November 10, 2009

The deadlines for interested persons applying to our graduate programs for the academic year 2010-2011 are as follows: PhD Family Science and PhD Maternal & Child Health programs: for international applicants, December 1, 2009; for domestic applicants, December 15, 2009. MS Couple and Family Therapy program: for international applicants, January 1, 2010; for domestic applicants, January 15, 2010. To apply to our graduate programs:   Read More >

November 10, 2009

During the week of November 11-14, 2009, eight faculty and seventeen graduate students from the Department of Family Science (FMSC) will travel to San Francisco, California, to particpate in the 71st annual NCFR conference, "Families in a Multicultural World." The NCFR is the oldest multi-disciplinary professional organization that focuses on family research, practice, and education. Their mission is to provide an educational forum for family researchers, educators, and practitioners to share in the development and dissemination of knowledge about families and family relationships, establish professional standards, and work to promote family well-being. FMSC presentation topics include health and illness, health policy, veteran families, children's consumption of fruits and vegetables, abuse and exploitation of child laborers, work and housework, family support for working fathers, domestic violence in Chinese couples, and transracial adoption. In addition to presenting her research, Dr. Elaine Anderson (pictured left) will also begin her first year of participation on NCFR's Executive Board as President-Elect, where she will assist in NCFR's mission to foster dialogue among family professionals and promote family well-being through public policy education.   Read More >

November 5, 2009

The 2009 national American Public Health Association (APHA) conference, "Water and Public Health," will be held in Philadelphia, PA, November 7-11. The APHA is the oldest, largest, and most diverse group of public health professionals and works to protect all Americans and their communities from preventable, serious health threats and to promote community based health and disease prevention activities. Seven FMSC faculty members, five graduate students, and one doctoral almuna will present their research on topics such as HIV/AIDS, nutrition education, child obesity prevention, infant mortality, physical activity of adolescents, and child abuse and exploitation in Latin America. In addition to presenting their research, MCH doctoral students Ndidi Amutah and Barbara Singer will be participating in Maternal and Child Health Section activities as part of their roles as Fellows in this section of APHA. Visit the following link to view a full list of FMSC APHA conference presentations.   Read More >

November 3, 2009

The 69th annual American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) conference, "MFT: The Difference That Makes the Difference," was held on October 1-4, 2009, in Sacramento, California. The conference tracks included Emotionally Focused Therapy, Supervision, Trauma Recovery, and Making the Case for MFT. Presenting from the Department of Family Science was FMSC doctoral student Lindsey Hoskins (pictured left), who discussed her research involving couple and family therapy with hereditary cancer families. Dr. Mariana Falconier, alumna of the FMSC Ph.D. program and Director of the Center for Family Services and Assistant Professor in the Marriage and Family Therapy Program at Virginia Tech (Northern Virginia Center), also presented a research project, "The Impact of Economic Strain on Couples' Functioning," in which she collaborated with FMSC Professor Dr. Norman Epstein.

October 27, 2009

Twelve Family Science doctoral and masters students visited Beijing, China from July 10-25, 2009, to participate in a new summer study abroad course, China: Models of Couple and Family Therapy, conducted at Beijing Normal University under the direction of FMSC Professor Dr. Norman Epstein. The purposes of the course were cultural immersion for FMSC and BNU psychology graduate students interested in cultural adaptations of couple and family therapy models, setting the stage for more extensive educational exchanges between the two universities focused on mental health issues, and planning of collaborative cross-cultural research on couple and family relationships. FMSC students had extensive classroom interaction with faculty and students in the Institute for Developmental Psychology at BNU, analyzing how couple and family therapy models that originally were developed in Western cultures can be adapted and applied in China.

Class discussions focused on topics including societal influences on family functioning in China and the U.S., characteristics of Chinese and U.S. families that influence problems that they bring to family therapists, and cultural differences (e.g., Chinese collectivist emphasis on family well-being, versus U.S. emphasis on individual self-actualization; Chinese indirect communication versus U.S. direct, assertive communication; Chinese preference for therapists taking a teacher role versus U.S. preference for therapist as a consultant) that may require adaptations of Western-based family therapy approaches for effective use with Chinese families.

