Movers, Shakers, and Difference-Makers<\/h2>\n<\/header>\n
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by Don Dillman<\/em><\/p>\n In this issue, we catch up with four WSU alums whose careers demonstrate a wide application of skills learned in sociology. We begin with Ellen Abell, whose dissertation used an interdisciplinary focus to study family issues. That work led to a\u00a0career of helping children and families through extension programming in Alabama. Then, we hear from John “Jody” Durante who established a successful private sector career after completing a master’s degree 30 years ago.<\/p>\n We also caught up with Lori Hughes who completed her PhD in 2006 as she was transitioning from the Criminology and Criminal Justice program at the University of Nebraska in Omaha to her new position in the School of Public Affairs at the University of Colorado in Boulder. Her work on gang behavior and related issues with Jim Short has been mentioned in previous issues of Sociology News<\/em>.<\/p>\n Michael Stern, another recent PhD, is now a Fellow in the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago, where he provides leadership for web survey research.<\/p>\n The much-appreciated reports from these four alums illustrate the diversity of interests and career tracks followed by our many graduates.<\/p>\n Ellen Abell (PhD, 1993)<\/strong><\/p>\n Extension Specialist and Associate Professor, Human Development and Family Studies, Auburn University<\/em><\/p>\n Ellen began her graduate studies in the WSU Department of Chil \u201cIf you had told me at the outset that I would live in Alabama for more than 22 years, I would have called you crazy! But it has been a good fit for me. In grad school, as I read the research about the influences of near and distal contexts on child development and socialization, I continually found myself thinking, \u2018This research is really interesting, but if it doesn\u2019t get to the adults who create and shape the everyday environments in which children grow and develop, what good is it doing?\u2019 Working as an Extension scholar here in Alabama has allowed me to translate these bodies of research into informational resources and prevention programming used with parents and early childhood practitioners in child care and educational settings.\u201d<\/p>\n The first outreach program Ellen developed was the \u201cBegin Education Early\u201d program. At the request of a county agent in rural west Alabama, she designed a parenting education program for underserved rural families with the goal of assisting their preschool-aged children to be ready for school. \u201cThe BEE program was a fantastic learning experience about combining the agent\u2019s knowledge of her county and its needs and resources with what the research of the time suggested about early learning experiences important to school success.\u201d The BEE program used grant funding to hire and train individuals from the local community to deliver the program on a van that was rigged out as a preschool-classroom-on-wheels. \u201cBecause we were able to show changes in parenting attitudes and practices with the evaluation data we collected, we successfully wrote for additional state and federal funding to grow the program into seven counties in one of the poorest areas of the state. It was hard work, but I loved being able to see research put to use to make a measurable difference!\u201d<\/p>\n Ellen has gone on to develop the Family Child Care Partnerships (FCCP) program to enhance the knowledge, skills, practices, and professionalism of child care providers who care for unrelated children in their own homes. Securing almost $20,000,000 of state funding over the last 15 years has allowed FCCP, through its hands-on mentoring model, \u201cto change the face of family child care in Alabama. These (mostly) women no longer see themselves as babysitters. Rather, they understand the impact of their daily work on the growth and well-being of children across multiple developmental domains.\u201d The state of Alabama recently received one of the Early Head Start \u2013 Child Care Partnership grants from the federal government, in it tapping FCCP to lead the effort to support Early Head Start programming for nearly 200 infants and toddlers in family child care homes.<\/p>\n In the last several years, Ellen has returned to her long-held interest in adults\u2019 emotion-related child socialization behaviors by incorporating neurobiological research findings into her training of early childhood professionals. \u201cShowing how the brain\/body processes and uses emotions has been a really fun addition to the class I teach to prepare our undergraduate early-childhood majors for real-world interactions with young children. My career here at Auburn has been gratifying in so many ways. The training I received from my WSU professors and graduate program launched me far indeed \u2013 all the way to the other corner of the country where I have used what I learned to make a difference in Alabama.”<\/p>\n John Durante (MA, 1985)<\/strong><\/p>\n Consultant – Tempe, Arizona<\/em><\/p>\n “Few days pa “Such teachings were excellent preparation for working and sometimes leading in rapidly transforming industries like healthcare services. Few of my executive peers could easily spot a double-barreled survey question or rapidly interpret deeper levels of market data. One opportunity allowed me to conduct nearly 1,000 focus groups by the age of 32 on everything from the color of brand logos to parental response to their children\u2019s drug addiction. I recall thinking there was no way I could have attempted (much less completed) such a task without the technical training, professional socialization, and humanity bestowed to me at WSU Sociology<\/p>\n “Today my toe stills stays in the consulting water doing freelance work based out of Arizona while sometimes wishing I had a more robust relationship with practicing sociologists. Occasionally I teach (introductory research methods or something media and culture related) and faithfully consume all the news from Wilson-Short Hall about a new generation of faculty, researchers, and students. I have no doubt that they too will effectively apply their sociology experience for professional and community benefit.”<\/p>\n![\"Ellen](\"https:\/\/wpcdn.web.wsu.edu\/wp-cas\/uploads\/sites\/3221\/2015\/07\/EllenAbell-e1439158760630.jpg\")
<\/a><\/em>d and Family Studies (now the Department of Human Development) in 1986 to gain a master\u2019s degree and the credentials to teach parenting and child development at one of the community colleges in the Portland area. Instead, she ended up working with her major professor, Vik Gecas, on an interdisciplinary PhD that combined sociology, psychology, child development, and family studies. She completed her degree in 1993 and landed her first (and current) academic position at Auburn University, one of Alabama\u2019s two land-grant institutions. Her responsibilities in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies are split three ways: 75% extension and 25% teaching and research.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/strong>ss when I don\u2019t recall how my WSU Sociology experience favorably changed my life. After leaving Pullman in \u201985 with both BA and MA, I wound my way through the marketing side of several industries including healthcare, broadcasting, and professional services. My sociology training was a boon for the technical (how to rapidly synthesize data) and interpersonal (how to manage staff expectations) challenges I faced on a daily basis. I would frequently remark to colleagues and superiors that my ‘business’ training was in sociology (not an MBA) and was the foundation of my professional perspective. Almost always puzzled, they asked how, of all things, sociology<\/em> prepared me. I\u2019d try to explain but seldom to much avail. Unlike me they didn\u2019t get to experience things like:<\/p>\n\n