Articles

On the heels of completing a post-doctoral research fellowship at Washington University in St. Louis, Gretchen Buchanan, PhD ’21, is joining the Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute as a senior researcher in the Redleaf Center for Family Healing. According to its website, “The center improves lives through multi-generational mental health, parenting, and mind-body-spirit support for individuals […]

Damir Utržan has been appointed to a four-year term on the State Advisory Council on Mental Health (MH) by Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. He is a 2017 alumni of the Family Social Science PhD specialization in Couple and Family Therapy and is currently Chief Compliance and Strategic Development Officer at Horowitz Health (HH) that provides […]

Xiaoran Sun, assistant professor, and Lindsey Weiler, associate professor and Family Social Science Department honors faculty representative, have been awarded grants for research projects. Xiaoran Sun’s research project, “Using Machine Learning and Large-Scale Longitudinal Data to Identify Key Adolescent Social Determinants of Educational Attainment in White, Black, and Latinx Adults,” has been awarded a $50,000 […]

Sara Axtell, a lecturer in the Department of Family Social Science, is a recipient of a 2023 University of Minnesota Outstanding Community Service Award. The award recognizes faculty, staff, students, and University-affiliated community partners who, by devoting their time, talents, and expertise to serve the public good, have made significant, demonstrable, and direct contributions to society’s […]

Sharon M. Danes, professor emerita in Family Social Science, is part of the writing team of a new book on family businesses. Concise Introduction to the Family Firm offers a multifaceted approach to the study and practice of family firm ownership. It explores conceptualizations of the family firm in-depth, and provides encompassing theories to help […]

Tai Mendenhall, professor in Family Social Science, and the Interfaith Action of Greater Saint Paul’s Department of Indian Work have been awarded a $150,000 Superior Health Community Health Disparities Reduction Partnership Grant for the Family Education Diabetes Series (FEDS). The health promotion initiative was created in 2001 through the collaborative efforts of providers affiliated with […]

During spring semester, Miguel Quiñones, graduate student, and Joyce Serido, professor and extension specialist, collaborated to create the new Family Social Science undergraduate course, “The Cultural Context of Family and Financial Wellness.” The eight-week, one credit course explored the core concepts of financial decision-making for contemporary college students, taking into account their diverse backgrounds, lived […]

Faculty and student workers from Family Social Science won five awards at the annual CEHD Spring Assembly. The CEHD Awards and Honors program recognizes outstanding work in the college each year. Award recipients are nominated by peers and colleagues who also submit letters of support. Faculty members Margaret Kelly, Jenifer McGuire, Tai Mendenhall and student […]

You don’t normally think of graduate studies and boxing in the same way but to Reo Wang, a Family Social Science PhD graduate student, the two disciplines have a lot in common.  “Boxing the sport requires daily dedication, consistency, and a lot of mental strength, which is not unsimilar to doing a PhD,” says Wang. […]

Samantha LeBouef has won a 2023 University of Minnesota President’s Student Leadership and Service Award. According to the UMN Office of Student Affairs, “The President’s Student Leadership & Service Award (PSLSA) recognizes the accomplishments and contributions of outstanding student leaders at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. It is presented to students for their exceptional […]