Associate Professor of Developmental Studies and Extension Specialist
(PhD, Purdue University)

Certified Family Life Educator

Parenting education, parenthood, family life education, the cultural context of children and families, peace education and the impact of war and peace on children and families.

Contact Information

Fowler House, Room 219
Purdue University
1200 W. State Street
West Lafayette, Indiana 47907-2055

Phone: (765) 494-2959
Fax: (765) 494-0503

E-mail: jmyerswa@purdue.edu

Biography
Recent Publications
Education
Courses Recently Taught
Honors
External Grants
Professional Service

Biography

I came from a background in psychology and special education to get Master’s and doctoral degrees from CDFS. I then joined the department as a full-time faculty member with the title of Extension Specialist, translating research for the general public and for family professionals (http://www.ces.purdue.edu/cfs/topics/HD/index.html). I devoted significant effort to curriculum development, delivery, and evaluation and to mass media educational efforts. Beginning in 2003, my assignment changed to also include classroom teaching. Altogether, I have been a member of the CDFS community for more than 30 years.

Consistent with my assignment to Cooperative Extension, my research has concentrated on applied topics. In the earlier years, my research dealt with adolescent parenting and methods of delivering educational materials to parents in different situations. Recently, my research has concentrated primarily on how parents and children talk about difficult topics, especially disasters and war and peace (http://www.ces.purdue.edu/purplewagon/). I also have spent a significant amount of effort on examining the cultural context of child development and parenting.

I continue with a half-time assignment to the Cooperative Extension Service, building on web-based outreach efforts, including reaching parents through child care providers (http://www.ces.purdue.edu/providerparent/). I also assist county offices with their program evaluation efforts and provide training opportunities that prepare professionals to deliver curricula I have developed.

One of the exciting opportunities to explore the cultural context of families over the past couple of years is Study Abroad. In the summers of 2006 and 2007 I have co-led summer trips to India. Another trip is planned in 2008 (https://www.studyabroad.purdue.edu/programs/flyer.cfm?flyer=593). The experience is open to both undergraduate and graduate students.

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Recent Publications

Refereed Journal Articles
Walker, K., Myers-Bowman, K.S., & Myers-Walls, J.A. (In Press). Supporting young children’s efforts toward peacemaking: Recommendations for early childhood educators. Early Childhood Education Journal, x, xx-xx.

DeBord, K., Bower, D., Goddard, H.W., Wilkins, J.K., Kobbe, A.M., Myers-Walls, J.A., Mulroy, M., & Ozretich, R. (2006, June). A professional guide for parenting educators: The national extension parenting educators’ framework. Journal of Extension, 44(3), Article No. 3FEA8. (www.joe.org/joe/2006june/a8.shtml)

Myers-Bowman, K.S., Walker, K., & Myers-Walls, J.A. (2005). Differences between war and peace are big: Children from Yugoslavia and the U.S. describe peace and war. Peace and Conflict: Journal of Peace Psychology, 11, 177-198.

Myers-Walls, J.A. (2004).  Positive parenting:  Key concepts and resources. Journal of Family & Consumer Sciences, 96(4), 10-13.

Goddard, H.W., Myers-Walls, J.A., & Lee, T.R. (2004). Parenting: Have we arrived, or do we continue the journey? Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal, 33(1), 21-38.

Myers-Walls, J. . (2004). Children as victims of war and terrorism. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment, & Trauma, 8(1/2), 41-62.

Myers-Bowman, K.S., Walker, K., & Myers-Walls, J.A. (2003). A cross-cultural examination of children’s understanding of “the enemy”. Psychological Reports 93, 779-790.

Walker, K., Myers-Bowman, K.S., & Myers-Walls, J.A. (2003). Understanding war, visualizing peace: Children draw what they know. Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association, 20(4), 191-200.

Books and Book Chapters (underscore=student author):
Myers-Walls, J.A., & Frias, L.V. (2007). Family, school, and community: Finding green lights at the intersection. In B. Sharif Trask & R.R. Hamon (Eds.), Cultural diversity and families: Expanding perspectives. Sage. (in press)

Myers-Walls, J.A., Myers-Bowman, K.S., & Posada, G. (2006). Parenting practices worldwide. In B. Ingoldsby & S. Smith (Eds.), Families in global and multicultural perspective, (2nd edition; pp. 147-167). Newbury Park: Sage.

