Family, youth, and community - Ph.D.
Family education and youth development leadership are two
long-standing programs recognized nationally and internationally
for their progressive curriculum. These traditions have joined
together to form family, youth, and community (FYC) as a field
of study in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction.
FYC’s doctoral program prepares professionals to assume
educational and leadership roles in Minnesota, nationally, and
in many parts of the world. Graduates experience success in
obtaining positions in colleges and universities, in public and
private schools, and in community-based organizations and
institutions.
FYC graduate programs enable professionals to create holistic
programs of study related to their educational interests in
families, youth, and communities. The Ph.D. program provides
experienced professionals an opportunity to advance their
knowledge, research, and leadership skills. Our Ph.D. graduates
have assumed leadership roles as coordinators, professors, and
deans.
Students pursuing a Ph.D. degree may focus their graduate
studies and research on any of the three emphasis areas of
family, youth, or community, or they may pursue more connected
and comprehensive studies by combining more than one of these
emphasis areas.
Student profile
Diane R.
Anderson
“I chose to stay and do my graduate work here because
it’s a beautiful campus, there is a wonderful diversity in
students and faculty, and there are tremendous opportunities
for learning. ”
Read more below
Family: for those interested in supporting families in
developing their capacities to create and evaluate goals and
alternative solutions to the problems of everyday life, and
assume responsibility for consequences of their decisions.
Youth: for those committed to the healthy development
of young people, to understanding the youth development process,
and to working on behalf of young people by addressing the
challenges facing today’s youth.
Community: for those who see the possibilities for
education in, for, and with communities and who seek to innovate
and lead educational efforts that benefit communities of people
across cultures and generations.
Ph.D. students have opportunities to work closely with
graduate faculty members who share their interests and possess
expertise in their chosen emphasis area.
- Jane Plihal
I teach courses in our family and consumer sciences teacher
licensure program as well as courses on interpretive
research methodology. My recent research has used a
phenomenological approach to studying a variety of topics
related to education.
- Ruth G. Thomas
My research interests concern cognitive theory-based
instructional design, curriculum and program development,
and family and parent education. Currently, I serve as
department chair for the Department of Curriculum and
Instruction.
- Joyce A. Walker
My work at the University of Minnesota has always been
divided between educational outreach to community-based
youth development programs and campus-based teaching in
youth work, non-formal education, and adult education.
- Susan K. Walker
I teach courses in parent education and in family, youth,
and community. My research interests include the use of
technology in parent education, and intersections between
parenting and early education, and between formal and
informal parent education.
Course requirements
Required coursework for the Ph.D. in education, curriculum
and instruction.
Track: family, youth, and community:
Specializations: family,
youth,
community, or
combined (2 or 3 areas of
specialization) Scholarships and fellowships are frequently available to
qualified applicants. For more information:
Diane R. Anderson
Current Ph.D. student
 I
am originally from a small rural town in western Minnesota. I
left there go to college in a big town—University of
Minnesota-Morris! I migrated to the Twin Cities, following the
love of my life. I’ve been on the University of Minnesota-Twin
Cities campus ever since, first as a student, and now in my dual
role of faculty in the Program
in Occupational Therapy and doctoral student. I chose to
stay and do my graduate work here because it’s a beautiful
campus, there is a wonderful diversity in students and faculty,
and there are tremendous opportunities for learning.
Currently, I am a student in the FYC track, with a focus on
community education. With an undergraduate degree in
occupational therapy and a master’s degree is in public health
with an emphasis in maternal and child health, this program was
a natural choice. I was working in the community with high-risk
women and children and the degree felt like coming home. I had
long felt that my “calling” was to try to improve the lives of
women and kids.
I have continued to be interested in prevention and
intervention with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). My
most significant shift that I attribute to my doctoral studies
has been in adopting a new methodological approach to my
research. I am moving away from positivistic studies to using
phenomenology to try to understand more deeply the experiences
of the mothers who have children with FASD. This shift is a
direct result of taking Dr. McClelland’s course on interpretive
research. It’s a good fit for me with my interest in community
engagement with these women.
Publications:
Feneis, A. & Anderson, D.R. (in revision).
Comparison of children with and without Fetal Alcohol Spectrum
Disorder on the Infant/Toddler Sensory Profile. Physical and
Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics.
Reike, E. & Anderson, D.R. (in revision).
Clinical validity of the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile with
Adults with obsessive-compulsive disorder. American Journal of
Occupational Therapy.
