When studying families, how do researchers decide which family members should be included in their study? What if the family consists of nonmarried parents, or homosexual partners? Or what if a couple does not have any children? Are they still considered a family? These are just some of the questions that may arise when conducting research. In Studying Families, Copeland and White examine the inherent problems researchers face when studying this social group.
Dr. Copeland is a licensed psychologist with expertise in cultural transition and clinical psychology. Prior to founding The Interchange Institute in 1997, Dr. Copeland was Associate Professor of Psychology at Boston University, where she conducted research and research supervision in psychological aspects of family process assessment, ethnicity, cultural influences, immigration, development, developmental disabilities and affective development. During her tenure at the University, she relocated with her family to work in London in 1988, where she was the academic advisor for Boston University′s British Programmes. After leaving her full-time position at the university, she served as Adjunct Associate Professor until 2007, continuing her role as mentor and research advisor to Psychology graduate students.
Dr. Copeland has written several books on topics of families and transition (Studying Families, Sage 1991, and Separating Together, 1997), and has authored over 60 research articles, chapters, and professional presentations. She has also written extensively, through The Interchange Institute, for people moving into or out of the United States, including Newcomer′s Almanac, a newsletter for international newcomers to the United States published monthly since 1994, Understanding American Schools, Global Baby, A Smooth Beginning, and other support materials.
Dr. Copeland provides cross-cultural training for individuals and families moving to and from the United States. She also trains others to deliver tailored, individualized cross-cultural orientation programs. She developed and conducts International Writers′ Club meetings for international newcomers in her community; essays from these Clubs about cultural differences are published in school newsletters, enhancing intercultural understanding throughout the school community.
Dr. Kathleen (Kathi) M. White previously directed the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) and the master′s degree programs and also coordinated both the MSN health systems management track and the MSN-MBA dual degree option. in July 2010, she began a stint at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration, where she will serve for two years as a Senior Advisor to the Office of Workforce Policy and Performance Management though an Individual Personal Assignment. Dr. White also maintains a faculty practice appointment at Howard County General Hospital where she serves as nurse research liaison focusing on evidence-based practice initiatives. With a joint appointment as a clinical nurse specialist at the Johns Hopkins Hospital (JHH), she is a member of a collaborative SON/JHH team that developed the widely published, award-winning Johns Hopkins Nursing evidence-based practice model and guidelines. Dr. White′s numerous practice leadership roles include consulting with Parkway Group Healthcare in Singapore and the primary healthcare reform project in Armenia; and serving as visiting faculty at the American University of Armenia, as a member of the Hopkins-Healthways Advisory Group, and as the Chairperson of the American Nursing Association Congress on Nursing Practice and Economics. She also serves on the Maryland Health Care Commission′s Hospital Performance Evaluation Guide Advisory Committee and the CareFirst Board of Directors, and is the Chairperson of the Maryland Patient Safety Center′s Board of Directors.
