Kathryn A. Carroll

I am an Assistant Professor of Family and Consumer Sciences at the University of Central Arkansas.  

At UCA, I  teach undergraduate and graduate courses in our Family & Consumer Sciences (FCS) program, including a Service-Learning personal finance course.  I'm a Faculty Affiliate of the Arkansas Center for Research in Economics (ACRE)'s Social Studies Library and a former UCA Service-Learning Faculty Fellow.  I also serve as Academic Advisor for students pursuing the M.S. in FCS.  In 2023, I received the Outstanding FCS Educator of the Year Award from the Arkansas Association of Family and Consumer Sciences. 

As a researcher, I use experiments and survey research to examine questions in the area of consumer decision-making.  I am especially interested in consumer food choice, local food, behavioral nudges, and health interventions.  I also have an interest in financial decision-making and education, particularly among college students.  

My work is designed to help address real-world problems, with the goal of providing useful information for individuals, policymakers, retailers, and other stakeholders. Recent collaborations include projects with the Arkansas Foodbank, the FUMC-Conway Food Pantry, and Arkansas Asset Builders, as well as curriculum efforts with the Arkansas Center for Research in Economics (ACRE)'s Social Studies Library.  

Prior to UCA, I spent five years as Lab Manager of the Behavioral Research Insights Through Experiments (BRITE) Lab at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The BRITE Lab is a joint venture between the Wisconsin School of Business and the School of Human Ecology. The lab focuses on experimental research that explores how various factors affect individual decision-making.  I joined UCA in 2018.

I received my Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in consumer behavior and family economics, with a minor in ag and applied economics. I received an M.S. in ag and resource economics from the University of Delaware (which is also where I completed my undergrad). 

EDUCATION

COURSES

Undergraduate

Graduate

RESEARCH INTERESTS

OFFICE HOURS: Fall 2023    


ADVISING: FALL 2023 

Advising emails for the Spring 2024 term will be sent out in October!  If you are on my advising list, watch for an email from me then with more info. 

I am currently advising M.S. in FCS students.  I can also advise any student minoring in FCS.  Please email me for a time to meet during office hours  (see above)!