Miller, Julia R. Ph.D.

Julia R. Miller's research, outreach/service and teaching interests are centered on assessing and contributing to diversity in families and the workforce, the quality of life of homeless families and children, violence against women and children, social justice, university/community collaborations, internationalization, and human ecological scholarship.

Related to diversity, disenfranchised populations and social justice, she was senior editor of a book entitled African American Women: Contributions to the Human Sciences. In this book, she also co-authored three biographies and a historical account of the development of a pioneering organization in the human sciences. She co-authored chapter in the book, Black Women in the Academy, was entitled African American Women Executives: Themes that Bind. Dr. Miller completed a quantitative and qualitative research/outreach project with university and City of Lansing colleagues related to homelessness. A monograph was developed entitled, Bridging the Digital Information Divide for Human Services: Using Technology and Client Feedback to Improve Homeless Services in the Greater Lansing Area which resulted in several referred publications entitled, University/ Community Partnerships: Working together to Solve Problems Related to Homelessness and Evolving Schemas of Homeless Children Encouraging Hope and Personal Mastery. Also, several referred quantitative and qualitative research presentations were given at national, state and local meetings of professional organizations and with personnel of human services agencies. She is also a member of Community Action and Community Services Boards whose missions are the empowerment of women and to end violence against women and children. She was senior editor of a two Volume treatise entitled, The Encyclopedia of Human Ecology, which received the most prestigious recognition by Library Journal as one of the best resources for 2003.

Throughout her career Internationalization has been one of her passions. She has provided technical assistance/ consultancies to national and international organizations. Miller engaged in grassroots level work related to agriculture production and reducing poverty among women and children in East, West and South Central Africa. She was senior author and co-author of two referred publications entitled An Alternative to Street Vending: Promoting Economic Development through Health, Education and Skill Training for Ghana’s Kayayei, and Beyond Repayment: Micro-Credit Lending. A Viable Capacity-Building Strategy among Ghanaian Women. Also, she has published other referred publications related to internationalization. Professor Miller served as a teacher and administrator for the Department’s Community Services Masters Degree Program at Kadena Air Force Base, Okinawa, Japan, and a Consultant to Okinawa Christian College, Okinawa, Japan and Ewe University in Seoul, Korea.

Professor Miller has received numerous awards for contributions to the human sciences/human ecology and other areas of higher education. These awards were the prestigious Distinguished Service Awards from the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences and National Coalition for Black Development in Family and Consumer Sciences and other professional and community awards. Also, she has held and currently holds elected and appointed offices and memberships in professional organizations and elected and appointed positions on several other community boards.

As Dean of the College of Human Ecology she worked with faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends to develop and implement state-of-the art programs in teaching, research and outreach/service. Graduates of these programs are making significant contributions to human sciences/human ecology careers.