Anderson, D.R. & Martin, P.M. (manuscript
preparation). Planning and Implementing Programs for Fetal
Alcohol Syndrome. Journal of Allied Health.
Anderson, D.R. (manuscript preparation).
Public Engagement: Good for the Student, Good for the Community,
Good for the Profession. OT Practice.
Presentations
Anderson, D.R. (November, 2006). Public
Engagement: Good for the Student, Good for the Community, Good
for the Profession. Communication Address, MOTA annual
conference, Plymouth, MN.
Anderson, D.R. (November, 2006). Planning
and Implementing Programs for Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Presented
at the MOTA annual conference, Plymouth, MN.
Anderson, D.R. (November, 2006). Recognizing
and Intervening with FASD. Training of Education and Social
Services staff west metro school districts. Hopkins, MN.
Anderson, D.R. & Terwey, S. (February,
2006). Building Strengths, Creating Hopes. District 287 training
for understanding and working with students with FASD. Plymouth,
MN.
Anderson, D.R. (January, 2006). Old Actors,
Persistent Problems: Lead and Alcohol. Preventing Harm to
Growing Brains Conference. Invited by Institute for Agriculture
and Trade Policy and the Collaborative on Health and the
Environment.
Anderson, D.R. (2004-present; each
semester). Brain Growth and Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. To Waconia
Child Development Classes. Waconia, MN.
Anderson, D.R. (May, 2004). Thunder Spirit
Center: A Model for Program Development and Evaluation.
Presented at MOTA Annual Conference. Duluth, MN. Anderson, D.R.
(October, 2004). Thunder Spirit Center: A Model for Program
Development and Evaluation. Presented at AOTA Annual Conference.
Minneapolis, MN.
Anderson, D.R., Brosseau, L. & Chomsky, C.
(August 2003). Teaching Professional Students. Invited by Center
for Teaching and Learning Services. University of Minnesota-TC.
Anderson, D.R. (June, 2003). FASD Statewide
Planning Retreat. Primary planner, convener and facilitator; to
develop statewide strategies and plans from a community
perspective for assessment, diagnosis, intervention, research
related to FASD. Minneapolis, MN.
Anderson, D.R. (April, 2003-present offered
quarterly). Parenting the Child with FASD: Behavioral
Strategies. Invited speaker by Project SOS, Minnesota
Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Minneapolis, MN.
Kathleen Matuska, M.P.H., O.T.R.
Current Ph.D. student
 After
14 years teaching occupational therapy at the College of St.
Catherine in St. Paul, I decided to return to school as a
student to pursue a Ph.D. in family, youth and community. My
studies help to blend my interests in teaching and research in
higher education with my passion for community based health and
wellness promotion.
My experience as a college professor stimulated my appetite
for more learning. I was lucky enough to have some wonderful
mentors who introduced me to research and publications. I
discovered that I loved research and I enjoyed college
administration. In order to progress further in these interests,
I needed to advance my knowledge and skills through a doctoral
education.
I’m at a stage in life where I find almost everything
enriching about being a student. I don’t think I would have said
that in my undergraduate years because I was too focused on
getting on with my life and career to really appreciate being a
student. Now that those big life decisions and experiences are
settled, it’s really rewarding to enjoy learning for its own
sake. Like everyone else, my life is very busy and I find it
refreshing to take time out to learn something in depth that I
wouldn’t do on my own. Besides, it makes me feel young to be on
the campus! After teaching at a college, I’ve learned to
appreciate higher education as a privilege that should not be
taken for granted.
After I complete my degree, I would like to continue my
position as director of the graduate program in occupational
therapy at the College of St. Catherine but expand my research
and publication experiences. I’m also open to any exciting
opportunity that might knock on my door as time goes on.
Publications:
Matuska, K., Mathiowetz, V., Finlayson, M.
(in press). Use and Effectiveness of Energy Conservation
Strategies for Managing Multiple Sclerosis Fatigue. American
Journal of Occupational Therapy.
Christiansen, C., Matuska, K. (2006).
Lifestyle Balance: a review of concepts and research. Journal
of Occupational Science, 13(1). 49-61.
Finlayson, M., Shevil, E., Mathiowetz, V.,
Matuska, K. (2005). Reflections of occupational therapists
working as members of a research team. Australian
Occupational Therapy Journal, 52, 101-108.
Mathiowetz, V., Finlayson, M. L., Matuska,
K., Chen, H. Y., & Luo, P. (2005). Randomized controlled trial
of an energy conservation course for persons with multiple
sclerosis. Multiple Sclerosis, 11, 592-601.
