Elizabeth B. Pearce

Elizabeth aka Liz (she/her) is a faculty member who teaches Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS) classes at Linn-Benton Community College (LBCC). She has served as Department Chair, Faculty Fellow in Technology and Teaching, and as the Difference, Power, and Oppression Faculty Lead. Previously she directed the Family Resource Center, a full-time child care and parent cooperative for LBCC student and staff families. This textbook, mostly original work, originated in collaboration with LBCC students.

Her passion is creating opportunities and resources for transformative learning through open pedagogy in the community college classroom. She has presented locally, regionally, and nationally on this topic. She also leads and mentors faculty in equity-based teaching, active learning, technology use, and open pedagogy.

Liz earned a Bachelor of Arts in Child Study at Tufts University and a Master of Education degree in Administration, Planning, and Social Policy at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She has completed post-graduate coursework in child/family development, life course theory, educational policy, and sociology at Wheelock College (now Boston University) and Oregon State University. She is the author of Introduction to Human Services and a contributor to Human Services Practicum: An Equity Lens also published by Open Oregon Educational Resources.

Originating Authors: Linn-Benton Community College Students 2019-21

Christopher Byers

Christopher earned an Associate of Science degree from LBCC in June 2020 in Human Development and Family Sciences, Human Services option. Christopher helped start the Human Services Club at LBCC, was active in Student Government, and worked to acquire his Drug and Alcohol Counseling Certificate at Emergence Addiction & Mental Health Services. He went on to earn his Bachelors of Social Work and Masters of Social Work degrees from Portland State University.

>Alexis Castaneda-Perez

Alexis Castaneda Perez is an alumnus of Oregon State University, where he graduated in 2023 with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a minor in User Experience Research, through the Dual Partnership Program after joining LBCC in 2017. Outside of his academic pursuits, Alexis is passionate about playing guitar, reading, and biking on the trails around Corvallis.

Nyssa Cronin

Nyssa Cronin is a proud LBCC and Oregon State University alumnus with a Bachelor’s of Science in Human Development and Family Sciences, emphasizing Human Services and minoring in Public Health. Her academic interests include the study of trauma and how that impacts individual, interpersonal, familial, and community health; and how systemic structures impact individuals based on their race, class, and gender. As an ally, she believes that education should be free to all; this book marks a step forward in that pursuit.

Cassie Cruze

Cassie is a working single parent who earned her A.S. degree in HDFS from LBCC in 2021. She worked on the Justice Chapter of this book. She is employed by the Lebanon Downtown Association; her favorite aspect is creating experiences for individuals and families to have lasting memories. She enjoys working alongside her children as they volunteer for community organizations that serve Linn and Benton Counties.

Shonna Dempsey

Shonna worked to earn her A.S. in HDFS from LBCC as a first generation college student, a full-time mother, and a part-time employee. Shonna worked on the Housing and Routines, Traditions, and Culture chapters, as well as the glossaries. She planned to obtain a bachelor’s degree in social work or in HDFS. Shonna’s dream job is to work with women coming out of addiction and domestic violence or at risk youth.

Ruta Faifaise

Ruta dual-enrolled at LBCC and OSU to work toward her degree in Human Development and Family Sciences. She was awarded the Oscar Humberto Montemayor Award at the 2020 Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration as a student who “embodies Oscar’s ethos of selfless service; steady, strong, considerate leadership; and trailblazing spirit and heart.”

Katherine Hemlock

Katherine Hemlock is a LBCC and Oregon State University HDFS graduate. Katherine enjoys writing and art, and contributed to the Housing chapter as well as creating several illustrations. She lives with her family in Albany, Ore., and is grateful to have a home and employment. They grow a diverse garden and landscape, and seek to learn more about the natural world.

Amy Huskey

Amy Huskey went back to school to pursue a career in public health after realizing the significant need to promote health for children and youth. This realization became evident through her volunteer work at her children’s schools, where she noticed a link between social determinants of health, the conditions in which a person lives, and student achievement. Her goal is to develop strategies to improve academic outcomes by ensuring a solid foundation of health for under-resourced children and their families. Since the first edition of this textbook was published, Amy completed her coursework at LBCC. She transferred to Western Oregon University to complete a Public Health Bachelorette of Science degree with an expected graduation in the spring of 2024. Amy understands the difficulties of managing a family’s demands, which helped bring the perspective of a parent to the student voices in this book.

