Jodi Dworkin
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Pronouns: she, her, hers
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Professor and Extension Specialist
Ph.D., Human and Community Development, University of Illinois
M.S., Human and Community Development, University of Illinois
B.S., Psychology, Allegheny College
My research and outreach focuses on promoting positive family development, parenting adolescents and college students, and the role of technology in these relationships. A critical piece of my work is developing research-based outreach services to promote positive family development. I have three primary projects.
Families and Technology
My focus has been on exploring how technology is used for family communication and in support of family relationships, specifically in families with adolescents. This project includes data from parents and adolescents, as well as from college students. Data are both qualitative and quantitative, and provide unique opportunities to understand the complexities of technology and family life.
The Parenting College Students site includes study findings along with extensive resources for families of college students. A national study of parents of college students designed to understand the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the family’s role in their students’ college experiences. Specifically, we examined the effect of COVID-19 on students’ ability to continue their education; what challenges and barriers students and families experienced; what supports students and families needed; how family stress impacted students. Parents were surveyed during summer and fall 2020 and again during fall 2021.
Disrupting the narrative: Creating healthy developmental trajectories through family school partnerships
This project is a partnership with University of Minnesota Extension. It has included a community based participatory action research project in partnership with a diverse school district and the district equity specialists. Youth were trained as researchers to interview their peers about how COVID-19 impacted family and school. A key component of this project has been a 4-H leadership series. Interview data from youth are currently being analyzed, and process documents are being developed to document this YPAR approach.
*Keyzers, A., & Dworkin, J. (in press). Parental approval, active mediation, and adolescent online social behavior: Differences by parent-child gender pairs. Journal of Comparative Family Studies.
*Dworkin, J., Sun, X., LeBouef, S., & Keyzers, A. (2023). Associations among parent technology use, locus of control, and child problem behaviors. Family Relations, 72(2), 443-457. https://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12811
*Dworkin, J., Cai, Q., LeBouef, S., & Hruska, E. (2023). College family coping and disruptions during COVID-19: A consideration of the ABC-X model of family stress. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 53(4), 502-522. https://doi.org/10.3138/jcfs.53.4.040
*Lee, S-K., & Dworkin, J. (2022). Multiple channels of communication: Association of emerging adults’ communication patterns, well-being, and parenting. Emerging Adulthood. https://doi:10.1177/21676968211067614
*Cai, Q., LeBouef, S., Savage, M., & Dworkin, J. (2022). What happened when COVID-19 shut down in-person higher education? Parents speak out. About Campus: Enriching the Student Learning Experience, 26(6), 26–34. https://doi.org/10.1177/10864822221082695
*LeBouef, S., & Dworkin, J. (2021). First-generation college students and family support: A critical review of empirical research literature. Educational Sciences, 11, 294-314. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11060294
*Dworkin, J., Hessel, H., & LeBouef, S. (2019). The use of communication technology in the context of adolescent and family development: An integration of family and media theories. Journal of Family Theory & Review, 11(4), 510-523. https://doi.org/10.1111/jftr.12350
*Dworkin, J., Rudi, J., & Hessel, H. (2018). The state of family research and social media. Journal of Family Theory & Review, 10(4), 796-813. https://doi.org/10.1111/jftr.12295 [1.837]
*Rudi, J., He, Y., Dworkin, J., & Doty, J. (2018). How useful is it? Differences in parents’ perceptions of parenting information sources. Journal of Human Sciences and Extension, 6(3), 180-199.
Rudi, J. H., & Dworkin, J. (2018). Parents’ and youths’ solicitation and disclosure of information in today’s digital age. Journal of Youth Development, 13(4), 5-28.
*Hessel, H., He, Y., & Dworkin, J. (2017). Paternal monitoring: The relationship between online and in-person solicitation and youth outcomes. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 46(2), 288- 299. [3.562]
* student co-author
*Dworkin, J., LeBouef, S., Vasquez, K., Park, E., & Driscoll, J. (2023, April). The face behind the screen: Emotional experiences of teens and parents communicating via technology. Paper presented at the Society for Research on Adolescence, San Diego, CA.
*LeBouef, S., Dworkin, J., Horn, S., Tzenis, J., Cable, J., & Fisher, B. (2023, April). Disrupting the narrative: COVID-19 and family school partnerships – A YPAR project. Paper presented at the Society for Research on Adolescence, San Diego, CA.