The FMSC students also had informal time with the BNU students while visiting major sites in and around Beijing, such as the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven, Olympic Park, Lama Temple, Capital Museum, and several large and beautiful parks. The UMCP group also was given a personal tour of a state-of-the-art mental health outpatient clinic that emphasizes holistic treatment. On October 14, Dr. Epstein and the students presented a talk on their study abroad experience as a School of Public Health Passport presentation. Visit the following link to view this presentation.   Read More >

October 23, 2009

Multiple media outlets (MSNBC and Associated Press) are citing Dr. Sandra Hofferth's research on the effects of participation in multiple extracurricular activities on both children and their parents. The articles note that a full schedule of activities can be beneficial for children, but that parents should cut back on activities if a child is no longer expressing interest in or becoming upset about attending an activity. The majority of children aged 9-12 reported balanced schedules. Children who were the most active were found to have greater emotional development than those who participated in fewer activities. Dr. Hofferth's research found that parents of "overbooked" children were the ones who were experiencing more stress and pressure to keep up with their children's schedules. Both articles emphasized the role of parental stress in understanding children's involvement in multiple activities. These stressors might include the burden of transporting children to multiple activities and busy parents desire to be involved with these activities. To read more visit the following link.   Read More >

October 19, 2009

Family Science graduate student Dawnyea Jackson has been selected to receive a full scholarship to attend the 15th annual Institute on Teaching and Mentoring Conference hosted by the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB). This invitation only conference is the largest gathering of minority doctoral scholars in the country and addresses issues of faculty diversity and provides strategies to help graduate students survive the rigors of graduate school, earn a doctoral degree, and succeed as a member of the professoriate. The Institute also provides students with faculty mentors and links them to a larger community of scholars and faculty in various academic fields. Dawnyea is in her second year of the Couple and Family Therapy Master's program and is completing her thesis, Predictors of Family Cohesion and Conflict in Transracially Adoptive Families, under the direction of Dr. Leigh Leslie. She plans to pursue a doctoral degree in Public Health-Health Behavior and Health Education upon her graduation this May.

September 25, 2009

Kranti Vora, a second year doctoral student in the Maternal and Child Health program, was one of seven graduate students selected to receive a 2009-10 International Teaching Fellowship from the University's Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) and the Graduate School. The fellowship is awarded to international graduate teaching assistants to help facilitate their development as University of Maryland teaching assistants and as future faculty. The program pairs international graduate teaching assistants with faculty mentors and fellow awardees to write, share, and discuss reflections on teaching and investigate strategies for improving their understanding of effective undergraduate education. Fellows are expected to dedicate approximately 20 hours each semester to program activities and will receive a $500 supplemental stipend upon program completion.

September 25, 2009

Ndidi Amutah, third year graduate student in the Maternal and Child Health doctoral program, has been elected to the Metropolitan Washington Public Health Association's Governing Council (MWPHA). Ndidi was considered among many applicants for a position on the council, which was patterned after the American Public Health Association's (APHA) existing council structure and has remained the mode of governance for the organization. The governing council works to promote the MWPHA's mission to protect personal, public, and environmental health in the Metropolitan Washington area. It also supports the organizations efforts to provide leadership in public health and promote continuing education opportunities in the public health field. For more information on the MWPHA, visit the following link.   Read More >

September 21, 2009

This Fall Kate Riera and Kate Speirs are continuing to pilot their Peer Teaching Support Program, which is funded through a Teaching Assistant Development Grant from the Center for Teaching Excellence at UMCP. The grant supports monthly meetings throughout the Spring 2009 and Fall 2009 semesters to provide support groups, resources, and peer observation to graduate students interested in undergraduate instruction and education. Since the program began, more than fifteen doctoral students have participated and benefited from this program. During the Spring 2009 semester, graduate students discussed various topics, including academic integrity, grading and assessment, evaluating teaching methods, and teaching portfolios and philosophies. "We've really enjoyed the peer support, community, and the sharing of experiences and resources among our fellow graduate students," says Kate Riera. The program plans to focus on increasing peer observation opportunities and adding new discussion topics during the Fall 2009 semester. More information about upcoming Peer Teaching Support Program meetings can be found via the following online FMSC calendar link.   Read More >

September 21, 2009

Dr. Bonnie Braun, Herschel Horowitz Chair in the Center for Health Literacy and Associate Professor of Family Science, has accepted a three-year appointment to the Board of the Maryland Asset Building Community Development (ABCD) Network, Inc. ABCD supports more than 250 community-based organizations that focus on human and social problems such as a lack of decent and affordable housing, high rates of foreclosure, joblessness and lack of financial literacy among low and moderate income families. As a member of the Policy committee, Dr. Braun will inform and advocate for policies that ensure asset building and community development organizations are strong and stable. Dr. Braun's service on this Board is a natural continuation of the work and service she has completed in the last 10 years involving vulnerable families and communities, community education through the University of Maryland Extension, and public policy education with the General Assembly.

