall on the UMN St. Paul campus, 1985 Buford Avenue. To RSVP visit: z.umn.edu/spring-2022-capstone

FSOS team wins CEHD Research Day Award

Sara Axtell (left) and Maggie Greenleaf at CEHD Research Day.

Maggie Greenleaf, Family Social Science undergraduate, and Sara Axtell, FSOS lecturer were “People’s Choice” awardees at the College of Education and Human Development Research Day. The “People’s Choice” awards are made in each of the CEHD Research priority areas, and each team receives $250 for professional development.

Greenleaf and Axtell were winners in the Education Research & Educational Equity category for their poster, “Decolonizing Research Methodology.”

Additional winners were:

  • Living Better Living Longer: Brooke E. Wagner, Chelsey Thul, Nicole Larson, Beth Lewis, and Daheia J. Barr-Anderson; “The Mediating Roles of Self-Efficacy and Exercise Avoidance Motivation Between Weight Stigma and Physical Activity.”

  • Autism & Developmental Disabilities: Jeannette Sample, Amy Esler, Jennifer Hall-Lande, Libby Hallas, Courtney Higginbotham, and Jenny Poynter; “Autism Spectrum Disorder Prevalence in Minnesota.”

  • Children’s Mental Health & Welfare: Tinu Oduloye, Emmy Reilly, and Megan Gunnar; “Parenting Stress is Associated with Parent Attitudes Towards Toddlers During COVID-19.”