Listen as Dr. Shelley MacDermid Wadsworth discusses the importance of conducting research of military and veteran families to improve their overall well-being. She discusses the Military Family Research Institute’s Operation Military Experience, a nationwide study that looks at the experiences of families who have faced a parental deployment.

This podcast is made possible by generous funding from the USAA Foundation.

Audio mixing by Concentus Media, Inc., Temple, Texas.

The Military Family Research Institute

https://www.mfri.purdue.edu/

Operation Military Experience

https://opme.mfri.purdue.edu/

Dr. Shelley MacDermid Wadsworth is a Distinguished Professor of Human Development and Family Science at Purdue University, where she directs the Military Family Research Institute, which she co-founded, and serves as Director Emerita of the Center for Families. Dr. MacDermid Wadsworth holds an M.B.A. in Management and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Human Development and Family Studies from The Pennsylvania State University.

Her primary research interest is the relationship between work conditions and family life, with special focus on military families. She is an author of over 140 articles and chapters. Her research has been supported by the National Institutes of Health; the Departments of Defense, Veterans Affairs, and Agriculture; state governments; and numerous private philanthropies.

Dr. MacDermid Wadsworth is a recipient of the Work Life Legacy Award from the Families and Work Institute and a fellow of the National Council on Family Relations, from which she also received the Felix Berardo Scholarship Award for Mentoring (2018) and the Burgess Award for continuous and meritorious contributions to theory and research in the family field (2022). She has served on federal advisory committees for the National Academies of Science and the Department of Defense and has testified in Congress on multiple occasions regarding military and veteran families.

In 2016, Purdue University received the Kellogg Award from the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities and the Higher Education Civic Engagement Award from the Washington Center in recognition of the work of the Military Family Research Institute. Dr. MacDermid Wadsworth is a recipient of the Morrill Award, Purdue University’s highest faculty honor, for outstanding career achievements that have had an impact on society and has been named a “Top Ten Extraordinary Contributor” among work-family researchers worldwide.

Partners in PROMISE is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to protect the rights of military children in special education and disability communities to ensure they receive equal access to education. Listen as Dr. Jenna Kremkow and Carla Wyrsch discuss how the PROMISE advocates for military children with special and exceptional needs.

This podcast is made possible by generous funding from the Tinker Spouses Club. To learn more, visit https://www.tinkerspouses.org/.

Audio mixing by Concentus Media, Inc., Temple, Texas.

Partners in PROMISE

https://thepromiseact.org/

Partners in PROMISE Special Education & EFMP Binder

https://thepromiseact.org/binder/

Educator Report

https://thepromiseact.org/educators-report-partners-in-promise-2022-research-findings/

Jenna Kremkow is an associate professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Elmhurst University. She completed her MS and PhD at The Pennsylvania State University with an emphasis in autism, augmentative and alternative communication, child language disorders, and stakeholder training and perspectives. Clinically, Jenna has worked as a speech-language pathologist in elementary schools, outpatient clinics, and early intervention settings.

Jenna teaches courses in augmentative and alternative communication, autism, language disorders in children, and research methods. One of her research areas focuses on the experiences of military families with children with autism and the use of technology to improve communication outcomes and quality of life for children with autism and their families. Her goal is to use research to support data-driven recommendations and policy changes to improve special education services for military families.

Carla Wyrsch is the spouse of a retired United States Marine and mother of two. She has devoted her career to educating and advocating for children with disABILITIES. Her experience spans a variety of settings, including residential treatment facilities, military bases, public schools, and the Lerner School for Autism at the Cleveland Clinic. Currently, she is a School Operations Director with MIYO Health. In addition to her work with MIYO Health, Carla enjoys volunteering with Best Buddies of Greater Memphis, the Organization for Autism Research, and Partners in PROMISE as a content creator and advisory board member.

Dr. Kimberly Dickman discusses an epidemic of loneliness across the United States and the impact that it's having on mental health. She also shares the importance of developing meaningful connections, and how those connections influence our overall well-being.

This podcast is made possible by generous funding from the USAA Foundation.

Audio mixing by Concentus Media, Inc., Temple, Texas.

Dickman, K. (2024, July). Loneliness: The New Global Pandemic. On the Move. Summer 2024

https://militarychild.org/news-and-publications/

PERMA Theory of Well-Being

https://ppc.sas.upenn.edu/learn-more/perma-theory-well-being-and-perma-workshops

Barbara Fredrickson: How Love and Connection Exist in Micro-Moments

https://psychology.unc.edu/2021/11/30/barbara-fredrickson-explains-how-shared-positive-emotions-make-us-happier-healthier-and-more-connected/

Dr. Kimberly S. Dickman serves as an assistant professor at the U.S. Air Force Academy Center for Character and Leadership Development (CCLD), where she leads the Healthy Relationship Education and Emotional Intelligence branch of the Development Division in the Center. CCLD’s mission is to advance the understanding, scholarship, practice, and integration of character and leadership development, resulting in cadets and permanent party prepared for service to the nation.

Dr. Dickman is a licensed clinical professional counselor and certified educator. She began her work in education for the Department of Defense in 1991. During her 20+ years of civilian service she has performed at the Wing and Headquarters Air Force level before coming to USAFA. Of note is her work in the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response program where she focused on education, analysis, and prevention science. Her extensive experience allows her to serve at USAFA as faculty and lead in topics such as healthy relationships, emotional intelligence, positive psychology, prevention science, human sexuality, and leadership development. She teaches Human Sex, Reproduction, and Sexuality in the Biology Department and Applied Positive Psychology in the Behavioral Science and Leadership Department.

Dr. Dickman is widely recognized and is frequently requested to present across the DoD and on a national scale.