Lecturer
Biography
Cap is from Tennessee. They received their B.A. in American Studies and their M.S. and PhD in Child & Family Studies from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Their research currently focuses on queer families and pathways to parenthood for LGBTQ+ couples.
Research
Research Experience:
2018 – present, Graduate Research Assistant, Department of Child and Family Studies, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN
- Working under Dr. Megan Haselschwerdt as a research assistant for the Interdisciplinary Research Seed Grant project, Assessing Intimate Partner Violence Victims’ Help-Seeking Needs and Experiences.
- Responsibilities include: Building and piloting a Qualtrics survey, reviewing literature, and participating in the Community Coordinated Response team at the Knoxville Family Justice Center.
2016 – 2017, Graduate Research Assistant, Department of Child and Family Studies, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN
- Responsibilities included: reviewing literature, data entry, elementary analysis, editing manuscripts and grant proposals among other administrative assistance.
- Led a transcription project and provided supervision and mentoring to an undergraduate research assistant in the Well-being of Adolescents and Emerging Adults Lab.
Teaching Experience:
2019 – present, Graduate Teaching Associate, Department of Child and Family Studies, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN
- Instructor-of-record for CFS 360: Family Stress.
- Instructor-of-record for CFS 385: Diversity among Families and Children
2017 – 2019 Graduate Teaching Assistant, Department of Child and Family Studies, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN
- Worked under Dr. Megan Haselschwerdt for four semesters of CFS 360: Family Stress.
- Responsibilities included grading written assignments and assisting students.
- Taught units on the Harm Reduction Model and Parental Incarceration.
2018 Graduate Teaching Assistant, Department of Child and Family Studies, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN
- Shadowed Dr. Spencer Olmstead for CFS 395: Introduction to Research Methods and Statistics. Responsibilities include attending all classes, grading all assignments, and meeting with students.
- Independently taught the Qualitative Research Methods unit (4 classes) and led an APA workshop.
Education
The University of Tennessee, Master of Science, Child and Family Studies, 2018
- Thesis: Family Relationships of First-generation College Students
- Under the direction of: Dr. Elizabeth I. Johnson
The University of Tennessee, Bachelor of Arts, American Studies & Judaic Studies, 2012
- Senior Capstone: "Lifting the Veil: State Violence and the Occupy Movement"
- Magna Cum Laude
Pellissippi State Community College, Associate of Arts, 2010
- General Associate of Arts
- Magna Cum Laude
Professional Service
- 2019 – present Representative, Graduate Student Senate, UTK
- 2016 – present Member, Graduate Student Organization in Child and Family Studies, UTK
- 2016 – present Member, Commission for Women, UTK
- 2016 – present Member, Commission for LGBT People, UTK
- 2017 – 2018 Conference Coordinator
- Quint State: Southeastern Symposium on Child and Family Development, hosted by the Department of Child and Family Studies, UTK
Awards and Recognitions
2022 Extraordinary Graduate Student Teacher Award, Spring 2022
Volunteer of Distinction, Professional Promise Award (UTK), Spring 2022
- Honors the professional promise of undergraduate students receiving their degrees in 2022, and the professional promise in teaching, research, or other contributions of graduate students receiving their degrees in 2022.
Hazel Taylor Spitze Graduate Fellowship (UTK) $8,000 for 2021-2022
- Awarded to students who demonstrate outstanding academic ability and record and commitment to the field of Child & Family Studies.
Wesley Burr Graduate Student Scholarship (National Council on Family Relations) $200 for Fall 2020
- Awarded to top-scoring proposals in the Advancing Family Science section.
Greer Fox Endowment Scholarship (University of Tennessee, Knoxville; UTK) $750 for Summer 2020
- Awarded to select students in the Department of Child & Family Studies
Virtual Vol Bootcamp Stipend (UTK) $500 for Summer 2020
- Awarded to select instructors who complete the best practices for teaching online series.
Fellowship for Graduate Excellence (UTK) $30,000 for 2018–2021
- Signature graduate fellowship program at UTK, offered to top incoming doctoral students.
Helen Sharp Hakala Scholarship (UTK) $3,000 for 2018–2020
- Awarded to select students in the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences.
Tony Torrice Educational Environment Graduate Fellowship (UTK) $5,000 for 2016–2018
- Awarded to students who show outstanding professional promise and are interested in research on children's social, emotional, or cognitive development.
Publications
Publications (peer-reviewed articles, chapters, reports, etc.):
Capannola, A. L., & Johnson, E. I. (2020). On being the first: The role of family in the experiences of first- generation college students. Journal of Adolescent Research. doi: 10.1177/0743558420979144
Presentations (international, national, regional and/or local):
Monk, J. K., Kanter, J. B., Capannola, A. L., & Ogan, M. A., (2021, November). “I didn’t sign up for this!”: Profiles and experiences of relational turbulence across the COVID-19 pandemic. In J. B. Kanter & J. K. Monk (Co-Chairs), Relationship functioning in the shadow of COVID-19: Identifying risk and resilience during a global pandemic. Paper symposium submitted to the annual meeting of the National Council on Family Relations, Baltimore, MD.
Capannola, A. L., Routon, J. M., Allen, S. H., Rice, T. M., & Shih, K. Y. (2020). Critical reflections on teaching “diversity” from the margins: Graduate teaching associates’ experiences and perspectives. Interactive workshop presentation at the annual conference for the National Council for Family Relations, virtual conference. *Recipient of Wesley Burr Graduate Scholarship Award, Advancing Family Science Section
Capannola, A. L. (2020). REAL TALK: First-gen faculty and staff panel. Panelist for UTK First-Gen Celebration Week, Knoxville, TN.
Capannola, A. L. (2020). Staying up to date on justice, equity, diversity, & inclusion language: LGBTQ* populations. Invited presentation for the CFS Leading, Educating, Advocating, and Doing Seminar series, Knoxville, TN.
Haselschwerdt, M. L., Kanter, J. B., Nownes, E., Samuel, J. V., & Capannola, A. L. (2020). Having tough conversations in the classroom: 2020 election. Workshop for the CFS Leading, Educating, Advocating, and Doing Seminar series, Knoxville, TN.
Capannola, A. L. (2020). Pathways to Parenthood for LGBTQ* People: How Social Location Constrains and Influences Choice in the Transition to Parenthood. Invited guest lecture for Dr. Abbie Goldberg in the Department of Psychology at Clark University, Worchester, MA.
Capannola, A. L., & Johnson, E. I. (2019). Best of both worlds: Strengths of first-generation college students and their families. Poster presentation at the annual conference for the National Council for Family Relations, Fort Worth, TX.
Capannola, A. L., & Johnson, E. I. (2019). Exploring family relationship experiences of first-generation college students. Poster presentation at the annual convention for the Society of Personality and Social Psychology, Portland, OR.
Subiani, S., Capannola, A. L., Haselschwerdt, M. L. (2019). Coping strategies of young adults exposed to domestic violence in childhood. Poster presentation at the annual ResilienceCon meeting for the Life Paths Research Center, Nashville, TN.