Kristin S. Abner
Curriculum Vita
Behavioral Science Building (BSB)
Department of Sociology (MC 312)
1007 West Harrison Street
Chicago, Illinois 60607
Phone: 312-243-4360
Email: kabner2@uic.edu
Website: https://sites.google.com/site/kristinabner
EDUCATION
2014
Expected
University of Illinois at Chicago
In Progress, Ph.D. in Sociology
Concentration: Work, Organizations, and the Economy
Preliminary exams passed in August 2010; Dissertation proposal defended in April 2012
Dissertation Title: Child Maltreatment and Child Welfare Intervention: Contextual and Individual
Inequalities
2009
University of Illinois at Chicago
Master of Arts in Sociology
Concentration: Work, Organizations, and the Economy
Master’s Paper: Determinants of Welfare Policy Attitudes: An Individual and Contextual Level
Analysis
2005
University of Virginia
Sociology B.A., with high distinction
Thesis: The Culture of Blame: College Students’ Perceptions on Poverty
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Child Welfare, Low-Income Families, Poverty, Welfare-to-Work, Public Policy, Asset Building, Social
Stratification, Child Care Policy
PUBLICATIONS
Peer Reviewed Journals
Korenman, Sanders, Kristin S. Abner, Rachel A. Gordon, and Robert Kaestner. Forthcoming. “The Child
and Adult Care Food Program and the Nutrition of Preschoolers.” Early Childhood Research Quarterly.
Gordon, Rachel A., Ken Fujimoto, Robert Kaestner, Sanders Korenman, and Kristin S. Abner.
Forthcoming. “An Assessment of the Validity of the ECERS–R With Implications for Measures of Child
Care Quality and Relations to Child Development.” Developmental Psychology.
Gordon, Rachel A., Robert Kaestner, Sanders Korenman, and Kristin S. Abner. September 2011. “The
Child and Adult Care Food Program: Who is Served and Why?” Social Service Review 85 (3): 359-400.
 Frank R. Breul Memorial Prize, Best Article Published in Social Service Review, 2011
Abner, Kristin S. 2011. “Determinants of Welfare Policy Attitudes: A Contextual Level Analysis.”
Sociological Spectrum 31 (4): 466-297.
Other Publications
Abner, Kristin S. and Rachel A. Gordon. 2012. “Differential Response: A Family Impact Analysis.”
(Family Impact Analysis Series). Madison, WI: Policy Institute for Family Impact Seminars.
Abner, Kristin S., Gordon, Rachel A., Robert Kaestner, and Sanders Korenman. 2012. “Child Care Food
Subsidies: Who Participates and Why.” University of Illinois: Institute of Government and Public Affairs Policy
Forum 24(2).
Gordon, Rachel A., Robert Kaestner, Sanders Korenman, and Kristin S. Abner. 2010. “The Child and
Adult Care Food Program: Who is Served and What are their Nutritional Outcomes.” The National
Bureau of Economic Research, Working Paper Series.
Abner, Kristin S., Rachel A. Gordon, and Carolyn J. Heinrich. 2009. “Utilizing a Couple’s Approach to
Promote Employment Stability.” University of Illinois: Institute of Government and Public Affairs Policy Forum
22(1).
MANUSCRIPTS UNDER REVIEW/ IN PREPARATION (DRAFTS AVAILABLE)
For Peer Reviewed Journals
Abner, Kristin S. 2012. “Dimensions of Structural Disadvantage: A Latent Class Analysis of a
Contextual Measure in Child Welfare Data.”
Abner, Kristin S., Rachel A. Gordon, Robert Kaestner, and Sanders Korenman. 2012. “Does Child Care
Quality Mediate Associations between Type of Care and Child Development?”
Gordon, Rachel A., Ken Fujimoto, Nicole Colwell, Kristin S. Abner, Robert Kaestner, Lauren S.
Wakschlag, and Sanders Korenman. 2012. “Measuring Socio-Emotional Development in a Large Scale
Survey.”
PRESENTATIONS
Abner, Kristin S. poster presentation of Korenman, Sanders, Kristin S. Abner, Rachel A. Gordon, and
Robert Kaestner. “The Child and Adult Care Food Program and the Nutrition of Preschoolers.”
National Council of Family Relations Annual Conference, Phoenix, AZ. (November, 2012).
Abner, Kristin S. presentation of Abner, Kristin, Rachel A. Gordon, Robert Kaestner, and Sanders
Korenman. “Association of Child Care Type, Intensity, and Quality with Child Outcomes.” National
Council of Family Relations Annual Conference, Orlando, FL. (November 19, 2011).
Abner, Kristin S. “Child Maltreatment, Differential Response Participation, and Residential Context.”
American Sociological Association Annual Meeting. (August 21, 2011).
Abner, Kristin S. presentation of Gordon, Rachel A., Robert Kaestner, Sanders Korenman, and Kristin
S. Abner. “The Child and Adult Food Program: Who is Served and Why?” Midwest Political Science
Association, Chicago, IL. (April 2, 2011).
Abner, Kristin S. “Determinants of Welfare Policy Attitudes: A Contextual Level Analysis.” Midwest
Political Science Association National Conference, Chicago, IL. (April 22, 2010).
