Wisensale, Steven K. 1945-

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WISENSALE, Steven K. 1945-


PERSONAL: Born January 21, 1945, in Hanover, PA; son of Joseph (a cabinet maker) and Mabel (a homemaker) Wisensale; married Nan Zyla (an environmentalist), May 21, 1977. Ethnicity: "Caucasian." Education: Salem College, B.A., 1967; Temple University, M.Ed., 1970; University of Stockholm, graduate diploma, 1973; Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT, M.A., 1979; Brandeis University, Ph. D., 1983. Politics: "Informed citizen." Religion: "Spiritual." Hobbies and other interests: Baseball, travel.


ADDRESSES: Home—P.O. Box 565, Essex, CT 06426. Offıce—U-2058, School of Family Studies, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269-2058.


CAREER: Worked as a high school social studies teacher in New Jersey, and as a social studies teacher and department chair at a high school in Rhode Island; City Semester, Hartford, CT, assistant director of urban studies program, 1975-77; Area Agency on Aging, Malden, MA, planner of health and human services for Mystic Valley Elder Home Care, 1978-79; Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, fellow of Health Policy Consortium at Heller Graduate School, 1979-82; Nichols College, Dudley, MA, assistant professor of government and director of public administration program, 1982-84; University of Connecticut, Storrs, assistant professor, 1984-90, associate professor, beginning 1990, currently professor of public policy, chair of graduate program, School of Family Studies, 1992-95, founding member of Welfare Policy Study Group, 1993—, and International Business Management Workshop, 1995-97. Smith College, visiting associate professor, 1993; guest lecturer at other schools, including Yale University, 2000. Connecticut Office of Policy and Management, member of state policy advisory committee on public health, 1994-95; Connecticut Permanent Commission on the Status of Women, member of congressional district advisory board, 1999—; National Work/Life Summit, member of advisory committee, 2001; consultant to United Nations and State of Connecticut.


MEMBER: Association of Public Policy Analysis and Management, American Political Science Association, National Council on Family Relations (chair of family policy section), American Bar Association, American Public Health Association, American Society on Aging, American Society for Public Administration, Gerontological Society of America, Policy Studies Organization, Political Film Society, Phi Kappa Phi.


AWARDS, HONORS: Research Award, Northeastern Gerontological Society, 1984, for paper "Home Care of the Elderly: Does Household Composition matter?"; postdoctoral fellow, Gerontological Society of America, 1985; Certificate of Appreciation, New England Regional Leadership Program, 1988; Outstanding Contribution Award, Travelers Center on Aging, 1990; Special Recognition awards, Connecticut Department of Human Resources, 1991, University of Connecticut Women's Center, 1992, and National Council on Family Relations family policy section, 1998; grants from GTE Foundation, C-SPAN, Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addictive Services, Connecticut Office of Policy and Management, Connecticut Research Foundation, and William C. Graustein Memorial Fund.


WRITINGS:


Family Leave Policy: The Political Economy of Work and Family in America, M. E. Sharpe (Armonk, NY), 2001.

Contributor to books, including Serving Children and Families through Community-University Partnerships: Success Stories, edited by R. Lerner and T. Chibucos, Sage Publications (Thousand Oaks, CA), 1999; Shifting the Center: Understanding Contemporary Families, edited by S. Ferguson, Mayfield Publishing (Mountain View, CA), 2000; Redefining Family Policy: Implications for the Twenty-first Century, edited by S. Garasky and J. Mercier, Iowa State University Press (Ames, IA), 2000; The World Ageing Situation: Exploring a Society for All Ages, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (New York, NY), 2001; and The Bush Presidency, edited by W. Levenstrosser and N. Datlof, Greenwood Press (Westport, CT), in press. Contributor of articles and reviews to professional journals, including Policy Studies Review, Journal of Comparative Family Studies, Working USA: Journal of Labor and Society, New England Journal of Public Policy, Journal of Family Issues, Public Integrity, Gerontologist, Focus on Law Studies, Lifestyles: Family and Economic Issues, and Nine: Journal of Baseball History and Social Policy Perspectives. Member of editorial board, Family Relations, 1991-97.

WORK IN PROGRESS: Family Policy in the United States: Lessons from the Past, Challenges for the Future, for Allyn & Bacon (Needham, MA); research on the role of the Family and Medical Leave Act in long-term care of the elderly and in welfare reform.

SIDELIGHTS: Steven K. Wisensale told CA: "I am an academic who writes for both a professional audience of public-policy experts and human service practitioners and for members of the general population who have an interest in social, economic, and political issues. Most of my research and writing concentrate on family policy, work and family issues, and aging policy; however, I have also written articles on Egypt, Vietnam, and the politics of baseball great Jackie Robinson.

"I write to inform others about important contemporary issues. I am inspired by anyone who shows interest in and concern for major social problems facing our society. I write when I can—usually when school is not in session—-at home in my study.

"My interest in politics can be traced to my growing-up years in southern Pennsylvania, just across the border from Maryland and West Virginia, where signs of persistent racial segregation and injustice prevailed. Concern about injustice and interest in educating others and solving problems all converged for me at a very young age. In the end, I view myself as an educator, and I write to inform."