Shirley A. Mietlicki, Ed.D.

Extension Assistant Professor

Telephone: 413-545-4420
Email: mietlicki@umext.umass.edu
Campus Address: 226 Draper Hall

Shirley A. Mietlicki is an Extension Assistant Professor of Public Health and the Program Director for the UMass Extension Communities, Families and Youth Program. She received her doctorate in Education with a concentration in Human Development from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and focused her research on the impacts of downsizing on professional women with a specific emphasis on coping skills and support systems. She has been employed with UMass Extension since 1977 providing research based education to individuals, families and communities across the Commonwealth. Dr. Mietlicki brings her human development expertise and her extensive experience in community development and program planning to the School of Public Health and Health Sciences. Her teaching emphasizes strategies for health promotion and prevention programs that are developmentally and culturally appropriate. Her research projects include: participation in a 14 state national study, "Rural Families Speak" addressing the social, health and economic impacts of welfare reform on rural low-income families; and a Senior Associate in the TWEEN POWER study lead by co-principal investigators, Nutrition Professors Jean Anliker and Elena Carbone, investigating the eating habits, food purchasing decisions and level of health and nutrition awareness of 11 to 14 year old youth. Professor Mietlicki is an active member of the HUD COPC Education Sub Committee in Holyoke.

Research interests include stress and change management, unhealthy behaviors of youth during out of school time, obesity prevention, and decision making strategies of youth related to health issues and food choices.