Carla Medel

Carla Medel is a current Professional Counselor Associate in the state of Oregon and is actively working as a bilingual and bicultural mental health therapist. As a young Latinx woman who is also part of an immigrant family she found it extremely important to include the stories of people and families like hers in this book. Throughout this project she showed continuous motivation and drive to have future students see themselves reflected in academic learning materials as she did not get to experience that in her educational career. Carla continues to prioritize an equitable and systemic lens in her work as a therapist as this allows her to confront issues of oppression in the field of mental health.

Hannah Morelos

Hannah Morelos majored in Human Development and Family Sciences (HDFS) at LBCC with an emphasis in Human Services. She contributed to the Visual Culture chapter along with the Health chapter. After graduation from LBCC, Hannah earned a Bachelor of Science in Child, Youth and Family Studies (CYFS) from Portland State. While at PSU, Hannah interned with Our Children’s Oregon, focusing on whole child well-being policies doing legislative and advocacy work. She has started her dream career of making an impact with the systems that affect young individuals at Oregon Youth Authority (OYA) Oak Creek female juvenile facility.

Katie Niemeyer

Katie Niemeyer is an aspiring artist who wants to see the world change for the better. When she took on this project, she had no idea what was in store for her but this project helped her learn and grow into the person she is today.

Wesley Sharp

Wesley Sharp majored in Human Services at LBCC. Wesley’s main passion is avocation for socially disadvantaged groups mainly focusing on the LGBTQ+ community. He contributed to the Connection and Nurturance Chapters, as well as the Housing chapter. He hopes to eventually run a nonprofit organization on empowering and elevating queer youth as well as finding them safe and affirming living situations where there are none.

Contributing Authors

Matthew DeCarlo

Matt DeCarlo is the MSW Program Director and Clinical Assistant Professor at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, Pa. He earned his PhD in social work at Virginia Commonwealth University and his MSW from George Mason University. His research interests include education equity, labor rights, student wellness & basic needs, licensure examinations, and other workforce development initiatives for students and early-career social workers. He is the author of two free and openly licensed textbooks, Scientific Inquiry in Social Work and Graduate Research Methods in Social Work: A Project-Based Approach. Additionally, Matt is the co-founder of Open Social Work – a collaborative that advances knowledge equity in social work through open scholarly practices – open access, open education, and open science.

Aimee Samara Krouskop

Aimee Samara Krouskop, M.A. (she/her) teaches sociology at Portland Community College and provides consultation to leaders advancing social and environmental change. Her early research (1997-2000) focused on issues of human rights at the U.S.-Mexico Border with the University of Houston’s Center for Immigration Research, and impacts of fair trade among Indigenous communities in Guatemala as a Fellow with the InterAmerican Foundation. Aimee’s teaching and writing are informed by her professional work: in the U.S., on public participation and civil rights at the intersection of government, the private sector, and civil society; and in Latin America, on human rights protection and humanitarian assistance in conflict, post conflict, and emergency relief areas for grassroots resistance organizations as well as the United Nations. Aimee’s current study and professional focus is in amplifying Indigenous knowledge, protecting Indigenous rights, and the value of both in defending and restoring our most vulnerable ecosystems.

Monica L. Olvera

Monica L. Olvera (she/her/ella), PhD, is an Instructor in Human Development and Family Sciences at Oregon State University. She is the faculty advisor for the student club Here To Stay, which supports and advocates for DACA students, undocumented students, and students with mixed immigration-status families. Her research focuses on Latina immigrant women’s acculturation processes and positive youth development. In her free time, Monica enjoys spending time with family, riding horses in the Oregon forests, and reading.

Alexandra Olsen

Alexandra G. Olsen, Ph.D. (she/her), is currently a professor of sociology and human services at Umpqua Community College. She has a PhD and MA from University of California, Irvine in Sociology. Her past research has covered topics including adverse childhood experiences, harm reduction, changes in addiction treatment practices over time (including the development of trauma informed practices), and social change.

