‘I felt betrayed’: Health influencers are gaining notoriety for lies and lawsuits over deceptive marketing and claims that are too good to be true (Bloomberg, Fortune, Miami Herald and several other media outlets; Whelan)

Consumer Science teaching faculty member Christine Whelan is quoted about the largely unregulated nature of the wellness industry, saying that it’s often hard to tell whether an influencer is being deceptive or a product just doesn’t work for a particular person. Whelan said she expects more lawsuits against influencers and that updated Federal Trade Commission guidelines are a “warning flag” for the industry.

Human Ecology welcomes new faculty and instructional staff

We are excited to welcome eight new faculty and three new instructional staff to campus this fall. Each department will add at least two faculty or instructional staff members, bringing a wealth of expertise and …

Annual Junior Scholars Intensive Training celebrates fifth year at UW–Madison

Story by Maddie Kranz x’24, UW–Madison student studying Community & Nonprofit Leadership and Art History Earlier this summer, UW–Madison and Howard University once again brought together leading and emerging scholars to help solve problems related …

Madison project helps Black women gain financial literacy, wealth (Wisconsin State Journal; Halpern-Meekin and Harvey)

Human Development & Family Studies Professor Sarah Halpern-Meekin and Consumer Science Assistant Professor Melody Harvey discuss how racial disparities in wealth accumulation are systemic and have long-lasting consequences that prevent people from building financial safety nets.