Myers-Walls, J.A. (2004). Children as victims of war and terrorism. In J. Mullings, J. Marquart, & D.J. Hartley (Eds.), Emerging issues in the victimization of children: Trends, patterns, and problems. Binghamton, NY: Haworth Press.

Myers-Walls, J.A., Myers-Boman, K.S., and Dunn, J. (2003). Cultural characteristics questionnaire: What does your target population look like? In D. Bredehoft and M. Walcheski (Eds.). Family life education: Integrating theory and practice (pp. 186-188). Minneapolis, MN: National Council on Family Relations.

Myers-Walls, J.A., and Somlai, P. (Eds.) with Rapoport, R.N. (2001). Families as Educatiors for Global Citizenship. Aldershot, Hants: Ashgate.

Myers-Walls, J.A. (2001). How families teach their children about the world. In J.A. Myers-Walls & P. Somlai with R.N. Rapoport (Eds.), Families as educators for global citizenship. Aldershot: Ashgate, 3-12.

Haessley, J., & Myers-Walls, J.A. (2001). Religion, spirituality, and the family: Challenges for global citizenship. In J.A. Myers-Walls & P. Somlai with R.N. Rapoport (Eds.), Families as educators for global citizenship. Aldershot: Ashgate, 177-190.

Myers-Walls, J.A. (2001). The parents' role in educating about war and peace. In J.A. Myers-Walls & P. Somlai with R.N. Rapoport (Eds.), Families as educators for global citizenship. Aldershot: Ashgate, 191-202.

Family diversity and family life education. In D.H. Demo, K.R. Allen, & M.A. Fine (Eds.), Handbook of family diversity, 359-379. New York: Oxford University Press.

Reports
Smith, C.A., Cudaback, D., Goddard, H.W., and Myers- Walls, J.A. (1994). The National Extension Parent Education Model Final Report. Manhattan, KS: Kansas State Cooperative Extension Service. (Available at http://www.ksu.edu/wwparent/nepem/).

Primary Extension Curriculum Packages
Purple Wagon Web site: www.ces.purdue.edu/purplewagon.

Provider-Parent Partnerships Web site: www.ces.purdue.edu/providerparent.

Parenting Piece by Piece (1999). (Designed for parents mandated to attend programming due to abuse and neglect; with Terri Newcom, County Extension Educator; http://www.ces.purdue.edu/cfs/topics/HD/PPxP.htm).

Mentor Mother (1990, 95). (A program matching teen mothers with older adult volunteers; with Janet Wakefield, county Extension Educator and Janet Mix, graduate assistant; http://www.ces.purdue.edu/cfs/topics/HD/MentorMom.htm).

Recent Presentations (underscore=student author):
Kwon, K.A., Ko, M.J., Frias, L.V., & Myers-Walls, J.A. (2007). Developing a parenting program for Asian international graduate students. Poster presented at the National Council on Family Relations annual meeting, Pittsburgh, PA, November.

Kim, S.H., Kwon, K A., Ko, M.J., Frias, L.V., & Myers-Walls, J.A. (2007). Living on the outskirts of U. S. life: Asian graduate-student mothers. Poster presented at the National Council on Family Relations annual meeting, Pittsburgh, PA, November.

Frias, L.V., & Myers-Walls, J.A. (2007). Parents’ attitudes and children’s drawings of war. Poster presented at the National Council on Family Relations annual meeting, Pittsburgh, PA, November.

Kwon, Y.I. , Hong, S.Y., Myers-Walls, J.A., & Ko, M.J. (2007). Understanding war and peace: South Korean children’s views and their parents’ attitudes. Poster presented at the biannual meeting of the Society for Research on Child Development, Boston, March/April.

Kwon, K.A., Ko, M.J., Frias, L.V., & Myers-Walls, J.A. (2007). Strengths and needs of Asian international student couples and parenting in the U.S.A. Poster presented at the biannual meeting of the Society for Research on Child Development, Boston, March/April.

Pentsil-Bukari, R., Myers-Walls, J.A., & Fox, W. (2006). What values are parents communicating to the children about war and peace? Poster presented at the annual meeting of the National Council on Family Relations, Minneapolis, November.

