June 15 is Father’s Day. Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin are available to discuss issues ranging from father/daughter relationships to the psychological health of stay-at-home dads. The following experts are available to discuss their research on family relationships.
Father/Daughter Relationships
Mark Regnerus
Associate Professor, Department of Sociology
512-232-6307
regnerus@prc.utexas.edu
Regnerus studies religious influences on adolescent sexual behavior and parent/child communication about sex, religion and family well-being. His research has found that girls who have good relationships with their fathers tend to wait longer to have their first sexual experience.
Stay-at-Home Fathers
Aaron Rochlen
Associate Professor, Department of Educational Psychology
512-471-0361
aaron.rochlen@mail.utexas.edu
Rochlen studies the mental health, adjustment and barriers for men in non-traditional work roles. He led a national survey in which he examined the stay-at-home dads’ psychological well-being and relationship satisfaction. To learn more, read the feature “Honey, I’m Home.”
How Fathers Affect Family Activities
Chandra Bhat
Professor, Department of Civil Engineering
512-471-4535
bhat@mail.utexas.edu
Whether a child has an older father or lives with a single father are among important factors affecting how children spend weekend time, according to Bhat’s research. Bhat led a national study that explored how a father’s age influences children’s weekend activity and travel choices.
Death of a Parent
Debra Umberson
Professor, Department of Sociology
512-232-6330
umberson@prc.utexas.edu
The death of the parent has a much more profound and far-reaching impact on adult children than most people believe, according to Umberson’s research. She is the author of “Death of a Parent: Transition to a New Adult Identity,” which explores the social and psychological factors that determine how the loss of a parent affects adult children.
Children and the Myth of a Good Divorce
Norval Glenn
Professor, Department of Sociology
512-232-6320
ndglenn@mail.la.utexas.edu
Glenn specializes in family sociology, social change, aging and the life cycle. He led a national study that reveals amicable divorces take a toll on children’s overall well-being, as well as their own future marital success. To learn more, read the feature “The Divorce Dilemma.”
How Cohabitation Affects Family Stability
Kelly Raley
Associate Professor, Department of Sociology
512-232-6333
kelly.raley@mail.utexas.edu
Raley studies trends in marriage, cohabitation and sexual relationships. She has examined the increase in cohabitation unions and how it affects fertility and children’s family instability.
Family Communication and Well-Being
René Dailey
Assistant Professor, Department of Communication Studies
512-471-4867
rdailey@mail.utexas.edu
Dailey examines interpersonal and family communication. She studies how family communication affects child and adolescent development. Her research focuses on the relationship between parental confirmation and adolescents’ emotional development and communication patterns.
