The School of Human Ecology is excited to welcome four new faculty and three new instructional staff members to campus this fall. These scholars and lecturers bring interdisciplinary expertise in areas like fathering and child development, financial planning, and creative and ethical design practices.
Geoffrey Brown
Mary Sue and Mike Shannon Chair for Thriving Children and Families; Professor of Human Development & Family Studies
“My work focuses on the role of family relationships in supporting healthy social and emotional development in infancy and early childhood. I have a particular interest in fathering, and my research has explored the development of early father-child relationships and paternal contributions to early development. A number of my studies have examined the correlates of father involvement and father-child attachment security.
“My research program is elucidating the developmental course of fathering, family relationships, and healthy infant development in varied ecological and socio-cultural contexts. For example, we have been funded by NIH to examine contextual factors affecting the transition to parenthood, and fathers’ contributions to infant development among unmarried, African American men in rural environments. My work aims to contribute to a greater understanding of parenting and early healthy development, as well as to inform strengths-based programs that can meet the needs of fathers, mothers, and young children, particularly among those facing challenging contextual circumstances.”
Emma Crawford
Teaching Faculty, Consumer Science
“I’m a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional and the founder of October Loan Strategies, a student loan planning firm where I collaborate with financial planners and advisors across the country to help their clients navigate the federal student loan system and pursue loan forgiveness.
“I’m very grateful to be joining the School of Human Ecology as teaching faculty and look forward to bringing real-world insights, questions, and case studies into the classroom. My goal is to create a dynamic and supportive learning environment that prioritizes empathy, understanding, and real-life impact. Most of all, I’m excited to work with students as they build the knowledge, confidence, and skills here at Human Ecology that they’ll then carry into their careers and communities to make the world a better place for all.”
Laura McKee
Associate Professor of Human Development & Family Studies; Ecology of Human Well-being (EcoWell) Faculty Fellow
“My research program is guided by the aspiration to help to make the world a safer and happier place for families and children. I have sought to do so by (1) engaging in rigorous clinical science to understand individual, familial, and contextual factors implicated in youth psychopathology and wellness within a developmental psychopathology framework, (2) translating those research findings into evidence-based programming, and (3) testing the impact of interventions on youth and family health and well-being. I am focused on parenting style and behaviors, especially parent emotion socialization and mindful parenting as they relate to child, adolescent, and emerging adult outcomes in diverse families. Over the last 20 years, I have contributed to interventions ranging from a family depression prevention program with Drs. Bruce Compas (Vanderbilt University) and Rex Forehand (University of Vermont, Emerita) to a photography-based intervention with Dr. Sara Algoe (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill) designed to enhance gratitude and daily experiences of positive emotion in adolescents and young adults. I am currently testing a parent-mediated intervention targeting positive empathy in young children entitled SHAPE JOY with Dr. Erin Tully (Georgia State University) and conducting research with Drs. Bruce Compas and Deborah Jones (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill) to inform programming regarding how parents talk with their children about gun violence in schools. Finally, I am collaborating with colleagues in Ireland including Drs. Elizabeth Nixon (Trinity College, Dublin), Ciara Byrne, and the Board of the National Infertility Support and Information Group (NISIG, Ireland) to understand how parents disclose their child’s origin story in cases when donor gametes and/or surrogacy were part of family creation. My approach to research is collaborative and applied, and I thoroughly enjoy working with undergraduate and graduate students, in addition to colleagues and community members, to help support youth and families.”
Zj Pan
Teaching Faculty in Fashion Design and Entrepreneurship, Design Studies
“I am a practicing artist working at the intersection of fashion, sculpture, and interactive art. My work functions as cultural and personal archive, investigating the uncanniness of our modern human condition. I am very excited to be part of the incredibly interdisciplinary School of Human Ecology and share my interest in fashion.”
Emily Stover
Teaching Faculty, Design Studies; DesignConnect Initiative Director
“I’m an educator, researcher, and creative practitioner who helps students and communities harness the transformative power of design to create positive social and environmental impact. As the director of the DesignConnect Initiative, I bring a commitment to ethical partnerships, interdisciplinary collaboration, and learning innovation for the benefit of all Wisconsin residents. Through my teaching, students develop the creative skills needed to address complex challenges through human-centered design, storytelling, and cross-sector collaboration. Past community-engaged projects include developing co-design strategies with public, nonprofit, and government partners with a focus on democratizing design tools and methods for innovation.”
Qi Yang
Assistant Professor of Design Studies
“My background spans design, psychology, and systems engineering. As an interdisciplinary researcher and designer, I develop design tools that help people make creative and human-centered decisions. My research focuses on two connected agendas: how people move through ideas and how people move through space.
“In the mental realm, I investigate metacognition in design, studying how people reflect on and guide their own thinking. I design human and AI co-creative systems that augment cognition, encourage curiosity, support long term skill growth, and help overcome design fixation. This work aims to create tools that are wise — tools that expand human creativity and learning rather than simply producing outcomes.
“In the physical environment, I study the dynamic interaction between people and buildings in healthcare and educational settings. Using empirical studies and computational modeling, I examine how spaces shape human wayfinding behavior and experience such as perceived uncertainty, with the goal of improving human health and well-being.”
Bowen Zhan
Assistant Professor of Design Studies
“I am a design researcher working at the intersection of sustainable fashion, traditional craftsmanship and digital innovation. My research explores how technologies can support a more responsible fashion system, with a focus on customization and personalization, product longevity and sustainable production models. In both academic and industry settings, I have collaborated with artisan makers to connect manual and digital workflows. I see digital technology not as a replacement for traditional skills but as a way to extend their relevance and impact.
“I am particularly interested in how digital product development and interactive technologies can support better engagement between makers, consumers and the products themselves. My research will continue developing new tools and frameworks that respond to real-world consumer and production needs while supporting more meaningful and sustainable design practices.”