Dr. Donna Cill, the assistant dean of student affairs at Rutgers School of Nursing, had her first child early in life. She dropped out of college in her first year, but was able to return and then return again and again until she had received a B.A., M.A., and doctor of nursing practices. She now has two daughters, one a journalist and the other a SOMS student.
Her research currently focuses on developing healthy lines of communication between mothers and daughters. According to the CDC, if adolescents can look to at least one parent to talk to, behavior relating to health-risk declines in every category. For girls, this parent is usually their mother.
Outside of her research, Cill is working with mothers and daughters ages 11-80 to help them share their experiences with each other. The project is called “Empowering Daughters and Mothers Through Social Media” and has received funding from the Jewish Women’s Foundation of New Jersey. At the meetings, Cill will collect photos and videos which document what effective communication looks like for a diverse group of mothers and daughters.
The event will take place on Sunday, November 13th at 6 pm. If you are interested in participating, contact Dr. Cill at motherdaughterconnect@gmail.com