September 2, 2009

A recent article posted on CNN.com details the specific skills that can be acquired and related employment opportunities that can arise from specialized and often overlooked majors such as Family and Consumer Sciences. The article, "10 Unusual Majors Can Get You These Jobs," recommends choosing a more specialized major in order to learn a unique set of skills that could be beneficial for securing a job in these unique economic times. The field of Family and Consumer Sciences includes in depth areas of study such as child development, family relations, consumer economics, personal and family finance, healthy homes, and nutrition. Within these areas of specialization, a student would be prepared for numerous employment opportunities, including health education, teaching, financial advising, or education administration. In fact, the number of students seeking degrees in Family Science continues to grow. A recent comparison of data from the Family and Consumer Sciences Enrollment Statistics revealed that Family Studies and Human Development is the number one choice among undergraduate degree seeking students in Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences disciplines. To learn more about degrees in Family Science at the University of Maryland, College Park, please visit the following link.   Read More >

August 18, 2009

Ndidi Amutah, Maternal and Child Health doctoral student in the Department of Family Science, has been selected as an American Public Health Association (APHA) Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Section Senior Fellow for the 2009-2010 academic year. The fellowship recognizes Ndidi's excellent academic record and experience in public health. After serving as a student fellow during the 2008-2009 school year, Ndidi has been chosen to mentor the new student fellows that were selected for the 2009-2010 academic year. As part of her Senior Student Fellowship, Ndidi will assist MCH section leaders with projects related to evaluation of the MCH fellowship program and increasing program-related web-based resources.

 

To read more, visit the following link to an article on Colleen's conference participation in the Association of Schools of Public Health's Friday Letter.   Read More >

August 12, 2009

Dr. Jinhee Kim received the Mid-Career Award from the American Council on Consumer Interests (ACCI) in honor of her outstanding contributions to the field of consumer finance. The ACCI award is granted based upon demonstrated excellence in the field through research, education, and/or policy combined with service that furthers consumer interests. Dr. Kim received recognition for her Mid-Career Award in July at the Annual ACCI Conference in Milwaukee, WI. Congratulations to Dr. Kim!

August 4, 2009

Barbara Singer, Maternal and Child Health doctoral student in the Department of Family Science, has been selected as an American Public Health Association (APHA) Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Section Fellow for 2009-2010 academic year. The fellowship recognizes Barbara's excellent academic record and experience in public health. The Student Fellows Program provides an opportunity for students to learn more about APHA and the MCH Section through participation in business meetings, serving on various Section committees, and working on Section policy statements, among other activities. Student Fellows are also matched with a public health mentor who is a leader in the field of maternal and child health.

July 28, 2009

The June 2009 issue of Science Magazine features Dr. Sandra Hofferth's review of Longing and Belonging: Parents, Children, and Consumer Culture, in which Allis Pugh writes about children's desires to gain consumer goods and parental responses to these requests. Dr. Hofferth, Professor in Family Science and Director of the Maryland Population Research Center, relies upon her personal experience and expertise as a family science researcher in her critique of Pugh's book. She notes that while Pugh acknowledges "an inherent contradiction between individual development and a longing to belong," the author gives little attention to the important role parents can play in helping children to develop a positive sense of belonging through family and community-oriented activities rather than using the purchase of popular consumer goods to attain status. Select the following link to read Dr. Hofferth's full review.   Read More >

July 21, 2009

Colleen Vesely, FMSC doctoral student, recently participated in the World Forum on Early Care and Education in Belfast, Northern Ireland. This conference brought together 700 early childhood practitioners and researchers from 80 countries around the world to discuss and share about important issues related to early childhod education. At the World Forum Colleen was part of a panel discussion entitled, "Hope, Aspirations, and Plight: The Stories of Families in the Current of Global Immigration," in which she presented work from a grant funded project she is working on at the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Specifically, Colleen discussed project plans to conduct in-depth case studies of ECE centers in the U.S. and abroad that are working with immigrant families in particularly unique and exemplary ways. The findings from this project will ultimately provide ECE practitioners around the world with tools for working most effectively with immigrant children and families.

 

To read more, visit the following link to an article on Colleen's conference participation in the Association of Schools of Public Health's Friday Letter.   Read More >

July 15, 2009

Dr. Norman Epstein, Professor, recently received a Community Award from the Mental Health Association of Prince George's County (MHAPGC) in recognition of his diligent and tireless efforts to improve mental health in the community. Dr. Epstein received this award following his presentation, "Families: Their Crucial Roles in Physical and Mental Health," at the 54th Anniversary Celebration of the MHAPGC.