Karen BogenschneiderRothermel-Bascom Professor Emerit

I am Rothermel-Bascom Professor Emeritus of Human Ecology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. I founded and directed for 25 years the Wisconsin Family Impact Seminars, a series of presentations, briefing reports, and discussion sessions that communicate rigorous, nonpartisan research to state policymakers. From 1999-2014, I directed the Family Impact Institute, which provided training and technical assistance to about two dozen states that conducted over 225 Family Impact Seminars. I am the author of two books: Family Policy Matters (4th edition forthcoming) and Evidence-Based Policymaking (2nd edition). I have conducted numerous national trainings for researchers interested in working with policymakers and was named the winner of the 2021 Wiley Prize for my research. I am a fellow of the National Council on Family Relations and received the Engagement Award from the Board of Human Sciences of the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities. I recently served on a National Academy of Science Round Table on the communication and application of social and behavioral science research.

Selected Publications

Bogenschneider, K., Day, E., & Bogenschneider, B. N. (2022). When policymakers are asked: Why and how polarization varies across states. Political Research Quarterly, 76(2), 770-783. https://doi.org/10.1177/10659129221113777

Bogenschneider, K., Day, E., Bogenschneider, B. N. (2021). A window into youth and family policy: State policymaker views on polarization and research utilization. American Psychologist, 76(7), 1143-1158. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000681

Bogenschneider, K. (2020). Positioning universities as honest knowledge brokers: Best practices for communicating research to policymakers. Family Relations, 67(3), 628-643. https://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12339

Bogenschneider, K., & Bogenschneider, B. N. (2020). Empirical evidence from state legislators: How, when, and who uses research. Psychology, Public Policy, and Law, 26(4), 413-424. https://doi.org/10.1037/law0000232

Bogenschneider, K., Corbett, T. J., & Parrott, E. (2019). Realizing the promise of research in policymaking: Theoretical guidance grounded in policymaker perspectives. Journal of Family Theory & Review, 11(1), 127-147. https://doi.org/10.1111/jftr.12310