Council Member Close-up

Heidi Stolz, Assistant Professor
University of Tennessee

Work and education related to parenting education:

I earned my Ph.D. in Marriage, Family & Human Development at Brigham Young University. Currently at the University of Tennessee I teach undergraduate and graduate parenting and family interaction courses, emphasizing the application of research and skills to students' current and future families. I conduct basic research related to mother-father differential effects on youth outcomes, and I conduct applied research on parenting education, typically in the form of program evaluations. I also co-direct the Center for Parenting (center4parenting.org) which provides resources and networking opportunities to parenting educators and family professionals in Tennessee.

Key Issues of Interest in Parenting Education:

Identification of and access to evidence-based curricula.
Creation of affordable, high-quality program evaluation services and materials.
Improved flow of research results to practitioners.

Selected Publications:

Stolz, H. E., Vargas, L., Clifford, L. M., Gaedt, H. A., & Garcia, C. F. (2010). Evaluating Parent Project: A multi-site inquiry. Family Science Review, 15(1), xx-xx.
Stolz, H. E., Brandon, D. J., & Wallace, H. S. (2009). The practices, populations, and programs of parent educators in Tennessee. Family Science Review, 14(2), 31-45.
Stolz, H. E. (2009). I want to be a better parent: Examining an applied approach to an undergraduate parent-child course. Family Science Review, 14(1), 81-92.
Stolz, H. E., Barber, B. K., & Olsen, J. A. (2005). Toward disentangling mothering and fathering: An assessment of relative importance. Journal of Marriage and Family, 67, 1076-1092.
Barber, B. K., Stolz, H. E., & Olsen, J. A. (2005). Parental support, psychological control, and behavioral control: Assessing relevance across time, culture, and method. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 70(4).

Presentations:

I present research annually at the National Council on Family Relations. Additionally, I typically provide multiple local and/or regional research updates for professionals each year.

Activities:

I co-direct the Center for Parenting at the University of Tennessee, where we collaborate with family service organizations to offer affordable parenting education program evaluations. We also offer an online Tennessee Parent Educator directory, an online class calendar for parenting classes in TN, and a tip sheet database.

Updated: April 2010

Return to the Council List main page.