Research on Human Development: Childhood and Adolescence
Executive Function Development Among Toddlers – Professor Dilworth-Bart
Academic Achievement of African American Boys – Professor Jeffrey Lewis
Marital Conflict and Its Ramifications for Family Members — Professor Lauren Papp
Infancy: Self-Regulation in Preterm Infants – Professor Julie Poehlmann
Parent Education – Professor David Riley
Adolescence: Juvenile Delinquency – Professor Stephen Small
Bicultural Parenting Project – Professor Lynet Uttal
Positive Youth Development, Youth-Adult Partnerships – Professor Shep Zeldin
Executive Function Development Among Toddlers – Professor Dilworth-Bart
Janean Dilworth-Bart wrote and presented several papers and received a grant from the Center for the Study of Cultural Diversity in Healthcare at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. The grant supports a study of maternal influences on early executive function development among toddlers born preterm, which is linked to research being completed by Professor Julie Poehlmann. In addition, she was initiated as an honorary member of the student chapter of Phi Upsilon Omicron, a national honorary professional organization that promotes scholarship and leadership.
Academic Achievement of African American Boys – Professor Jeffrey Lewis
Jeffrey Lewis continued his research on the academic identities and school behaviors of African-American boys being evaluated for special education, funded by the Spencer Foundation. His work on the academic achievement gap between African American and white boys of similar background was featured in a UW Communications profile.
Marital Conflict and Its Ramifications for Family Members — Professor Lauren Papp
Lauren Papp focuses her research on marital conflict in the home and children's immediate responding/broader psychosocial adjustment, as well as the interplay between marital functioning (for example, conflict or satisfaction) and the psychological distress of parents and children. For more information see https://mywebspace.wisc.edu/papp/web/
Infancy: Self-Regulation in Preterm Infants – Professor Julie Poehlmann
Julie Poehlmann is principal investigator on a $1.4 million National Institutes of Health grant investigating individual and family predictors of emerging self-regulation in preterm infants. The study follows infants until they are 2 years of age, beginning at the neonatal intensive care units at Meriter and St. Marys Hospitals in Madison and St. Joseph Hospital in Milwaukee. She received an administrative supplement to her NIH grant to fund the additional participation of Professor Janean Dilworth-Bart. Professor Poehlmann brought Jumpstart to the UW-Madison campus. Jumpstart for Young Children is an Americorps program that pairs college student volunteers with economically disadvantaged preschoolers to help them build literacy skills and get ready for school.
Parent Education – Professor David Riley
David Riley continued his parenting education program. A collaborative project with UW-Extension, the program is delivered in English and Spanish versions to half of all parents giving birth in Wisconsin every year and has been adopted by many other states and two other countries.
Adolescence: Juvenile Delinquency – Professor Stephen Small
Stephen Small completed a project for the Governor's Commission on Juvenile Justice and the Wisconsin Office of Justice Assistance, and he co-authored a report, “What Works, Wisconsin: What Science Tells Us About Cost-Effective Programs for Juvenile Delinquency Programs.” He was selected to deliver the inaugural "Family Strengthening Distinguished Lecture" at the Jefferson Auditorium of the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington D.C. in 2006. The title of his presentation was "Good Intentions Aren't Enough: Toward More Effective Youth and Family Programs, Policies, and Practices." The annual newly inaugurated lecture series was sponsored by the National 4-H Council, through a grant from the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
Bicultural Parenting Project – Professor Lynet Uttal
Lynet Uttal is an active member of Women’s Studies, Chicana and Latina Studies Program, and Asian American Studies Program, as well as a member of the Department of Human Development and Family Studies. Lynet Uttal wrote several successful proposals to fund the continuation of community workshops for Latino immigrant parents to develop strategies to biculturally parent and to establish a community co-director position. The project was renamed Formando Lazos Bicultural Parenting Project to reflect the links that are developed between immigrant parents and childcare providers, between parents from different Latino countries, and between the university and Latino community in Madison. Two papers were published based on data from the early years of this project: “Community Caregiving and Community Consciousness: Immigrant Latinas Developing Communities Through Social Service Programs,” Journal of Community Development, and “Organizational Cultural Competency: Shifting Programs for Latino Immigrants from a Client-Centered to a Community-Based Orientation.” Grants were received from the Oscar and Elsa Mayer Foundation ($62,000), the Evjue Foundation ($15,000), the Meta Schroeder Beckner Homemaker Endowment ($15,000), and U.S. Cellular Community grant (three cellular phones for one year). Lynet Uttal organized a group of graduate students and community partners to present a symposium, “Latino Immigrant Families and Childcare Providers in the Midwest: A Research and Education Project,” on their project, Formando Lazos, at the National Association of Chicana and Chicano Scholars 2006 International Conference. Formando Lazos has expanded to include a component of children’s programming to help immigrant children have pride in their cultures of origin.
Positive Youth Development, Youth-Adult Partnerships – Professor Shep Zeldin
Shepherd Zeldin completed studies on how communities and organizations adopt the innovative practice of youth-adult partnership for community change, funded by the Surdna and W.T. Grant Foundations. Also led a graduate seminar in the analysis and synthesis of research related to a feasibility study for a Center on Nonprofits at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
