MHDI FACULTY SPOTLIGHT
Kathryn HollandAssistant Professor, Psychology and Women’s & Gender Studies
Date that you joined UNL: August 14, 2017
Hometown: Woodridge, IL (a western suburb of Chicago)
Describe your research and how it contributes to alleviating or understanding health disparities?
I study a variety of issues related to sexual assault and sexual health, and especially among people who are stigmatized by gender and sexuality, such as women and LGBTQ+ folks. In understanding people’s experiences of sexual assault and sexual health, I hope that my work can help people (and especially women) live safer and healthier lives.
Many things! An important one was working as a victim advocate for Rape Victim Advocates in Chicago and seeing stark disparities in how the medical and legal field responded to survivors and the implications of those responses for survivors’ health and recovery.
How does your research contribute to your research area at MHDI?
My work contributes to work on Sexual and Gender Minority Health. For instance, I have a project examining service barriers hindering LGBTQ sexual assault survivors from using resources after an assault (e.g., mental health services). I also have a project examining how queer women’s attitudes toward their body shape, genitals, and menstrual periods are associated with key sexual health outcomes (e.g., accessing preventative care), and role of minority stressors unique to queer women in these associations, such as the anticipation of heterosexism and homonegativity/binegativity from healthcare providers.
What advice would you give to incoming students (graduate or undergraduate) who are interested in studying health disparities?
Get involved with research on a health disparities topic you are interested in (e.g., collaborating with a faculty member). Loving what you study makes the work easier and more fun.
What advice would you give to incoming faculty who are interested in health disparity research?
Connect with other faculty members who are interested in health disparity research.
What would your colleagues/students be surprised to learn about you?
I know how to juggle. :)