College of Education and Human Development

Family Social Science

Faculty

Ronald Asiimwe, PhD Ronald Asiimwe, PhD

Dr. A grew up in Uganda, Africa and moved to the US in 2016 to study Couple and Family Therapy (CFT). He has research and clinical experience practicing in both the U.S. and in his home country of Uganda.

Ronald Asiimwe, assistant professor

Sara Axtell Sara Axtell

  • Senior Lecturer and Faculty-at-Large, Cultural Wellness Center
  • she, her, hers
  • 612-625-0252
  • axtel002@umn.edu

Axtell's work focuses on developing mutually beneficial collaborations between UMN and communities that addresses how to share intellectual authority and bring together academic knowledge and the knowledge systems of cultural communities.

Sara Axtell, senior lecturer

Lynne Borden Lynne Borden

  • Professor and Associate Dean of Research and Engagement, UMN Extension
  • she, her, hers
  • 612-624-7707
  • lmborden@umn.edu

Borden's research and discovery endeavors to better understand the relationships young people have in various contexts and how those relationships affect their overall development.

borden

Chalandra Bryant Chalandra Bryant

  • Professor and Dr. Pauline Boss Professorship in Ambiguous Loss
  • 612-625-1900
  • cmbryant@umn.edu

Dr. Bryant's research focuses on the developmental roots and course of close relationships; the ability to sustain close intimate ties; and how social, familial, economic, and psychosocial factors are linked to marital outcomes.

bryant

Chun Creaser Chun Creaser

Before joining the University of Minnesota, I taught at the University of Illinois Springfield.

professor chun creaser

Michael Curtis Michael Curtis

Dr. Curtis' research focuses on improving the mental health and service utilization of individuals from oppressed, and underserved communities to address the syndemic effects of intersectional stigma, traumatic stress, HIV, and mental health issues.

A professor.

Jodi Dworkin Jodi Dworkin

My research and outreach focuses on promoting positive family development, parenting adolescents and college students, and the role of technology in these relationships.

Jodi Dworkin

Jennifer George Jennifer George

Dr. George has taught at a variety of levels, including K-12, undergraduate, graduate, and adult education.

Jennifer George

Steven Harris Steven Harris

Dr. Harris' research agenda includes divorce decision-making and family transitions associated with divorce. He is director of the MN Couples on the Brink Project that develops and evaluates best practices to help couples at high risk for divorce.

Steven Harris, professor

Stacey Horn Stacey Horn

  • Department Head, Professor, and Campbell Leadership Chair in Education & Human Development
  • she/her/hers
  • 612-625-1900
  • sshorn@umn.edu

Horn's current research focuses on prejudice related to sexual orientation and gender identity, as well as bias-motivated bullying among adolescents.

Stacey Horn

Margaret Kelly Margaret Kelly

  • Senior Teaching Specialist and Director of Undergraduate Studies
  • she/her/hers
  • 612-625-7825
  • deleh003@umn.edu

I am driven to help learners engage in the communities and broader world around them. I believe deeply in the benefit of seeking knowledge by going outside the space of the university.

Margaret Kelly

Christy Kujawa Christy Kujawa

I am passionate about education, support and community for parents. I believe in sharing evidence based, scientific research, offering best practice, allowing parents to make the most informed decisions possible when it comes to their children.

a professor

Jenifer McGuire Jenifer McGuire

I study the well-being of young people who identify as transgender with a specific focus on ways that family environments can best support healthy development.

Jennifer Mcguire

Christopher Mehus Christopher Mehus

I am a Prevention Scientist with a background in family science, family therapy, parenting interventions, primary care research, and psychological trauma.

Christopher Mehus

Tai Mendenhall Tai Mendenhall

  • Professor, Couple & Family Therapy Specialization
  • he/him/his
  • 612-624-3138
  • mend0009@umn.edu

I am a Medical Family Therapist and Director of the UMN Medical Reserve Corps’ Mental Health Disaster-Response Teams. My research examines collaborative family health care and community-based participatory research focused on public health issues.

Tai Mendenhall

Cynthia Meyer Cynthia Meyer

I am passionate about teaching about (and continuing to learn about) all the ways in which sexuality, families and larger systems are interconnected.

Cynthia Meyer

Michelle Pasco Michelle Pasco

Dr. Pasco’s research uses a culturally-informed lens to understand the lived experiences of ethnic-racial minoritized youth and families within neighborhood contexts and uses different methods to examine how neighborhood factors influence them.

Michelle Pasco

Timothy Piehler Timothy Piehler

  • Associate Professor, Distinguished University Teaching Professor
  • he/him/his
  • 612-301-1484
  • tpiehler@umn.edu

My program of research is focused on developing and evaluating preventive interventions in the areas of youth mental health and substance use.

Timothy Piehler

Shannon Rader Shannon Rader

  • Parent & Family Education Program Director and Lecturer
  • she/her/hers
  • 612-625-0701
  • rade0081@umn.edu

I am energized when I work with students to develop the knowledge and skills to be a quality parent educator.

Shannon Rader

Avelina Rivero Avelina Rivero

Dr. Rivero's research identifies how family members can influence and shape Latina young women’s body image perceptions and development and explores the unique role cultural values play in shaping family interactions and relationships.

A professor.

Kay Simon Kay Simon

Dr. Simon's research focuses on the narratives, identity development, future parenthood, and family experiences of marginalized groups such as LGBTQ+ or BIPOC individuals, and the experiences of LGBTQ+ youth and families.

Kay Simon

Catherine Solheim Catherine Solheim

Dr. Solheim's research agenda demonstrates the translational nature of Family Science and includes families and culture, refugee family resettlement and adjustment, ambiguous loss, human ecology, and social justice theories.

Catherine Solheim

Xiaoran Sun Xiaoran Sun

As a developmental and family psychologist, I conduct research on the interplay between family systems processes and well-being across adolescence and young adulthood.

Xiaoran Sun

Lindsey Weiler Lindsey Weiler

Dr. Weiler's research focuses on developing and testing interventions for children and adolescents. The goal of this research is to identify effective strategies for fostering positive development and healthy functioning.

Lindsey Weiler, associate professor

Armeda Wojciak Armeda Wojciak

  • Associate Professor and Couple & Family Therapy Program Director
  • she/her/hers
  • 612-625-1900
  • awojciak@umn.edu

Dr. Wojciak has developed a robust research program in improving outcomes for at-risk youth and families with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) through interventions that are designed and evaluated across family, foster care, school, and youth…

Armeda Wojciak

Zha Blong Xiong Zha Blong Xiong

My primary research interests focus on the social and cultural capital that promotes (or hinders) healthy development in children, especially with children of immigrant and refugee families.

Zha Blong Xiong

Virginia Solis Zuiker Virginia Solis Zuiker

  • Associate Professor, AFC Supervising Faculty, and Department Honors Faculty Representative
  • she/her/ella
  • 612-625-4225
  • vzuiker@umn.edu

An associate professor in FSoS, Dr. Zuiker teaches courses around individuals and family finance and counseling and conducts research on financial socialization of college students and how family businesses manage cash flow.

A professor.