About the Institute 

The Institute was established with a gift of from Howell Ferguson in the mid-1990s. Since the establishment of the Institute until her retirement in early 2006, the Founding Director, Sharon Maxwell, worked on developing lasting relationships with a number of state, federal and private entities.

Dr. Wendy Crook was appointed Director of the Institute for Family Violence Studies upon Dr. Maxwell's retirement. Dr. Crook brought a history of professional work in domestic violence as well as broad interests in issues of gender and discrimination to the Institute. In addition, Dr. Crook's years of experience as an administrator in both professional and academic milieus provided a foundation for leading the Institute for Family Violence Studies into the future. Upon Dr. Crook's retirement, Karen Oehme was appointed the Institute Director.

The Institute strives to contribute to effective responses to the devastation caused by family violence. We work to do this by conducting research that increases the knowledge base about interventions that work, providing technical assistance and training for service providers and advocates, and serving as a resource for professionals as well as the general public seeking information.

Please take the time to peruse the many resources we offer via our website and contact us if you would like information that does not appear to be readily available here.

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