Treisha Peterson, who has taught 18 different classes over six years and has nine years experience as an independent family life educator and coach, is joining U of A's human development and family sciences program as a teaching assistant professor.

The HDFS program is housed in the School of Human Environmental Sciences, which is part of the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences.

Peterson was a member of the faculty for the spring semester, teaching a Families in Crisis class, and child development and cultural competence courses as an adjunct professor.

She joins the U of A after working as an adjunct assistant professor at Texas Woman's University in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies for the last three years.

"My teaching and research motto is 'all voices heard, all stories matter,'" Peterson says. "I believe that we empower others when we share the stories of our lives, the successes and the struggles. I want my students to be able to apply the content of our courses to their own lived experiences, so they can share with their friends and family."

She earned her bachelor's degree in family and consumer sciences from Utah State University in 2008 and her master's degree in 2016 and Ph.D. in 2021 in family studies, both from TWU.

Classes taught at TWU include Family Crisis, Theories of the Family, Human Development, Crisis in the American Family, Childhood and Adolescence, Research Issues and Trends, and Frameworks and Ethics in Qualitative Research.

At TWU, she was part of a health and wellbeing initiative, collaborating across departments to develop programs addressing multidimensional student wellness. She also taught fitness and health classes in kinesiology.

"Dr. Peterson brings a fresh perspective on human development and innovative teaching approaches to effectively engage students," says Donna L. Graham, director of HESC. "She has an excellent track record of providing support to students and is an excellent resource for our growing online program."

Peterson has also worked as a family life educator and life transitions coach since 2015 through her own counseling business, Rise and Thrive Consulting and Education. She has worked with families experiencing significant life transitions, complex trauma and relational distress, including maternal burnout, caregiver fatigue, complex sorrow and the promotion of positive wellbeing outcomes following chronic stress and beliefs transitions.

"I have been practicing yoga for 30-plus years, so yoga philosophies show up in every class I teach," Peterson says. "I teach my students how to fall gracefully so that they are more likely to celebrate their wins and honor their journeys. I have a phrase that I use to help my students reframe their perception of falling short of assignment and test expectations: 'Oh how human of me.' When we know how to fall, we know how to rise. It is important to me that students leave my classroom with life skills that will lead to successes across their lifespan."

She has been a member of the National Council on Family Relations, the Family Life Coaching Association and the National Parenting Education Network; she has made 14 presentations at conferences since 2019 and coordinated community workshops or presentations six times since 2018.

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About the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences: Bumpers College provides life-changing opportunities to position and prepare graduates who will be leaders in the businesses associated with foods, family, the environment, agriculture, sustainability and human quality of life; and who will be first-choice candidates of employers looking for leaders, innovators, policy makers and entrepreneurs. The college is named for Dale Bumpers, former Arkansas governor and longtime U.S. senator who made the state prominent in national and international agriculture. For more information about Bumpers College, visit our website, and follow us on Twitter at @BumpersCollege and Instagram at BumpersCollege.

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $2.2 billion to Arkansas' economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research and Economic Development News.