September 2019 Newsletter

Spotlight: Lindsey Bullinger, Cohort Six Fellow

Lindsey Bullinger, Cohort Six fellow, is an Assistant Professor of Public Policy and a faculty affiliate in the Health Economics and Analytics Lab (HEAL) at Georgia Tech. Her research examines the effects of public policies on children and families’ health and well-being, with a particular focus on low-income families.

Lindsey recently published an award-winning article suggesting that research on neglect prevention shift away from individual and family-level factors and focus more on macro-level factors. Three other Doris Duke fellows were co-authors: Megan Feely, Cohort Three; Kerri Raissian, Cohort One; and William Schneider, Cohort Two. In light of this research, her current work studies the effects of intergenerational mobility, opioid supply-reduction policies, neighborhood housing insecurity, food security policy, and employment policies on child well-being. Many of these projects are with other Doris Duke fellows, highlighting how the Fellowship has shaped Lindsey’s research focus and connected her with many wonderful collaborators.

Of the Fellowship, Lindsey says, “The Doris Duke Fellowship exposed me to such different ways of thinking about how to prevent child maltreatment and promote child well-being. The truly interdisciplinary nature of the fellowship and the vast network of fellows and alumni are so valuable to advancing research in the name of children. Because of the Fellowship, I learned new disciplinary languages, theories, and frameworks for how to study complex problems. It exposed the challenges – and importance – of connecting research to practice and how to ask better, more policy-relevant questions. And it demonstrated how filling a room with careful and diligent researchers can generate a movement to improve the lives of children. Thank you to all fellows, alumni, staff, and affiliates for doing what you do to make this Fellowship and its vast impacts a success."

Doris Duke Fellowships Annual Meeting at PCAA National Conference

From Left to Right: Three Doris Duke Fellows: Barbara Chaiyachati, Cohort Three fellow; Ericka M. Lewis, Cohort Five fellow; and Megan Feely, Cohort Three fellow connected at the R25 Summer Training Institute.

The Doris Duke Fellowships Annual Meeting was held in partnership with Prevent Child Abuse America’s National Conference in Milwaukee, WI this past month. Fifteen Cohort Eight fellows met for a full day prior to the start of the PCAA conference to give updates on their research efforts, meet with their small groups, and attend workshops.

Marrianne McMullen, Director of Communication and Dissemination at Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago presented on using communication to make research actionable. Graduated fellows also joined with Cohort Eight fellows to have a discussion about sustainability efforts with members of the Leadership Committee.

Fellows then attended PCAA conference presentations to hear from experts across the field of child well-being.

Intersection of Policy, Practice, and Research Workshop: Doris Duke Fellowships, PCAA, and NCSL

Reflection by Lisa Schelbe, Cohort One fellow

During the first full day of the Prevent Child Abuse America’s National Conference, 26 Doris Duke Fellows participated in a workshop designed to bring emerging scholars and researchers, state-wide prevention leaders, and state legislators together to examine ways to improve the use of research in policy and practice. The session was organized by Prevent Child Abuse America, the Doris Duke Fellowship for the Promotion of Child Well-being, and the National Conference of State Legislators with sponsorship by the Florida State University College of Social Work.

The session began with comments about the need for connections between policymakers, researchers, and practitioners to work together to improve child well-being. Donna Wilson from NCSL then facilitated a conversation with three state legislators to learn how they use evidence and form collaborations to improve child welfare in their states. Legislators were Representative Joan Ballweg from Wisconsin, Representative K.L. Brown from Alabama, and Representative Tana Senn from Washington.

Following the panel, workshop participants were organized into geographically-based groups to discuss opportunities and barriers to designing and utilizing research. Within the groups, participants explored variations across states and regions in organizational and government structures, decision-making processes, and support for research.

At the conclusion of the lively group discussions, Doris Duke Fellows reported key points raised. There were consistent themes across regions, including the desire for meaningful collaborations, the benefits of working together, the challenges with accessing data and communicating across sectors. Building trust across advocates, researchers, and policymakers was a theme for all regions. At the conclusion of the session, it was clear that relationships were being formed as participants exchanged contact information and made plans for future conversations.

Special thanks to Bart Klika and Lisa Schelbe, Cohort One fellows, for their tireless work in organizing the session.

Fellows Updates:

Katherine Paschall, Cohort Four fellow, was recently featured by Child Trends as an expertise in child care by highlighting that nearly 30% of infants and toddlers primarily attend home-based child care and her work using Census data showing a decline in child poverty among children ages birth to five despite a persistence in disparities.

Christina Padilla, Cohort Seven fellow, started a new position as an SRCD State Postdoctoral Fellow in the District of Columbia Office of the State Superintendent of Education’s Division of Early Learning.

Yonah Drazen, Cohort Seven fellow, started a new position as a Researcher at the Institute on Poverty at UW-Madison.

Upcoming Dates:

Doris Duke Fellowships Mid-Year-Meeting at The University of Maryland, School of Social Work: April 22 - April 24, 2020: Baltimore, MD