HCSF - Researcher Bios

Principal Investigator

See Bio: Alexandra Adams, MD, PhD

Kate Cronin, MPH

Kate Cronin, MPH is the Madison project coordinator for Healthy Children Strong Families (HCSF) project. She received her MPH from Emory University. Previously Ms. Cronin worked with the Georgia Department of Public Health, the American Hospital Association and the Center for Women's Health Research at the University of Wisconsin.

Tara LaRowe, PhD

Tara LaRowe earned her PhD in Nutritional Sciences from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with special training in nutritional epidemiology. Since 2005, Tara has been a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Family working with Dr. Adams' research team on the Healthy Children, Strong Families obesity prevention study. Tara's research interests include both the epidemiological and intervention aspects of chronic disease prevention and health promotion in children and women.

Ron Prince, MS

Ron Prince joined the department in the summer of 2002. His background and training are in Psychology, with an MS in Clinical Psychology from Marquette University in Milwaukee and an MS in Experimental Psychology from the University of New Mexico. He has worked in health research with American Indian people since 1997. He joined the department to work with Dr. Alex Adams on obesity prevention research, first with the WINGS project and now with Healthy Children Strong Families. He is a strong believer in integrating physical activity into everyday life.

Jamie Rose Scott, MS

Jamie Scott received her undergraduate and graduate degrees at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. After teaching Health to Kindergarten-8th grade populations for more than 24 years, working with Native Alaskans in Eskimo and Indian villages, and working with Wisconsin Local Health Departments on behalf of the State Division of Health, she joins Dr. Adams’ research team. Jamie will work to develop community advisory boards and conduct supportive community outreach for Native American Health on the Healthy Children, Strong Families and Supportive Communities project.

Sam Dennis, PhD

Dr. Dennis is an Assistant Professor of Landscape Architecture whose research interests include the social dimensions of environmental design at all scales; children, youth and families and the built environment; and community design, planning and development. Dr. Dennis is also interested in the intersection of urban open space and issues of social justice. Dr. Dennis will work with community advisory boards and tribal youth to conduct mapping of relevant features of the communities' environments.

Charlanne Fitzgerald, MPH

Ms. Fitzgerald is a Researcher for the Center for Health Policy and Program Evaluation in the Department of Population Health Sciences. She has been conducting program evaluation and research at UW since 1991. She has a Masters of Public Health from the Maternal and Child Health Program at the University of Minnesota and a B.S. in Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison She is overseeing the process evaluation of the Healthy Children Strong Families intervention.