The Center for Family Policy & Research at the University of Missouri offers legislators and other policy makers research-based information on many topics concerning children and families. CFPR content experts are able to provide information to assist in developing policies for children and families based on their specific areas of expertise. They represent over 30 different university departments, research institutes, and outreach organizations. We hope this information is useful in the development of policies that affect the well-being of Missouri’s children and families.
Our content experts can provide information on the following topics:
- Adolescent and Child Development
- Aging
- Community Issues
- Developmental Disabilities
- Early Childhood Education
- Economics and Demographics
- Education
- Equality Issues
- Families and Parenting
- Family and Community Violence
- Family Law
- Health
- Intellectual and Cognitive Development
- Language Development
- Marriage, Divorce, and Remarriage
- Mental Health
- Policies and Programs
- Social Services
If you are sponsoring a bill or developing policies related to children and families, we hope you will take advantage of this valuable and unique resource. Research-based information is just a phone call or e-mail away!
The following CFPR content experts represent more than 30 departments and institutes at the University of Missouri (Columbia, Kansas City, and St. Louis campuses) and are willing to provide research-based information to policy makers.
Irma Arteaga, Truman School of Public Affairs, UMC; E-mail: arteagaI@missouri.edu, Phone: (573) 882-2718
- Program evaluation of early childhood interventions
- Education health and policy
Share Bane, Center on Aging, UMKC; E-mail: banes@umkc.edu, Phone: (816) 235-2184
- Aging (environment, mental health, rural issues, women)
- Mental health issues (family, rural)
Mary Beck, School of Law, UMC; E-mail: beckm@missouri.edu, Phone: (573) 882-7872
- Child abuse and neglect
- Family law (adoption, fathers’ rights, standby guardianship)
- Violence against women
Christi Bergin, Department of Educational, School & Counseling Psychology, UMC; E-mail: berginc@missouri.edu, Phone: (573) 882-3185
- Adolescent and Child Development: Infant development, child development, adolescent development, parent-child relationships, evaluation of prevention programs, socio-emotional development
- Early Childhood Education: Developmental assessment, early intervention
- Education: Teaching effectiveness, teacher evaluation, classroom management and behavior, education evaluation
- Families and Parenting: Drug-using parents, parenting Intervention
- Health: Prenatal substance exposure
David Bergin, Department of Educational, School & Counseling Psychology, UMC; E-mail: bergind@missouri.edu, Phone: (573) 882-1303
- Education and academic motivation
Tashel Bordere, Department of Human Development and Family Science, UMC: E-mail: borderet@missouri.edu, Phone: (573) 882-4035
- Youth violence
- Homicidal death, loss and grief (urban youth)
- Family diversity
- Parenting practices
Matthew Burns, Department of Educational, School & Counseling Psychology, UMC; E-mail: burnsmk@missouri.edu, Phone: (573) 882-8192
- Learning
- Learning disabilities
Carl Calkins, Institute for Human Development, UMKC; E-mail: calkinsc@umkc.edu, Phone: (816) 235-1755
- Aging
- Developmental disabilities (community integration, program development and evaluation, systems change)
Nicole Campione-Barr, Department of Psychology, UMC; E-mail: campionebarrn@missouri.edu
- Parent-adolescent conflict and communication
- Sibling relationships
Jen-Hao Chen, Department of Health Sciences; Truman School of Public Affairs, UMC; E-mail: chenje@health.missouri.edu, Phone: (573) 882-9129
- How family settings & socioeconomic disadvantages affect health over the life course
Colleen Colaner, Department of Communication, UMC; E-mail: colanerc@missouri.edu, Phone: (573) 882-3522
- Adopted child development
Marilyn Coleman, Department of Human Development and Family Science, UMC; E-mail: colemanma@missouri.edu, Phone: (573) 355-4802
- Gender equality
- Remarriage and stepfamilies (child custody/support, co-parenting, effects on children, family obligations after divorce and remarriage, family transitions, intergenerational obligations)
Lisa Dorner, Department of Educational Leadership & Policy Analysis, UMC; E-mail: dornerl@missouri.edu, Phone: (573) 882-7938
- Bilingual/language education policies
- Child language brokering
Ty-Ron Douglas, Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis; Black Studies Program Affiliate Faculty Member, UMC; E-mail: douglastyr@missouri.edu, Phone: (573) 882-7457
- Black masculinity
- Black family studies
- Community-based spaces (e.g., barbershops, churches, neighborhoods, athletic spaces)
Lois A. Fitzpatrick, Coordinator, Center on Aging, UMKC; E-mail: fitzpatrickl@umkc.edu, Phone: (816) 235-2182
- Grandparents raising grandchildren
- Grandparent rights
- Intergenerational obligations
- Medicare and Medicaid (Medicare part D)
