News

Hmong Research Team's "Hmong Parent Day" a Success

The UW-Madison's Hmong Research Team hosted a first ever Hmong Parent Day on Saturday, April 9. Parents of UW-Madison Hmong students were invited to tour campus and participate in activities – all presented in the Hmong language – intended to help them feel more comfortable with their children's other home on campus and allow them to feel more comfortable and connected with the University.

The Hmong Research Team, composed of graduate and undergraduate students under the direction of Counseling Psychology Professor Alberta M. Gloria, examined the experience of Hmong undergraduates. The team's in-depth examination of how the learning and social environment affects the whole student was among the first qualitative studies on the experiences of Hmong undergraduates.

"This was a wonderful event and is the prototype of the activities we need in order to increase the population of minorities on campus and to increase the likelihood that they will persist and graduate," said Counseling Psychology Chair Bruce Wampold.

The parents were particularly touched by being invited to an activity that involved them and made them proud of their children, Wampold said.

The Team received donations from several campus partners including Parents Program, First-Year Student Experience, Letters and Sciences Career Services, College of Law and the Wisconsin Alumni Association, to create an educational "ntim su" (literally translated as "to pack lunch") for the parents.

Providing a communal gift such as a ntim su is a salient cultural process within the Hmong community. The team put together the gift as a symbol of gratitude, value and appreciation of the parents' attendance and their efforts in supporting their students' higher education goals, Gloria said.

In a closing activity, Pa Her, the lead student of the team, performed a kwv txhiaj, or sung story poem, in which she thanked the parents for their support of their children's educational process and praised them for their strength and guidance.

Gloria was proud of the students who worked diligently to coordinate the event.

"The team's efforts are the translation of research to action and commitment to social justice and strength-based advancement of the Hmong community," she said.

Read a preview story about Hmong Parent Day at www.news.wisc.edu

Read more about the Hmong Research Team at learningconnections.education.wisc.edu

APA President Taps Quintana to Lead Presidential Task Force

Professor Stephen Quintana will lead a presidential task force of distinguished scholars who will examine the psychological aspects of educational disparities. American Psychological Association (APA) President Melba Vasquez recently appointed Quintana as chair of the six-member Presidential Task Force on Educational Disparities.

According to the APA, the task force is tasked with addressing questions such as: What does psychology have to say and offer about addressing the impact of educational disparities, especially on poor and racial/ethnic minority students? What are the sources of the educational gaps?

"We will examine what psychological theory and research has to say to inform policy and practice in schools to reduce the achievement and discipline gap across ethnic and racial groups," Quintana said. "In addition to policy and professional practice, I hope we can identify strategies that parents can use to play their part in reducing these gaps in education."

Quintana's interest in child development focuses on strategies that children of color need to use to navigate their way through the educational system, he said. 

"They face a 'triple quandary' in that they receive socializing message from their culture of origin, dominant cultures, but also stigmatizing messages about their ethnic, racial and cultural origins," he said. "Understanding the resilience and resources that young children employ to navigate complex sociocultural environments starting at a very early age and throughout their lives."

The biggest challenge facing the group is that racial and ethnic disparities are caused by a plethora of factors that make it difficult to identify psychological processes that reflect larger sociocultural factors," Quintana said.

For more information on the task force, please visit www.apa.org/about/governance/president/index.aspx.

Valdez Receives Morgridge Public Service Grant

Asst. Professor Carmen Valdez has received a Morgridge Center for Public Service grant for her intervention work with Latino families.

Her project, Family-focused Intervention for Latino Families Affected by Parental Depression: A Community Collaboration, explores the feasibility of carrying out a community-based, family-focused intervention program for Latino parents suffering from depression. More than 15 students on her research team will participate in service-learning activities.

Valdez is one of a handful of UW-Madison scholars who received 11 matching grants totaling $334,739 to support service learning, community-based research or civic engagement work in the areas of education, environment and health.

"We are extremely fortunate to have such talented and passionate teams of faculty, staff and students who are working together with community partners to address emerging public needs," Nancy Mathews, director of the Morgridge Center, said in a prepared statement. "Their work makes a difference in the lives of people every day, both locally and abroad, and truly represents the spirit of the Wisconsin Idea. We are pleased to support them through the Morgridge Match Program in an effort to advance the university's service mission and strengthen the role that the Morgridge Center plays in preparing students to become civicly engaged citizens and leaders of the future."

