Faculty

My research is motivated by my experiences as an elementary school teacher in an economically disadvantaged community. My students and their families inspired me to conduct research focused on informing the development of interventions and policies to support positive child development in marginalized low-income communities. In particular, I was struck by the resilient outcomes of some students who thrived despite the odds, and by the extensive involvement of multiple family members in the lives of young children.

My research examines the progression of complex age-related health conditions and seeks to identify risk and protective factors contributing to health disparities in aging populations. Currently my work focuses on population trends in multimorbidity and much of my research has examined the interrelation between cognitive decline, progressive physical disablement, and multimorbidity. Previously I have sought to identify potentially modifiable points of intervention in the progression of chronic disease, specifically examining food insecurity and dietary intake.

At the end of my sophomore year at Brigham Young University, I was faced with an important decision. My academic "Plan A" was to get into BYU's highly competetive animation program. But with about a 10% acceptance rate, I knew I needed a Plan B. So I enrolled in a family studies course for the following Fall semester to see if that might spark an interest and lead to something. I ended up falling in love with the subject matter and dedicated myself to studying families and relationships.

I am not accepting any new doctoral students for Fall 2025 or for Fall 2026. 

My last name sounds like Kur-in. 

I use the pronouns of she, her, and hers. (Learn more about pronouns here: https://www.mypronouns.org/). 

I am currently accepting new graduate students.

Part of my responsibilities at the Norton School are as an educator. The synergy between students and the material I'm teaching in the Leadership, Ethics and Management Practices class is especially transformational and truly rewarding.

In addition to teaching, I am the coordinator for the outstanding RCSC internship program. This program allows me to maintain my interaction with retailers, keep current with retail trends and assist students with their career choices.

Working as a faculty member at the Norton School, I am responsible for providing a first-class learning experience for my undergraduate as well as my graduate students. When I came to Arizona from my home country, Germany, in 2008, I encountered vast differences in the educational systems that translate into differing expectations, achievements and desires of students, faculty and society. Living and working here, as well as profiting from UA’s constructive environment, is a great learning experience for me.

I am, first and foremost, an educator at heart.  I grew up in a family where education was the principle topic of conversation, and in fact, my first job was as a ski instructor to 3- and 4-year-olds.

Hello!

I am originally from Western NY, and the fantastic opportunity to teach in the Fashion Industry’s Science & Technology program through the Norton School of Human Ecology at the University of Arizona brought me to Tucson in 2022. Before joining the University of Arizona, I was a designer at Fisher-Price/Mattel and taught at several institutions, including SUNY Buffalo State University.

Kathleen’s career in marketing, strategy, and consumer research successfully spans both the academic and business worlds. Kathleen is currently an Associate Professor of Practice in the Retailing and Consumer Science program at the University of Arizona and teaches retail and marketing strategy, innovation and entrepreneurship, digital retailing, and sustainable consumption courses.

I graduated with an undergraduate degree in family studies and human development. I also earned a master's degree in marriage and family therapy. I am a licensed associate marriage and family therapist (state of Arizona). I completed my doctoral degree in marriage and family therapy in 2016. I also hold the Certified Family Life Educator credential offered by NCFR, and love teaching about family science and mental health in the classroom. 

Explore the Financial Decisions and Well-Being (FINDWELL) Lab led by Dr. Thomas Korankye at https://sites.arizona.edu/thomas-korankye/

Decision-making can be complex, especially when competing values must be weighed. My early career experience working in the natural foods industry taught me that food decision-making is often fraught. Health, convenience, value($) and cultural/emotional attachments can lead to uncertainty around what values are most important in any given eating/consumption experience. Often, the “best” decision in one realm can be the very worst in another (for instance, the healthiest options may cost the most or take the longest to prepare).

Having taught fashion merchandising, business, and women's studies-related content in higher education for 25 years, I am thrilled to continue my career with the amazing FITS team at the University of Arizona!  I have taught at the University of Missouri, Pittsburg State University (Pittsburg, KS), and most recently Fontbonne University in St. Louis where I chaired both the Fashion Merchandising and Business Administration departments.  I have extensive experience in course development, with special interests in social responsibility, dress and culture, and consumer behavior.

Jeannette Maré (pronounced Mar-ay) is the Director of the Science of Kindness Community Collective at the University of Arizona. Her path to becoming a community-engaged kindness researcher was a long and winding one. Jeannette’s world changed drastically after the sudden death of her son in 2002. In the incredible grief of losing Ben, learning and sharing about the lifesaving, world-changing power of kindness became her sole focus.

I am a Tucsonan (Sunnyside High School graduate) and a first-generation college student. I benefited tremendously from the investment of faculty and staff during my time as a student, at all levels, at the University of Arizona. Now that I am in a faculty role, I seek to provide the same level of investment to the students I support. In addition to teaching at the University of Arizona, I have also taught at the Pennsylvania State University and the University of Wisconsin – Green Bay.

I knew I wanted to teach college classes and support undergraduate student learning when I was an undergraduate myself. I was fortunate to have experiences with working with first year seminar courses and being a TA for a psych stats class, both are areas where students are often struggling. I loved seeing the growth in the students throughout the semester.

As a first-generation college student, I am proud to say that I graduated with a Master’s degree in Educational Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  I have always had an interest in how people learn (Educational Psychology) and how various contexts (family, peers, neighborhoods, schools, culture) influence and shape development (HDFS). I worked as an Assistant Professor at Cleveland State University teaching Educational Psychology in the Department of Education.

Professional Statement: 

Humanity has a complex relationship with money.  It affects every part of our lives, whether we think it should or not.  This powerful, complex, and often misunderstood relationship is what makes personal finance so interesting to study for me.

Dr. Norma Perez-Brena is an Associate Professor of Family Studies and Human Development in the Norton School of Ecology at the University of Arizona. She holds a B.A. in Psychology and M.A. in Developmental Psychology from San Francisco State University, and a Ph.D in Family and Human Development from Arizona State University. She is a first-generation immigrant from Mexico. She is passionate about mentoring students and empowering communities in support of promoting equity, inclusion, and justice.

Beginning June 1, 2019, Dr. Laura V. Scaramella has been Director of the Norton School of Family and Consumer Sciences.  An alumna of Tucson’s Salpointe Catholic High School and our own College of Agriculture, Life and Environmental Sciences, Laura has a background in family studies and child development as well as in psychology.  She served as a post-doctoral fellow at both Vanderbilt University and Iowa State University, and in 1998 she was appointed as an associate research scientist for Iowa State’s Center for Family Research and Rural Mental Health.

I will be accepting new graduate students for the 2024-2025 academic year. 

I was born and raised in "big sky country" - the great state of Montana. I spent the first few years of my life on the border of Glacier National Park in Browning, Montana, where my parents were schoolteachers. Eventually, we moved to Livingston, Montana where I spent most of my young adult life along the Yellowstone river, just north of Yellowstone Park. One thing I'll never be able to do is complain about where I had the pleasure of growing up.

In August 2016, I earned my Ph.D. in Consumer Sciences with a focus on Family Resource Management from The Ohio State University and left Columbus, OH to start my academic career as an Assistant Professor of Financial Planning. My research interests include financial education, socialization, and well-being of historically marginalized families and individuals.