Ph.D., Marriage, Family, and Human Development, Brigham Young University
M.A., Washington State University, Human Development
B.A., Whitman College, Economics
B.A., University of Puget Sound, Education

My research is broadly focused on family wellness and includes explorations of parenting practices, father engagement, work-life harmony, and mother-father coparenting. I prefer to work on applied projects that improve family wellness for real people. To that end, I often conduct program evaluations of parenting programs to help determine whether the curricula, programs, and approaches we use to help groups of parents are having the impact we hope for.

Study Abroad

Parenting education
Fathering
Financial literacy
Family wellness

I have led 13 study abroad programs for UTK students. These programs explore (a) how broad cultural values impact family, healthcare, and educational policy as well as gender equality and daily family life (UTK in Sweden: Culture, Family, and Childhood, offered every May Mini-Term), and (b) the role of culture, food policy, and food systems in physical, social, economic, environmental, and social justice outcomes (Rome to Barcelona Food Study, offered every Winter Mini-Term).