Two leaders from the Human Development & Relationships Institute (HDRI) at the UW–Madison Division of Extension were recently recognized for their wide-reaching and impactful work.
Jenny Abel, Financial Security Outreach program manager, was recognized as a distinguished professor by UW–Extension. Abel has worked for more than 25 years in Extension in two states, starting out in Virginia. The distinguished title recognizes her extensive experience, advanced skills and knowledge, national reputation and remarkable contributions to her profession.
“There are so many things I love about working for Extension and that have kept me in this field for so long,” she said.
Abel has led multiple national projects. Currently, she leads a team of Extension financial education professionals from 12 states that created resources to help residents protect their finances from the increased frequency and severity of extreme weather events. The resources include 52 Ways to Hazard-proof your Finances.
In Wisconsin, Abel’s team created the Planning AHEAD end-of-life planning curriculum and had an article published last fall in the Journal of Human Sciences and Extension showcasing the impacts of that program.
Abel is currently working on a project that brings together educators and specialists in financial education and 4-H youth development. Her passion within the financial education field will continue driving her great work in the future with Extension.
Lindsay Weymouth, Parenting and Family Relationships program manager, was recognized by UW–Extension for Excellence in Education & Outreach (0–5 Years). Her high-impact programming and outreach, passion for learning with a positive attitude, and commitment to expanding access, outreach, and inclusion in programming contributed to the award.
“Parenting is tough work and it’s rewarding to bring caregivers together to learn from each other, trade ideas, and gain access to research-based approaches that we know can help,” she said.
Weymouth has collaborated with Extension since arriving at UW–Madison as a graduate student in 2012. She’s also worked in strategic planning, curricula development, colleague engagement, and collaborations with organizations across Wisconsin. At the UW-Madison, Weymouth had many years of working alongside Extension educators as an evaluator or consultant before joining Human Development and Relationships as a program manager.
As a mother and family advocate herself, Weymouth is always pursuing the mission to better support children, parents and families and trying to leverage the resources of the university for their benefits.
Weymouth and her team at HDR are developing several programs for parents that meet rising challenges in communities that also fill gaps in pre-existing prevention programs. At the same time, they’re designing in-person continuing education for early child care professionals across the state.