The Morgridge Match Grant Program matches 50 percent of grants and gifts awarded to UW-Madison campus individuals or entities and community-campus partnerships for new projects that align with the Morgridge Center's mission and goals.

Faculty members are encouraged to explore ways to initiate or expand community-based research questions, service-learning or community service. Projects may focus on local, regional or international issues.

For more information on the program and how to apply, visit www.morgridge.wisc.edu and click on Faculty/Staff.

Dr. Alberta M. Gloria Receives the 2010 Doris Slesinger Award for Excellence in Mentoring

Dr. Alberta M. Gloria was selected as the recipient of the Doris Slesinger Award for Excellence in Mentoring for 2010-2011. The Sleisinger Award at UW was created to "celebrate the often hidden work of individuals who help women faculty achieve their goals and reach their highest potential". The award was named for and presented to Doris Slesinger, Professor Emerita of Rural Sociology, in 1998.

Dr. Gloria was nominated for her passionate dedication to mentoring junior faculty in a joint nomination from Drs. Kimberly Howard, Mindi Thompson, Carmen Valdez, and Bruce Wampold.  Included in the photo are Professors Kimberly Howard, Bruce Wampold, Alberta M. Gloria, Carmen Valdez, Mindy Thompson and Professor Emerita Wolleat.

Dr. Bruce Wampold Receives the Hilldale Award

Dr. Bruce Wampold has been selected to receive the Hilldale Award by the Division of Social Studies for 2009-10.  The Hilldale Award is the university's highest honor for faculty members and emphasizes recognition of excellence in research, teaching, and service. Read more about Bruce's outstanding contributions to the university and to the field here.

Counseling Psychology Mourns Loss of Professor Emeritus Jim Lee

Jim Lee, one of our emeritus faculty, recently passed away.  Jim was warm and welcoming to new members of the department and assisted others on their professional development. He brought a unique perspective to the department - integrating Eastern practices into counseling, and contributed to the development of many, many students. A memorial service will be held on October 3rd from 1-3pm in the community room at Attic Angels, 8301 Old Sauk Road, Middleton, Wisc. The front desk receptionist can direct visitors to the room.

Enrollment for Academic Enhancement Seminars

The Department of Counseling Psychology would like to announce that open seats remain for our Academic Enhancement Seminars. Information about the seminars can be found on the AES website. Interested students should contact Pahoua Thao at aes@education.wisc.edu with questions or for additional information on how to enroll.

2009 Diversity and Social Justice Showcase

About 70 current students, faculty, alumni and prospective students attended the Department’s 8th Annual Diversity and Social Justice Research and Practice Showcase on March 6, 2009.

The Showcase highlighted student, faculty, and alumni research and practice related to social justice and diversity. The event also provided an opportunity for prospective doctoral and masters students to meet and interact with faculty and current students in order to learn about the Department.

The Diversity and Social Justice Committee organized the Showcase, “Counseling psychologists as change agents: Implications for research, theory, and practice,” with the counseling psychologists work to effect change at individual and societal levels.

Several students presented their work throughout the afternoon including topics on gender roles and cultural gender stereotypes, feelings of belongingness within lesbian communities, transgender identity development, persistence of diverse racial/ethnic groups in higher education, and therapist cultural competence.

Current students shared their perspectives on the ways that the Department’s Counseling Psychology Training Center serves the Madison community and alumni described how their career involvement reflected the advocacy and promotion of social justice and the reduction of oppression.

Armando Hernandez provided this year’s keynote address, “Integrating social justice into the practice of counseling psychology.”

Dr. Hernandez both incorporated the topics presented throughout the day in a creative synthesis, and engaged attendees in a dialogue about how to integrate social justice into their clinical practice.

He challenged attendees to consider useful individual, group, and organizational change strategies to work effectively across the multiple systems influencing clients’ lives.

The Showcase illustrated the department’s continued commitment to social justice initiatives in counseling psychology training and practice. Attendees concluded the day with a social mixer and dinner.

For more information on the Showcase, please visit the Diversity and Social Justice Programming page.

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