“Grattis”! That’s Swedish for congratulations, as Wilmington University applauds Dr. Debra Berke, winner of the Jan Trost Award. Named for a Swedish sociologist, it “recognizes outstanding contributions in international family studies.”
“I was surprised. I was shocked. I was honored,” says Dr. Berke, the director of WilmU’s Psychology programs and Center for Prevention Science.
The International Section of the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) presented the award at its annual meeting in November. A longtime member and certified family life educator, Dr. Berke is the president-elect of the NCFR board of directors and a trailblazer in trauma-informed approaches.
“I think international family studies is important because we’re a global society, especially with technology now,” she says. “The world is shrinking, and it’s so easy to know about, to learn about, to have access to families around the globe.”
Dr. Berke’s many achievements include developing the University’s Doctor of Social Science in Prevention Science degree program, serving on the board of Trauma Matters Delaware, and addressing global concerns through research and presentations. Like the late Dr. Jan Trost, who was an author and professor at Uppsala University, she has furthered the field and improved countless peoples’ lives.
Making an Impact in International Family Studies
“My contributions to international family studies have come through teaching, through mentorship and through prevention work. They’ve spanned my 30-plus-year career in family science,” Dr. Berke says. “It is helping families not only survive but thrive and preparing individuals to work with families so that families can be the best versions of themselves.”
In letters to the award committee, her colleagues expressed their admiration.
“Dr. Berke has a dedicated commitment to international affairs and the support of international students,” writes Dr. Mary Kay Keller, WilmU’s chair of Applied Family Science.
“Dr. Berke’s scholarship is family-focused and provides evidence of sustained commitment to international family research, teaching and service,” writes Dr. Raeann Hamon, a distinguished professor of Family Science and Gerontology at Messiah University.
“Dr. Berke has highly devoted to increase intercultural competence in students and professionals by giving a special attention to international issues and global perspective in teaching and training,” writes Dr. Yan Ruth Xia, a professor of Child, Youth and Family Studies at University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
The ability to respectfully and effectively communicate with people from other cultures is an integral part of WilmU’s Family Science, Prevention Science and Psychology programs.
“We’re preparing our students well. Even if they haven’t traveled to a variety of countries, when they are exposed to families from different countries, they’re practicing cultural competence principles. They’re coming from a position of cultural humility,” Dr. Berke says. “They have the knowledge, skills, attitudes, values and beliefs that help them work well with families.”
Interested in international family studies? Learn from pioneering professors like Dr. Debra Berke in WilmU’s College of Social and Behavioral Sciences.