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Peterson, Bernadine H. (1923 - )
Bernadine H. Peterson's desire to help people by applying research to real-life problems was the foundation for her sixteen year career in home economics extension. She earned three degrees in Home Economics Education--a BS from Wisconsin State University-Stevens Point in 1945, an MS from UW-Madison in 1957, and a PhD from UW-Madison in 1961. After earning her doctorate, she spent four years as the head of Home Economics Education at Kansas State University. In 1965 she returned to UW to accept a position in the Home Economics Education and Extension Department. A year later, when Julia Dalrymple left, Peterson took her place as Chair of the department. In 1968, Peterson shifted her focus from Home Economics Education to Home Economics Extension, where as a program leader she had responsibility for guiding extension home economists in program development in the southeastern district of Wisconsin. Her district included Milwaukee and she enthusiastically accepted the challenge and opportunity to work with many different kinds of families, including low-income and minority families, and on newly emerging urban problems, such as parenting difficulties when both parents worked and the problems of latch-key kids. In order to encourage others to enter the field, Peterson also developed an internship program in which she prepared students for work with county agents. In addition, she supervised the interns and helped them to evaluate their internship experiences. Peterson found her work rewarding because she believed that it was important to interpret and communicate research results to the people of the State. Throughout her career, she continued to stress that scholarly research should be applied for the good of the State's population. She further demonstrated her commitment to excellence in teaching when, in conjunction with the UW Foundation, she established the Bernadine H. Peterson Scholarship Fund to benefit students studying to become educators. She provided not only financial assistance to students, but also an offer to mentor students who want additional guidance in their studies. |
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