Frias, L.V., & Myers-Walls, J.A. (2006). Parents’ attitudes and their definitions of war and peace. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the National Council on Family Relations, Minneapolis, November.

Kwon, K.A., Frias, L.V., Ko, M.J., & Myers-Walls, J.A. (2006). Acculturative experience and parenting among Asian international students and spouses. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the National Council on Family Relations, Minneapolis, November.

Gho, J., Melson, G.F., & Myers-Walls, J.A. (2005). Perceived relationships between Korean mothers and adult daughters. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Council on Family Relations, Phoenix, November.

Myers-Walls, J.A., Frias, L.V., & Hong, S.Y. (2005). Attitudes and teaching methods of several cohorts of parents about war and peace. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the National Council on Family Relations, Phoenix, November.

Boss, P., Landau, J., Myers-Walls, J.A., Braun, B., & Paulison, R.P. (2005). Congressional Briefing on Capitol Hill:  Homeland Security Issues and the Family. Invited panel presentation at the National Council on Family Relations Public Policy Conference, Washington DC.

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Education

• Ph.D., 1979, Child Development and Family Studies, Purdue University.
• M.S., 1977, Child Development and Family Studies, Purdue University.
• B.A., 1974, Psychology, Manchester College, North Manchester, Indiana.

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Courses Recently Taught

CDFS 441: Working With Parents
CDFS 442: Family Life Education
CDFS 590: Development and Parenting in a Global Context (informal graduate seminar)
CDFS 390/590: Families and Culture in India (study abroad)

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Honors

2002 Special Award, Purdue University Cooperative Extension Specialist Association, for Children and Terrorism Website, shared with Agricultural Communication Service.

2000 National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) Fellow, awarded for career achievement and service in the family studies field and contributions to NCFR.

1996 Career Achievement Award for Outstanding Contribution by an Extension Specialist (national award), awarded at the Family Life Specialist Conference, November.

1995 Senior Recognition Award, Purdue University Cooperative Extension Specialist Association.

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External Grants

Study Abroad and International Learning (SAIL) Grant. Supports planning trips to India and Ireland. $5300. (2006-2008).

Understanding war and peace: A view for Filipino immigrant parents and children. Purdue Research Foundation research grant, to support a graduate research assistant (Larissa Frias). $14,040 (2006-2007).

Parent care through child care. 21st Century Initiative Grant, Purdue Cooperative Extension Service, to support the development of web-based resources to help child care providers deliver parenting information (Named Provider-Parent Partnerships, $33,796 (1999-2000); $35,000 (2000-2001).

Parents, children, war, and peace. Grant-in-aid from the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues to support interviews with children and parents in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, regarding their thoughts and reactions to the war there in 1999. $1250. (With Smiljka Tomonovic, University of Belgrade, and Karen Myers-Bowman, Kansas State University).

Healthy Families Indiana Outcome Evaluation. Family Social Services Administration, State of Indiana. Myers-Walls and Yvonne Bryan, co-principal investigators. 1993-94: $24,950. 1994-95: $37,000. Myers-Walls and Jim Elicker, co-principal investigators. Supplemental funding, 1995: $14,900. 1995-96: $43,202. 1996-97: $60,000. 1997-98: $65,000. 1998-99: $70,000.

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Professional Service

National Council on Family Relations
Fellowship award selection committee, 2007-2010
Vice President for Program, 1997-98 (responsible for planning 1998 Annual Meeting)
Vice President for Program-Elect, 1996-97
Member, Board of Directors, 1996-98; 1990-92; 2001-2004
Association of Councils Program Chair, 1994-95
Education and Enrichment Section Chair, 1990-92
Chair, Task Force to review the Certified Family Life Educator Program, 1990-91
Education and Enrichment Section Secretary/Treasurer, 1988-90
Affiliated Councils Program Chair, 1985-86

Indiana Council on Family Relations
Member, planning committee, 2000
Program Co-Chair, 1983, 1989
Past President, 1986-87
President, 1984-86
President-Elect, 1983-84
Secretary, 1981-83

Indiana Council on Adolescent Pregnancy
Secretary, 2000-2005
Advisor, Purdue student chapter, 2003-2006

Indiana Association for Education of Young Children
Member of Conference Planning Committee, 1983

Indiana Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition
Membership Chair, 1986-90

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