Charles Fluharty, Director, Rural Policy Research Institute; E-mail: cfluharty@rupri.org, Phone: (573) 882-0316
- Economics and demographics (rural conditions)
Craig Frisby, Department of Educational, School & Counseling Psychology, UMC; E-mail: frisbycl@missouri.edu, Phone: (573) 884-2561
- Education (testing and assessment)
- Intellectual and cognitive development
- Learning disabilities
Kathryn L. Fuger, Institute for Human Development, UMKC; E-mail: fugerk@umkc.edu, Phone: (816) 235-5351
- After-school program/childcare quality
- Child abuse and neglect
- Developmental disabilities
- Evaluation of home-visiting programs
- Family leadership development
- Latino issues
- Maternal and child health/prenatal substance exposure
- Parent-child relationships
- School readiness
Sara Gable, Department of Nutrition & Exercise Physiology, UMC; E-mail: gables@missouri.edu, Phone: (573) 882-4628
- Child weight management and obesity
- Early childhood education (Professional development and workforce issues)
Lawrence Ganong, Human Development and Family Science; Sinclair School of Nursing, UMC; E-mail: ganongl@missouri.edu, Phone: (573) 882-0225
- Aging and divorce
- Family obligations after divorce and remarriage
- Family transitions
- Intergenerational obligations
- Remarriage and stepfamilies
Chelsea Garneau-Rosner, Department of Human Development and Family Science, UMC; E-mail: garneauc@missouri.edu, Phone: (573) 882-4927
- Family transitions
- Co-parenting
- Remarriage and stepfamilies
- Parent-Child Relationships
Judith Goodman, Communication Sciences & Disorders, UMC; , E-mail: goodmanjc@missouri.edu, Phone: (573) 882-8407
- Language development
Jaber Gubrium, Department of Sociology, UMC; E-mail: gubriumj@missouri.edu, Phone: (573) 882-8331
- Constructionist approaches
- Fictive family
- Organizational embeddedness
Joan Hermsen, Department of Sociology, UMC; E-mail: hermsenj@missouri.edu, Phone: (573) 884-1420
- Public opinion on gender issues
- Women’s labor market outcomes
Haley Horstman, Department of Communication, UMC; E-mail: horstmanh@missouri.edu, Phone: (573) 884-7448
- Interpersonal and family communication
- Adoption & foster families
- Miscarriage & infertility
Ellis Ingram, Department of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences, UMC; E-mail: ingrame@health.missouri.edu, Phone: (573) 882-1319
- Adolescent and child development (mentoring)
- Education (mentoring)
Jean Ispa, Department of Human Development and Family Science, UMC; E-mail: ispaj@missouri.edu, Phone: (573) 882-2796
- Child development
- Early childhood education (early intervention)
- Poverty
Lael Keiser, Department of Political Science, UMC; E-mail: keiserl@missouri.edu, Phone: (573) 882-8282
- Child support enforcement
- Social security disability
- Welfare reform
Sarah Killoren, Department of Human Development and Family Science, UMC; E-mail: killorens@missouri.edu, Phone: (573) 882-7528
- Parent-child relationships
- Sexual health of adolescents
- Teen sexuality, pregnancy, and parenting
- Youth development (culture)
Brian Kisida, Department of Economics, Truman School of Public Affairs, UMC; E-mail: kisidab@missouri.edu
- Education policy
- Education access and equity
- Experiential learning
- School-community partnerships
- Arts education
- School choice
- Teacher diversity
- School integration
Antoinette Landor, Department of Human Development and Family Science, UMC; E-mail: landora@missouri.edu, Phone: (573) 882-4888
- Sexual behavior and romantic relationships in adolescence and young adulthood
- Skin tone and colorism
- Race-related experiences (e.g., racial socialization and discrimination)
Louis Manfra, Department of Human Development and Family Science, UMC; E-mail: manfral@missouri.edu, Phone: (573) 882-8455
- Development (cognitive, early childhood, intellectual, language, numeric knowledge)
- Early education practices and learning
- School readiness
- At-risk/vulnerable children
- Self-regulation
Melissa Maras, Hook Center for Educational Renewal, UMC; E-mail: marasme@missouri.edu, Phone: (573) 884-9733
- Adolescent and child development; developmental disabilities
- Community development/strategic planning
- Developmental disabilities
- Education and school based social services
- Incarcerated parents
- Mental health and interventions for traumatized children and youth
- Policy/program development and evaluation
Rebecca McCathren, Department of Special Education, UMC; E-mail: mccathrenr@missouri.edu, Phone: (573) 882-5764
- Child development (language, social-emotional)
Jane McElroy, Family and Community Medicine Department, UMC; E-mail: mcelroyja@health.missouri.edu, Phone: (573) 882-4993
- Health (epidemiology)
- LGBT youth
- Women’s health
- Sexual and gender minority issues
Carol Mertensmeyer, ParentLink Program Director, UMC; E-mail: mertensmeyerc@missouri.edu, Phone: (573) 882-2645
- Family support systems
Kale Monk, Department of Human Development and Family Science, UMC; E-mail: monkj@missouri.edu, Phone: (573) 882-1302
