Team of Baylor profs working to strengthen military families in the face of deployment

With the nation’s largest active duty armored post just 60 miles down the road at Fort Hood, issues surrounding the military are never far from the hearts of many at Baylor. For instance, each class in the School of Social Work’s graduate program typically has at least one or two students who are married or engaged to an active-duty soldier. Such students were an inspiration for research being headed by a team of Baylor professors searching for effective ways to help military families cope with deployment — before, during and after.

Dr. James Ellor’s team is in the first stages of the project, conducting focus groups across Central Texas to hear from veterans and their families about how they deal with the stresses of deployment. The group is working with the Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center at Fort Hood to conduct the research — the same center where many of the wounded were taken following last year’s shootings at the military base.

Others on the team include School of Social Work Assistant Dean Dr. Dennis Myers, BA ’68; psychology and neuroscience professor Dr. Sara Dolan; family and consumer sciences chair Dr. Suzy Weems, BS ’65, and fellow F&CS professor Dr. Janet Crow; and Lt. Col. Sharon Reese, research coordinator and chief nurse scientist at Darnall Army Medical Center.

The team’s goal is to be able to strengthen military families, decreasing the stresses of deployment and helping those on both sides cope with the issues that arise with military service.

Sic ’em, Social Work researchers!