Dr. Kathryn Howell Named UofM’s First Urban Child Institute Chair of Child Well-Being

Jan. 30, 2023 — Dr. Kathryn Howell has been named as the inaugural Urban Child Institute (UCI) Chair of Child Well-Being at the University of Memphis. This endowed chair will allow Howell to expand her work in the assessment and treatment of childhood trauma, its impact across the lifespan, intergenerational effects of adversity and strengths-based interventions to enhance resilience across the family system.

The UofM and UCI have collaborated on multiple programmatic and research initiatives that benefit children and families in Memphis and Shelby County. The most notable and impactful around Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) and how those affect victims and the community around them.

“The University of Memphis has been an instrumental partner in the progressive research of ACEs,” said Urban Child Institute’s Executive Director Gary Shorb. “Establishing the UCI Chair of Child Well-Being means for generations to come, we will continue to build upon the knowledge base and translate knowledge into practice and positive outcomes for youth have undergone adverse childhood experiences.”

Howell serves as an associate professor in the Department of Psychology at the UofM. Her research focuses on health and well-being of children and their families, assessing individual, relational and community factors that enhance resilience or reduce psychopathology following exposure to traumatic events during childhood.

Urban Child Institute’s investment will be matched 1:1 through a one-time $50 million State of Tennessee allocation. The endowment fund will support the people and programs that drive research at the UofM to create a $100 million R1 research and innovation sustainability fund.

“Private philanthropy strengthens the UofM’s ability to meet the needs of our community,” said UofM President Bill Hardgrave. “The lifechanging research conducted by our faculty and students creates programs that focus on ACE prevention and mitigation while directing and securing additional funding for future initiatives.”

To date, philanthropic gifts matched with state funds have led to the creation of eight new endowed chairs, six professorships and three faculty fellowships that will advance research and innovation in strategic program areas including supply chain, engineering, nursing and public health. In addition, endowed funds were created to support the Crews Center for Entrepreneurship, the FedEx Institute of Technology and the Rudd Institute for Veteran & Military Suicide Prevention.