*Cai, Q., Dworkin, J., Hruska, E., Vasquez, K., & LeBouef, S. (2022, November). The impact of COVID-19 on families and experiences with higher education over time. Paper presented at the National Council on Family Relations, Minneapolis, MN.
*LeBouef, S., & Dworkin, J. (2022, November). Applying a family model to first generation college students and family support. Paper presented at the National Council on Family Relations Theory Construction and Research Methodology Workshop, Minneapolis, MN.
*Dworkin, J., Sun, X., LeBouef, S., & Keyzers, A. (2022, November). Online social support and parents’ locus of control. Paper presented at the National Council on Family Relations, Minneapolis, MN.
*LeBouef, S., Vasquez, K., & Dworkin, J. (2021, November). “I can see the discouragement and worry”: Parents’ report of first generation college students experiences during COVID-19. Paper presented online at the Society for the Study of Emerging Adulthood.
*Keyzers, A., & Dworkin, J. (2021, November). Parental approval, mediation, and adolescent online behavior. Poster presented online at the National Council on Family Relations.
*Keyzers, A., & Dworkin, J. (2021, November). Parental mediation of adolescent online behavior. Poster presented online at the National Council on Family Relations.
*Sun, X., LeBouef, S., & Dworkin, J. (2021, November). It’s how you talk about it: Linguistic correlates of family dynamics from young adults’ interviews. Poster presented online at the National Council on Family Relations.
*Keyzers, A., LeBouef, S., Vasquez, K., & Dworkin, J. (2021, November). Mental health and students’ future academic plans in the context of COVID-19. Poster presented online at the Society for the Study of Emerging Adulthood.
*Keyzers, A., Holmgren, H., & Dworkin, J. (2020, November). Adolescent internalizing, externalizing and parent-child relationship quality: Associations with adolescent disclosure and secrecy. Poster presented at National Council on Family Relations, online.
*Dworkin, J., Hessel, H., LeBouef, S., Holmgren, H., & Holth, A. (2019, November). College students, texting, and family: “The only way we can goof off and be [family]…because we don’t see each other often.” Poster presented at National Council on Family Relations, Fort Worth, Texas.
*Dworkin, J., Brar, P., & Hessel, H. (2018, October). When the teacher becomes the student: Youth impact on parent technology use. Paper presented at the Association of Internet Researchers, Montreal, Canada.
* student co-author
Recent News
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Talking Screen Time with U of M, Tri-County News
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A parent's nuanced, no-shaming guide to setting rules around screen time, Star Tribune
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It's back to school time. So how do we cut back all the video gaming? USA Today
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Talking with the expert: Limiting child's screen time can be difficult coming out of the pandemic, Isanti-Chisago County Star
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Rethinking screen time in a pandemic, MSP Magazine.
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Parenting College Students: Online Support for Parents of College Students, webinar for the University of Minnsota Alumni Association
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Technology and Family Life webinar for the University of Minnesota Alumni Association
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Parenting College Students, Mom Enough podcast
What Students Can Expect from Me
Students can expect to be actively engaged in research as a collaborator through all phases of the research process—literature review, IRB, data collection, data analysis, manuscript preparation, and conference presentations. Students interested in outreach and engagement have opportunities to do the work of translating research into practice both to develop resources for parents and research updates for professionals who work with youth and families.
Students meet with me weekly and have the opportunity to build relationships and collaborations with other graduate students. Students should expect to be independent, creative, and thinking critically about our work together.
Honors and Awards
2022 National Council on Family Relations Fellow
2013 Council of Graduate Students Outstanding Faculty Award, University of Minnesota
2008 National Extension Association of Family & Consumer Sciences Florence Hall Award, First Place, Central Region & State Winner, MN Affiliate
2007 National Extension Association of Family & Consumer Sciences Internet Education Technology Award, Second Place, National & First Place, Central Region
2006 National Family Life Extension Specialists Early Achievement Award
2006 Innovations in Student Development Award, Minnesota College Personnel Association
2006 College of Human Ecology Award for Innovation and Mission Advancement, University of Minnesota
2005 New Career Excellence Award, College of Human Ecology