Family and Consumer Sciences Education faculty recognized for engaged scholarship efforts to drive change in correctional facilities and education
Assistant Professor Kyle Roberson and Assistant Professor Cynthia “Cindy” Miller, faculty members in the Family and Consumer Sciences Education department in the College of Human Sciences, were both recognized for their exceptional contributions to engaged scholarship at the Engaged Scholarship Symposium during Texas Tech’s Discoveries to Impact Month and at the Faculty Honors Convocation.
Roberson received the 2024 President’s Emerging Engaged Scholarship Award and Miller received the 2024 President’s Excellence in Engaged Research Award.
Roberson’s project, “Using Literacy to Increase Levels of Empathy Correctional Workers Feel Toward Prisoners and Their Families,” aims to address the societal issue of low levels of empathy among correctional workers towards incarcerated individuals and their families. The project involves engaged scholarship, providing empathy training for correctional workers, and implementing a family literacy program within federal prisons.
The literacy program is designed to help incarcerated parents maintain connections with their children by recording and sending home stories, fostering parent-child bonding. The family literacy program aims to improve parent-child connectedness for incarcerated parents and their children, positively impacting emotional and behavioral development.
Miller’s project, “Examining the Quality of Work-Based Learning Experiences,” explores the dynamics and outcomes of Work-
Based Learning (WBL) initiatives within secondary Family and Consumer Sciences Education
(FCSE), emphasizing the collaborative partnership between a university’s FCSE program
and several school districts.
It sought to understand how such collaborations can enhance educational quality, align
learning with real-world applications, and prepare students more effectively for their
future careers. The project engaged secondary FCS teachers, students, administrators,
and industry partners across multiple school districts. This comprehensive engagement
provided a deep understanding of the benefits, challenges, and best practices of WBL
in the context of FCSE.
Ann Mastergeorge, senior director for engaged scholarship, highlighted the significance of these recognitions.
“These engaged scholar awards are prestigious awards that are submitted to the Provost
Office of Outreach and Engagement and reviewed by engaged scholars on the TTU campus,”
Mastergeorge said. “These awards recognize the scholar’s commitment to engagement
with community partners and the positive impact their work has on communities and
the university.”
Both Roberson and Miller have exemplified their commitment to working closely with
community partners to impact societal change and promote positive outcomes and wellbeing
for individuals.