Exterior of Nancy Nicholas Hall in the evening, with lamps and windows glowing.
News & Events

SoHE News: Apr 23–29

Thanks for reading our weekly roundup of news and events at the School of Human Ecology. Have something we should know about? Email Public Relations Manager Serena Larkin, or submit your SoHE event via this form. View past issues of news and events here.

In-house highlights

Thomas wins award to research Black fathers’ roles in maternal and infant health outcomes

Dr. Alvin Thomas, Associate Professor of Human Development & Family Studies, was awarded a Clinical & Community Outcomes Research Pilot Award by the UW–Madison Institute for Clinical and Translational Research to launch a new research project. In collaboration with the Milwaukee-based African American Breastfeeding Network, the researchers will explore opportunities for Black fathers to support positive maternal child health outcomes.

SoHE scholars in the news

The New Republic opinion piece cites Gaddis work

Dr. Jennifer Gaddis, the Jane Rafferty Thiele Faculty Fellow and Assistant Professor of Civil Society and Community Studies, was cited in an opinion piece published by the New Republic arguing for the permanence of the universal nutrition program in public schools. The program was created by the USDA as a temporary benefit to provide all kids with free school lunches to alleviate the burdens of the pandemic.

McInnes discusses importance of Ojibwe language revitalization

The Badger Herald interviewed Dr. Brian McInnes, SoHE’s Leola R. Culver Professor in Nonprofits and Philanthropy, about the importance of Ojibwe language revitalization to supporting Indigenous philosophies and community: “Let’s help frame the visibility of Indigenous languages everywhere at UW and in the state so they become normal… something we’re all comfortable seeing and that we all want to see grow into the future.”

Whelan answers UW COVID questions re unvaccinated partners; on “pandexit”; on vaccination & the creation of jobs

Dr. Christine Whelan, Director of the Money, Relationships and Equality Initiative and Clinical Professor of Consumer Science, joined UW News to offer suggestions on how to manage vaccine resistance in partners and living in a household where only one person is vaccinated. Whelan suggests that open communication, empathetic listening, and asking questions may be part of the solution.

Whelan also co-wrote an op-ed for the Cap Times discussing the new term “pandexit.” Defined as the “final phase of a pandemic,” Whelan summarized the advantages of naming things—whether that be an emotion, historical period, or a person—and suggested a framework called the “Three Cs of Cognition and the Three Es of Emotion” to help make the transition into this new period as smooth as possible.

Additionally, Whelan joined CBS’s MoneyWatch to explain the advantages of a massive vaccine rollout on the creation of new jobs.

Collins publishes opinion on cops carrying firearms

Mary Beth Collins, Executive Director of the Center for Community and Nonprofit Studies, wrote an op-ed for the Wisconsin State Journal arguing for the elimination of the use of guns in daily policing. Collins claims that doing so would mitigate some of the fatal harms that litter our reality and that instead, guns should be reserved for special units for events such as mass shootings and hostage situations.

Research

Poehlmann-Tynan on telemental health for incarcerated people and their families

Dr. Julie Poehlmann-Tynan, the Dorothy A. O’Brien Professor in Human Ecology, is coauthor on a new article in Contemporary Family Therapy showcasing how relational telemental health (TMH) services for incarcerated individuals and their families can increase access to services and improve relational health, as informed in part by changes to therapy delivery practiced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hartley on dysregulation in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder; Down Syndrome links with Alzheimer’s

Dr. Sigan Hartley, the 100 Women Chair in Human Ecology, Director of SoHE Graduate Studies: Waisman Center Investigator, and Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Studies, is a coauthor on two newly published articles: first, in the Journal of Clinical & Adolescent Psychology, an examination of dysregulation trajectories in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, including links with parents’ mental health and wellbeing, parent-child relationships, and parent couple relationships; and second, in the Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders, a look at the links between Down syndrome and Alzheimer’s disease with regard to the early biomarker of white matter degeneration.

Bogenschneider publishes second edition of book on evidence-based policymaking

Dr. Karen Bogenschneider, the Rothermel-Bascom Professor Emerita of Human Ecology, has just published a second edition of her book, Evidence-Based Policymaking: Envisioning a New Era of Theory, Research, and Practice, coauthored with Dr. Thomas J. Corbett, retired Associate Director of the Institute for Research on Poverty. The book provides an even stronger, more substantiated story of how research is underutilized in policymaking and what it will take to connect researchers and policymakers. The voices of policymakers are infused throughout the book as well, based on a new study of 225 state legislators with an extraordinarily high response rate in this hard-to-access population. The William T. Grant Foundation wrote up the new text on its blog.

CBFE PhD student publishes on intersectionality in symbolic violence in India

Trisha Chanda, a graduate student in SoHE’s Consumer Behavior and Family Economics PhD program, is second author on a new working paper for the Institute of Development Studies Kolkata, “Abused but ‘Not Insulted’: Understanding Intersectionality in Symbolic Violence in India.”

Events

“Threads 2021: Reality? Virtual Design & Fashion Event,” with UW–Madison’s Textiles & Fashion Design students

Friday, April 30 and Saturday, May 1, 8:30-10 p.m. CT, Garver Feed Mill | Join the Textiles & Fashion Design major students of UW–Madison as they present their work for the Threads 2021: Reality? Virtual Design and Fashion event, a socially distant, large-scale outdoor projection. Take a step onto the virtual runway as students explore their new reality inspired by the changes incurred by the pandemic. The event is free and open to the public, and masks and social distancing are required. Learn more.

“Child Care Talks (Back),” with Dr. Janean Dilworth-Bart

Saturday, May 1, 9:00-10:30 a.m. CT, Virtual | Join Dr. Janean Dilworth-Bart, Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs, the Phyllis Northway Faculty Fellow, and Professor of Human Development and Family Studies, and State Senator LaTonya Johnson for a virtual roundtable discussion with Wisconsin family child care providers. The discussion will touch on the challenges, goals, and professions that Wisconsin family child care providers face. Spanish interpretation will be available. Learn more and register.

“Cross Pollination Lecture Series: Jennifer Angus & Dr. Kenneth Cameron”

Thursday, June 3, 5:00-6:00 p.m. CT, Virtual | Jennifer Angus, the Audrey Rothermel Bascom Professor in Human Ecology, joined by Dr. Kenneth Cameron, Department Chair, Professor of Botany, and Director of the Wisconsin State Herbarium, will host the Cross-Pollination Lectures, as part of a series of conversations between contemporary artists featured in the Orchids: Attraction and Deception exhibition at the Barry Art Museum and botanical experts in the field. Learn more and register.

Plus, view SoHE-hosted events.