- Intimate/romantic relationships (e.g., dating, cohabiting, marriage)
- Relationships and well-being
- Military and veteran families
Peter Mueser, Department of Economics, UMC; E-mail: mueserp@missouri.edu, Phone: (573) 882-6427
- Policy/program evaluation
- Welfare reform
- Work programs for the disadvantaged
Francisco Palermo, Department of Human Development and Family Science, UMC; E-mail: palermof@missouri.edu, Phone: (573) 884-0932
- Low-income and English language learning children’s sociobehavioral health and educational well-being
Tola Pearce, Departments of Sociology and Women’s Studies, UMC; E-mail: pearceI@missouri.edu, Phone: (573) 882-7265
- Political economy of childcare
- Social inequalities
- Women’s health
Clark Peters, School of Social Work; Truman School of Public Affairs; School of Law, UMC; E-mail: peterscm@missouri.edu, Phone: (573) 884-1411
- Juvenile courts
- Foster care
- Child abuse & neglect
- Delinquency
- Financial literacy & capability
Michael Podgursky, Department of Economics, UMC; E-mail: podgurskym@missouri.edu, Phone: (573) 884-7741
- Economics of education conditions
- Education evaluation, statistics, and finance
Kathleen Preble, School of Social Work, UMC; E-mail: preblek@missouri.edu, Phone: (573) 884-4169
- Human trafficking
- Gender based violence (primarily in the context of exploitation)
- Sex work (i.e., prostitution)
Christine Proulx, Department of Human Development and Family Science, UMC; E-mail: proulxc@missouri.edu, Phone: (573) 882-3029
- Marriage and adult well-being
- Marital relationships
- Aging families
Ginny (Virginia) Ramseyer Winter, School of Social Work, UMC; E-mail: ramseyerwinterv@missouri.edu, Phone: (573) 884-8077
- Body image and health, primarily among women
Marilyn Rantz, Sinclair School of Nursing, Family and Community Medicine, UMC; E-mail: rantzm@missouri.edu, Phone: (573) 882-0258
- Aging (quality of long-term care)
- Technology and aging
- CMS funded studies to reduce avoidable hospitalizations of nursing home residents
Russell Ravert, Department of Human Development and Family Science, UMC; E-mail: ravertr@missouri.edu, Phone: (573) 882-1299
- Adolescent and child development (risk behaviors)
- Psychological needs of ill children
Sandy Rikoon, Department of Rural Sociology, UMC; E-mail: rikoonsandy@missouri.edu, Phone: (573) 882-0861
- Hunger and food security
Duane Rudy, Department of Human Development and Family Science, UMC; E-mail: rudyd@missouri.edu, Phone: (573) 884-1701
- Child development (social cognitive, social-emotional, culture)
- Culture and ethnicity
- Parent-child relationships
Marjorie Sable, School of Social Work, UMC; E-mail: sablem@missouri.edu, Phone: (573) 882-4447
- Maternal and child health
- Reproductive health
- Teen sexuality, pregnancy, and parenting
- Violence against women
Benyamin Schwarz, Department of Environmental Design, UMC; E-mail: schwarzb@missouri.edu, Phone: (573) 882-4904
- Aging (environment and long-term care)
- Community issues (housing and design theory)
Deanna Sharpe, Department of Personal Financial Planning, UMC; E-mail: sharped@missouri.edu, Phone: (573) 882-9652
- Aging (economic issues, retirement planning)
- Health care and consumer trends
Paul Sundet, School of Social Work, UMC; E-mail: sundetp@missouri.edu, Phone: (573) 882-0915
- Policy/program evaluation
- Social services (agency management, rural human services)
Leigh Tenkku Lepper, School of Social Work, UMC; E-mail: tenkkul@missouri.edu, Phone: (573) 884-5459
- Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders
- Screening Brief Intervention Referral and Treatment (SBIRT)
Kathy Thornburg, Center for Family Policy & Research, UMC; E-mail: thornburgk@missouri.edu, Phone: (573) 882-9998
- Early childhood education (professional development and workforce issues, rural childcare issues, school readiness)
- Effects of poverty on children
- Policies related to children and families
UMC; E-mail: wangze@missouri.edu, Phone: (573) 882-7602
- Large-scale assessment in education
- Achievement motivation
- Scale development
- Quantitative methods
- Program evaluation
- Research design
Karla Washington, School of Medicine, UMC; E-mail: washingtonkar@health.missouri.edu, Phone: (573) 884-2119
- Family caregiving and aging
- Physical illness
- Families across adulthood
Robert Weagley, Department of Personal Financial Planning, UMC; E-mail: weagleyr@missouri.edu, Phone: (573) 882-9651
- Economic impact of divorce
- Higher education funding and retention
Barton Wechsler, Truman School of Public Affairs, UMC; E-mail: wechslerb@missouri.edu, Phone: (573) 882-3304
- Community issues (leadership and development, strategic planning)
- Policy/program evaluation
Mansoo Yu, School of Social Work, UMC; E-mail: yuma@missouri.edu, Phone: (573) 882-4363
- Health risk behaviors including tobacco use and other substance use problems, and physical inactivity
- Health and mental health
- Epidemiologic research
- Positive youth development
- Health disparity and inequality
- Research with racial/ethnic minority groups, and vulnerable/underserved groups