Full Vita

Courses Taught:

Human Development through the Lifespan
Infancy and Early Childhood
Children in the Middle Years
Adolescence
Adult Development and Aging
Families and Social Policy
Families and Cultural Diversity
Theories of Human Development
Research Methods
Parenting and Child Guidance

Education:

B.S., Brigham Young Unviersity; Provo, Utah
M.S., Utah State University; Logan, Utah
Ph.D.  The University of Toledo; Toledo, Ohio

Past and Present Research Projects:

Family Impact Seminars:  I am currently in the process of collaborating with the University of Wisconsin to develop seminars designed to inform legislators about the potential impact of social policies for families in the state of Utah.
 
Healthy Spirits Conference:  The conference was held in Park City, Utah, in May of 2005. The Conference was designed to disseminate healthy, culturally sensitive practices that support Native American families to other practitioners in the Native American Community.

The Great Self-Mystery:  This was an intervention program for Adolescents that focused on the child’s strengths. We conducted a pilot study at Vernal Middle School and conducted the actual study at West, Jr. High. Students chose to do something to give back to their school and developed a garden area to beautify their landscape. They wrote for grant money to pay for new trees to be planted and then planted trees and flowers around the school.

Circles of Care:  The Northern Ute Tribe investigated the quality of mental health care for Tribal Children, specifically children who are at risk or who are diagnosed with Severe Emotional Disturbance (SED). We developed a system of care that is culturally appropriate for tribal members that focuses on family support.

Quality of Center-Based Child Care in the Uintah Basin:  We developed a training program for rural educators and established a baseline of identifying the quality of child care.


Multi-graded classrooms:  I am in the process of researching the impact of multi-aged classrooms on school configuration and family influences. I am currently working on a book supporting this concept.

Research Interests:

Characteristics of the quality of attachment in Early Adolescents, Prosocial Behavior, School Age children, school configuration, Cross-Cultural Research (specifically African American and Native American).