Congratulations to Assistant Professor Pajarita Charles who received the UW-Madison Award for Mentoring Undergraduates in Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activities by the Office of the Provost. This award recognizes Dr. Charles’ outstanding work with undergraduates on her research team and her generosity in mentorship. The award highlights the “important role mentors play in fostering undergraduates’ intellectual, personal, and professional growth.”
Dr. Charles’ research centers on the development, implementation, and testing of family-focused preventive interventions to promote positive outcomes for children and families affected by the criminal justice system.
As the Principal Investigator for the Lab for Family Wellbeing & Justice, Dr. Charles works closely with undergraduate and graduate students to “build knowledge and solutions for families impacted by incarceration and justice system involvement.” Lab members have worked on projects such as Flattening the COVID-19 Curve in Jails, Prisons, and Reentry; Pathways for Parents after Incarceration; and Improving Outcomes for Incarcerated Parents and their Children through Enhanced Jail Visits among many others.