Contributors: Linn-Benton Community College Students 2020-23

Matt Bockheim

Matt Bockheim graduated in 2023 from Oregon State University with a B.S. in mechanical engineering. He is currently working at PMIC Laboratory in Corvallis, Ore., as a project engineer, where he specializes in thermal conductivity testing and mechanical testing at cryogenic temperatures.

Dominic Church

Dominic Church was a student in the Environmental Justice (Geology 209) course at LBCC in Spring 2022.

Heather Denherder

Heather Denherder earned her Associate Degree in Human Services from LBCC in 2020.

Shyanti Franco

Shyanti Marie Ku’ulei Franco, an alumna of Oregon State University (OSU) and LBCC, graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Family Sciences and a minor in Psychology. The opportunity to contribute to “Chapter 4: Nurturance, Parenting, and Caregiving” of Contemporary Families: An Equity Lens fueled her compassion for youth and families affected by adversities. Shyanti volunteered with local non-profit organizations Jackson Street Youth Services and Corvallis Daytime Drop-in Center as well as conducted research for OSU’s Red Light, Purple Light: Self-Regulation Intervention Program. Shyanti continues to dedicate herself to humanities post-graduation as a Youth Development Professional at the Boys and Girls Club of Maui and as a Registered Behavior Technician for neurodivergent children within the Hawai’i Department of Education.

Laci Lourenzo

Laci Lourenzo is an alumni of Oregon State University, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology. Laci is currently getting her master’s degree at University of Utah to become a Certified Athletic Trainer. In her free time, Laci enjoys going for hikes, snowboarding, and spoiling her nieces and nephew.

Emily Miller

Emily Miller (she/her) is a student dual enrolled with Oregon State University and LBCC. She is majoring in Creative Writing with a minor in User Research Experience. She has grown up in Corvallis with her family and loves to play video games and read in her spare time.

Audrey Nomvula Moyo

Audrey Nomvula Moyo earned an Associate Degree in Mathematics from LBCC in 2024. She met lead author Elizabeth B. Pearce through the HDFS 201 Contemporary Families in U.S. course in Fall 2022 and is truly grateful for the chance to have her work included in this textbook.

Genna Stern

Genna Stern (she/her/hers) graduated with her A.S. Psychology emphasis from LBCC in December 2021, and her B.S. in Psychology from Oregon State University in March 2024. She is a member of the Psi Chi and Alpha Sigma Lambda honor societies, received the Drucilla Shepherd Smith Award in 2023, and is a Research Assistant for the OSU BEAVERS Lab. Genna plans to continue her education and aims to pursue a career in psychological research with a focus on food addiction and the impact of nutrition on mental health.

Elizabeth Torres

Elizabeth Torres was a student in the Contemporary Families in the U.S. (HDFS 201) course in Fall 2022.

Contributors: Linn-Benton Community College Faculty, Staff, and Friends

Hailey Adkisson

Hailey received her undergraduate degree from James Madison University and her graduate degree from North Dakota State University. She currently serves as a full-time faculty in the Communication Studies Department at LBCC with a focus on Interpersonal Communication. Hailey is passionate about incorporating topics of disability, equity, and inclusion into her teaching and research. She lives with her family in Salem, Ore.

Leslie Hammond

Leslie Hammond is the Dean of Academic Foundations at LBCC.

Isabelle Havet

Isabelle Havet is a faculty member in the Visual Arts Department at LBCC.

Dionisia Morales

Dionisia Morales is faculty in the English department at LBCC, where she teaches writing and literature courses. She earned her EdM at Harvard University and has an MFA in creative writing from Oregon State University. Since moving out west, she has developed a passion for rock climbing and mountain biking.

Nadine M. Wood

Nadine M. Wood earned her M.S. in Health from Oregon State University. She is now retired after an eclectic work history including health education and promotion in both a university and private health care setting, marketing research assistant and data processing manager, and non-profit business manager. She lives in Western Oregon and enjoys many outdoor activities available in the Pacific Northwest.