Kelly Wilson Schaefers has just completed her 1st year in the Master’s program in Human Development and Family Studies. She is the recipient of a highly competitive National Alumni Association Graduate Fellowship.
Kelly’s initial major at UA was Metallurgical Engineering. As an undergraduate she discovered Human Development and decided to make the switch. Kelly has been quoted as saying that “humans are much more interesting to figure out than metals, although the methodology is somewhat similar”!
Kelly recently successfully proposed her thesis and is awaiting IRB approval to start her data collection. Her thesis is focused on studying how mothers’ ability to regulate their emotions impacts preschool age children’s emotion regulation. Kelly expects to test about 100 mother-child pairs for her thesis. The children will participate in a puppet task that Kelly has developed. This is a novel methodology used to ask very young children about their feelings that doesn’t involve a paper and pencil test.
Kelly has tremendous potential to become a family researcher and plans to pursue a Ph.D. after she completes her Master’s degree. Kelly will contribute to this high demand field that will supply the resources necessary to help families succeed.
The University of Alabama, part of The University of Alabama System, is the state’s flagship university. UA shapes a better world through its teaching, research and service. With a global reputation for excellence, UA provides an inclusive, forward-thinking environment and nearly 200 degree programs on a beautiful, student-centered campus. A leader in cutting-edge research, UA advances discovery, creative inquiry and knowledge through more than 30 research centers. As the state’s largest higher education institution, UA drives economic growth in Alabama and beyond.