Bass Haugen, J., Henderson, M.L., Larson,
B., Matuska, K. (2005). Occupational Issues of Concern: Delay,
Deprivation, Disparities, Interruption, and Imbalance. In
Christiansen, C. Baum, C., Bass Haugen, J. (Eds).
Occupational Therapy: Enabling Function and Well-being.
Thorofare, NJ: Slack.
Christiansen, C. Matuska, K. (Eds.) (2004)
Ways of Living: Adaptive Strategies for Special Needs.
AOTA Press.
Matuska, K., Heinz, A, Neighbor, M., Flinn,
N. Bass-Haugen, J. (2003) Outcomes of a Pilot Occupational
Therapy Wellness Program for Older Adults. American Journal of
Occupational Therapy.. 57(2). 220-224.
Mathiowetz, V., Matuska, K., Murphy, M.
(2001) Effectiveness of an Energy Conservation Program for
Fatigue in Multiple Sclerosis. Archives of Physical Medicine and
Rehabilitation. 82. 449-456
Recent presentations:
Erickson, B Matuska, K. (2006). Life Balance
experience of people who have Multiple Sclerosis. Society for
the study of Occupation: USA. Annual conference. St. Louis, MO.
Mathiowetz, V., Matuska, K., Finlayson, M.
(2005) Randomized Controlled trail of an energy conservation
course for persons with multiple sclerosis: one year follow-up.
AOTA conference. Long Beach, CA.
Matuska, K. (2005). Fatigue Management.
Living Successfully with MS conference. Sponsored by the
Minnesota Multiple Sclerosis Society. Bloomington, MN. (May).
Christiansen, C., Matuska, K. (2005).
Development and validation of a model and measure of lifestyle
balance. Poster presentation. Canadian Association of
Occupational Therapy annual conference. VanCouver, BC.
Matuska, K., Christiansen C. (2005)
Development and validation of a model and measure of lifestyle
balance. Poster presentation. International Organization of
Quality of Life Researchers annual conference. San Francisco,
California.
Christiansen, C., Matuska, K (2005)
Lifestyle balance and health promotion. Workshop presented at
the Oregon Association of Occupational Therapists annual
conference. Portland, Oregon.
Matuska, K. (2005) Fatigue, energy
conservation, and fatigue management. Multiple sclerosis: Care
Strategies for Health care, Mental Health and Social Service
providers. Minnesota Chapter of the National MS Society. St.
Paul, MN.
Matuska, K. (2006). Examining satisfaction
with time use in important activities for a balanced life. 19th
Annual Midwest Dean’s Occupational Therapy Research Conference.
St. Paul, MN.
Matuska, K., Christiansen C. (2005)
Development and validation of a model and measure of lifestyle
balance. Poster presentation. 19th Annual Midwest Dean’s
Occupational Therapy Research Conference. St. Paul, MN.
Sheila Moriarty
Current Ph.D. student
 I
am a youth and social worker who has worked with youth in crisis
and homeless youth for the last twenty years. My passion for
working with youth is stronger today than it ever has been.
After years of supervising, program development, and group work
practice, I decided that it was time to add some academic rigor
to my thoughts and experience. As an adjunct, I have taught five
years in the M.S.W. program at Augsburg College in Minneapolis,
and I hope to teach more with this doctoral education as well as
consult and develop leadership opportunities for youth.
My undergraduate degree was in youth studies at the
University of Minnesota in the late 80’s. I really enjoyed the
attention to relationship development with youth. In my work, I
was exposed to some postmodern ideas, which stimulated my
thinking on the idea of truth, privilege, culture, and
expertise. My M.S.W. education added the necessary structures of
frameworks of theories and perspectives.
All of this has left me very interested in assisting youth
with opportunities for self-discovery, leadership, creativity,
challenges, and community service. I respect youth voice, and
believe that twentieth century constructions of adolescence have
denied youth voice a legitimate place in public discourse.
My coursework as a doctoral student is constantly shaping and
adding dimension to these ideas. I have become excited about the
possibilities of uncovering and honoring youth voice through
phenomenological methods of research. I am very interested in
the lived experience of young people, and appreciate qualitative
forms of research that closely explore these perspectives. I
want to know more about the experiences young people, especially
those who are often disenfranchised.
Elizabeth (Elee) Wood
Ph.D., University of Minnesota
 After
spending six years working at the Minnesota Children’s
Museum, I decided to pursue a master’s degree and entered
the youth development leadership program. Graduate studies
opened up new worlds and opportunities for me. Securing a
position at the University’s
Center for 4-H Youth
Development enabled me to continue on with my doctoral
studies in the comprehensive work, community, and family
education program, the precursor to the family, youth and
community program. I earned my Ph.D. in 2005.