Abner, Kristin S. “Determinants of Welfare Policy Attitudes: A Contextual Level Analysis.” Midwest
Sociological Society, Chicago, IL. (April 3, 2010).
Abner, Kristin S. presentation of Gordon, Rachel, Robert Kaestner, Sanders Korenman, and Kristin S.
Abner. “Food Subsidy in Child Care: Correlates of Program Participation and Associations with Child
Outcomes.” Midwest Sociological Society, Chicago, IL. (April 3, 2010).
Abner, Kristin S. “Determinants of Welfare Policy Attitudes: An Individual and Contextual Level
Analysis.” Midwest Association for Public Opinion Research Annual Conference, Chicago, IL.
(November 20, 2009).
Abner, Kristin S. “Determinants of Welfare Policy Attitudes: An Individual and Contextual Level
Analysis Social Justice in a Changing World Conference at Roosevelt University, Chicago, IL. (April
17, 2009).
Abner, Kristin S. “Determinants of Welfare Policy Attitudes: How do Individual Level Characteristics
and Contextual Characteristics Affect Attitudes toward Welfare Policy?” University of Illinois at
Chicago Sociology Departmental Colloquium. (December 2008).
AWARDS
Fall 2012-Spring 2014 Doris Duke Fellowship for the Promotion of Child Well-Being, $50,000
Nationally selected interdisciplinary fellowship awarded to doctoral students who have been
identified as future leaders in the field of child maltreatment prevention. Fellows are paired
with academic and policy mentors, and network with other fellows and mentors to enrich their
understanding of applied research and child maltreatment prevention.
Fall 2012
Liberal Arts and Sciences PhD Travel Award to attend National Council on
Family Relations Annual Conference, Phoenix, AZ
Spring-Summer 2012 Chancellor's Graduate Research Fellowship for Multidisciplinary Scholarship,
$4,000
The Chancellor’s Graduate Fellowship Program supports increased multidisciplinary
scholarship opportunities and exposure to varied research and creative fields for graduate
students and is designed to supplement existing stipends.
Spring 2012
American Psychological Association, Child Maltreatment Section Dissertation
Grant, $400
Supports dissertations that show promise in making a significant contribution to the field of
child maltreatment.
Fall 2011
Graduate Student Council Travel Award and Graduate College Student
Presenter Award to attend American Sociological Association Annual Meeting,
Las Vegas, NV
Fall 2011
Liberal Arts and Sciences PhD Travel Award to attend 2011 American Humane
Association Annual Conference on Differential Response, Chicago IL
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
Spring 2010–Fall 2012 Research Assistant: Child Care and Preschool Quality: Domain-Specific Measures and
their Policy Implications
Institute for Government and Public Affairs, University of Illinois at Chicago
(PI: Rachel A. Gordon, Ph.D.)
Fall 2011–Spring 2012 Graduate Assistant: Crossing Boundaries: Public and Private Roles in Assuring Child Well-Being
2012 Conference
Council on Contemporary Families, Institute for Government and Public
Affairs, University-Based Consortium for Child and Family Policy (Supervisor:
Rachel A. Gordon, Ph.D.)
Spring–Fall 2009
Research Assistant, Nutritional Assistance in Child Care and at Home: Correlates of Child
and Adult Care Food Program Participation and Associations with Child Outcomes
Institute for Government and Public Affairs, University of Illinois at Chicago
(PI: Rachel A. Gordon, Ph.D.)
Spring 2008
Research Assistant, Chicago Area Study Practicum on Race and Ethnic Differences in
Political Participation, Policy Attitudes, and Political Knowledge
University of Illinois at Chicago (PI: Maria Krysan, Ph.D.)
2004-2005
Research Assistant, Cultural Studies, Status Attainment, Caste Systems
Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture, University of Virginia (PI: Murray
Milner, Ph.D.)
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Fall 2008
Teaching Assistant, University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Sociology
Introduction to Sociology
2007-2008
Teaching Assistant, University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Sociology
Introduction to Social Problems
SELECTED NON-ACADEMIC WORK EXPERIENCE
2005 to 2007
Associate, ICF International Consulting, Fairfax, Virginia
Practice Area: Human Services and Community Development
I served in a variety of capacities for projects on welfare reform and helping atrisk families on the path to self-sufficiency, including technical assistance,
research design, qualitative and quantitative analysis, literature reviews,
interviewing, and data collection. In particular, I supported a large technical
assistance initiative through the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Family Assistance
to improve peer-to-peer networking across states and localities operating the
TANF program.
SERVICE
2012-present
Student Representative of the APA Section 37, Early Career Psychologist
Committee
2012-2014
Student Representative of the ASA Section on Children and Youth
2012-2014
Student Reviewer for the Child Maltreatment Editorial Board
2012
Developmental Psychology Reviewer
Fall 2011
Student Member of the UIC Sociology Junior Faculty Search Committee
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
American Sociological Association
American Psychological Association: Section on Child Maltreatment
Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management
Society for Social Work and Research
University-Based Consortium on Child and Family Policy