Hobart and William Smith Colleges

15 August 2014 Perkins Addresses Air Force, University Staff

Wesley Perkins, professor of sociology, recently spoke to U.S. Air Force family advocacy personnel about reducing partner violence, as well as to University of Pittsburgh Bradford staff about problem behavior prevention and health promotion.

Perkins was recently an invited guest speaker for the U.S. Air Force Family Advocacy Program Staff Training in San Antonio, Texas. This training conference brought together approximately 150 social workers and mental health advocates, who are currently serving as outreach managers and intervention specialists involved with family crisis prevention and intervention work at Air Force bases throughout the world. Perkins addressed the group about current social norms theory and research as applied to the prevention of a variety of social problems and its potential use in reducing domestic and intimate partner violence in Air Force populations.

Additionally, a contingent of University of Pittsburgh at Bradford staff recently traveled to HWS to have Perkins provide them with half day training on the social norms approach to reducing risk behaviors and promoting health among college students. Attendees wereDr. James Evans, dean of students; Dr. Ron Binder, associate dean of students and director of residence life; Nicole Stark, director of health services; Christina Graham, director of student activities; Dr. Tracee Howell, assistant to the president and Title IX coordinator; Dr. Leslie Rhinehart, director of counseling services; and Kyle Corbett, student intern.

Perkins is a graduate of Purdue University, and he received his M.A., M. Div., M. Phil. and Ph.D. from Yale University. He is the author of dozens of journal articles and is editor of a book on the social norms approach to substance abuse prevention, and has been honored with national awards for his work in preventing alcohol and drug abuse in colleges and universities.

Perkins and David Craig, professor of chemistry, direct the Hobart and William Smith Colleges Alcohol Education Project that has received multiple awards from the U.S. Department of Education and they are currently conducting a social norms project to reduce alcohol abuse among young Airmen at selected bases in the U.S. and abroad.