I had many truly meaningful interactions with the faculty
in the program. With Dr. Jerry McClelland and
Dr. Jane Plihal as guides, a small study group spent
nearly two years reading and discussing research
methodology. Through these meetings we searched for ways to
create a new model for dissertations. We worked well as a
group and built strong relationships that helped us develop
a sense of our role as researchers and as
colleagues—searching for new ways together.
I have come to discover that it isn’t so much the
particular courses, but the ways in which I was able to
create and shape a program that met a somewhat different way
of thinking about education. I find it immensely valuable
that I was in charge of my curriculum, as well as my
dissertation research. This allowed a person like me, more
of a boundary crosser, and dweller of the ‘in-between,’ to
develop an educational approach that suited my disposition,
my interests, and my abilities. And, I guess for lack of a
better assessment, it got me a unique position that makes
the most of my talents, my dream job.
I am currently in a faculty position in Education at
Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. The
position is a combination of teacher education and
community-based education, museum studies, with an education
and evaluation focus, and acts as a ‘scholar in residence’
at a museum. The goal of the position is to build
relationships between schools and museums, and to infuse the
museum studies program with strong educational foundations
and civic engagement.
Publications:
Stein, J., Wood, E., Walker, J.,
Kimball, L., Outley, C.W., & Baizerman, M. (2005). The youth
development leadership experience: Transformative, reflexive
education for youth work practitioners. Child and Youth
Care Forum 34(4), 303-3255
Wood, E. (2004) How youth development
programs support learning. MN Youth Work Institute Research
Insights series. Regents of the University of Minnesota.
Wood, E., & Moore, D. (2004) An analysis
of the current training and technical assistance programs
available to Minnesota’s out-of-school time providers: A
report to the MN commission on out-of-school time. Minnesota
Commission on Out-of-School Time.
Wood, E. (2002). Making the BEST of
POST, The Center, Center for 4-H Youth Development, Spring
2002.
Wood, E. (2001). Basic youth development
workshops: Building relationships. Regents of the University
of Minnesota.
Wood, E. (2001). Basic youth development
workshops: Quality programming. Regents of the University of
Minnesota.
Wood, E. & Walker, J. (2001). Youth work
matters. [On-line training] Regents of the University of
Minnesota. http://www.youthworkmatters.org.
Wood, E., Walker, J., Stein, J.,
Wurster, P. (2000). Promoting youth development: A community
approach. Regents of the University of Minnesota.
Bob Brenneman
Ph.D., University of Minnesota
 After
teaching at North Central University in downtown Minneapolis
in the intercultural studies and languages department, I
decided it was time to pursue a Ph.D. When deciding which
program to enter, I determined it was most important to find
a mentor that would guide me in my studies. Dr. Jane Plihal
has become the highlight of my experience at the University
of Minnesota. She always went the second mile to see me
succeed.
My background had been more in anthropology. Prior to
entering the program, I had not read much philosophy or
texts related to education. After living in the Middle East
for many years, my passion has been Middle Eastern studies,
specifically the dilemmas facing the Kurdish people. The
family, youth, and community program really expanded the
depth and breadth of my knowledge base of education, thereby
enriching my understanding of the Kurds. It has also opened
up other research interests in international and informal
education.
Equally as important to my development as a scholar have
been the research courses. Dr. Jerry McClelland’s research
foundations course stretched my understanding of the
qualitative research paradigm. A class on ethnography helped
to formulate my research question for my dissertation
research and shaped my path for future research.
Sample dissertations
Knutson, Asha (2007) Mothers' experience
of pulling their children out of school in order to homeschool.
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN.
Barker, J.M. (2005). Adolescent
reflections on a sexuality education course. Unpublished
doctoral thesis. University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN.
Englund, L. (2005). A living education:
An approach for the 21st century. Unpublished doctoral
thesis. University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN.
Rodrigues, L.A. (2003). Developing
critical multicultural practice: An action approach.
Unpublished doctoral thesis. University of Minnesota,
Minneapolis, MN.
Michener, M.E. (2002). The experience of
becoming a mother of a son with heart disease. Unpublished
doctoral thesis. University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN.
Nash, S.K.S. (2001). Hermeneutic
phenomenological study of the lifeworld of stay-at-home mothers.
Unpublished doctoral thesis. University of Minnesota,
Minneapolis, MN.
January 2007 |
