Behind the Blue with Alexander Vazsonyi on Child and Adolescent Development

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From the campus of the University of Kentucky, you're listening to 'Behind the Blue'. 

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Kody Kiser: Many factors can impact child and adolescent socialization and adjustment. What are the things that led one person on a path to happiness and achievement, while another youngster gets involved in problem behaviors and even violence? University of Kentucky faculty member Alexander Vazsonyi, a professor in the Department of Family Sciences within the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, is renowned nationally and internationally for his research on adolescent development and adjustment. 

I'm Kody Kiser with UK PR and Marketing. On this week's episode of 'Behind the Blue', UK PR's Carl Nathe talks with Vazsonyi about his work, his accomplishments, how much he enjoys serving as a mentor to students, and more. 

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Carl Nathe: Our guest on the 'Behind the Blue' podcast this week is Professor Alexander Vazsonyi. And he is the John I. and Patricia J. Buster Endowed Professor of Family Sciences, as well as serving as a professor of Psychology and a Professor of Sociology. Alex, first of all, welcome to the podcast. And you've been here now going on eight years. Is that right? 

Alexander Vazsonyi: That's correct. Thanks for having me Carl. I'm in my eighth year at the University of Kentucky. 

Nathe: And so far so good? 

Vazsonyi: So far so good. Yes. 

Nathe: Alright. Now, you wear a number of hats, but we want to go back. I always like to find out what makes people tick. Where did you grow up? Where were you educated? And so forth. Go ahead. 

Vazsonyi: That's a bit of a longer story. I was born to immigrant parents in Northern Michigan. Spent many of my formative years in Switzerland, and then returned as a young adult to Michigan to start college. Got my Bachelor's in Bio-Psychology at Grand Valley State University, which is a regional university near Grand Rapids, Michigan. And then my Masters and Ph.D. at the University of Arizona in Tucson.

Nathe: Once you got to your graduate, or how did you get interested in the field that you're in? Because you're in Family Sciences, but you're into a whole lot more than that. What got you interested in this? You spend a lot of time trying to figure out what makes people tick. What makes young people do the things they do or not do. 

Vazsonyi: Absolutely. This - this happened in graduate school. As a new graduate student, had to find my niche. Figure out what I was interested in. And I worked with someone who was focusing on adolescent drug use. Because of that, I became interested in adolescent problem behaviors more generally, and decided to minor in Criminology at the University of Arizona. We had to take both a major as well as a minor. It just so happens that two of the most famous criminologists, in my mind, over the last fifty years were both at the University of Arizona at that time. And it just so happens that they published a very influential theory, the general theory of crime, and- Long story short, I took coursework with them as well, and became more and more interested in etiology. What makes humans tick. How do kids develop to engage in problems? Most generally speaking. Not just drug use, but violence, deviance, and even health compromising behavior. 

So, the seeds go all the way back to my graduate education, and the exposure and experiences that I had. I should also mention, my advisor, David Rowe, was also interested in aggression and violence, but not exclusively. 

Nathe: What about after you get your Ph.D.? Then what comes next? 

Vazsonyi: Well, once you get your Ph.D., you are trained to compete for either research, academic, or other jobs that capitalize on your training. And I decided in graduate school to try and secure an academic position. Applied across the country - that's how it goes - and was fortunate enough, ultimately, to have a couple offers. One of which was at Auburn University. 

Nathe: And at Auburn, you taught both - at that time - undergraduates and graduate students? 

Vazsonyi: Yes. I taught both undergraduates and graduate students. So, it was the Department of Human Development and Family Studies, which is really the equivalent to what we have here that is called Family Sciences. Most departments around the country have the name of Human Development/Family Studies or Family Sciences. It's just for historical reasons that it's just Family Sciences here. 

Nathe: Okay. Now. So... at Auburn, how long there? 

Vazsonyi: I was there for 15 years. And enjoyed my time very much. It was a very good university, the department had many opportunities. But, after a decade and a half, I just felt like it was time to move on and seek out new challenges and new opportunities. Which brought me here to Lexington. 

Nathe: Now, the University of Kentucky, in terms of the program. You spoke of the history - the fact of the Department of Family Sciences and so forth - but one of the things that we're very proud of at the university is the breath and depth of the programs we have. But obviously, attracting somebody with your credentials was kind of a feather in the cap for UK, I might say. And I guess it has proved out well for you. We want to get into some of the other things that you do as far as your duties and the fact that you're editor-in-chief of the Journal of Early Adolescence. I want to talk about that. But, UK - you come to a new place. I mean, you had a nice life at Auburn, but obviously you liked a new challenge. And what are some of the things you've been working on here in terms of research and so forth? 

Vazsonyi: Since coming to the University of Kentucky, of course, I have continued some of the same streams of research that I started throughout my career. [clears throat] Some - [clears throat] Excuse me. Some key areas that I've been active in and some key streams of research include a longitudinal study that I started with collaborators from the Czech Academy of Sciences. And we have been longitudinally studying adolescents and their development. A cohort of approximately 600 youth. And we're now in the fifth year of data collection. This study's designed to understand, again, the etiology of problem behaviors, but also of positive development. Etiology, again, meaning what makes you tick. Why do they do what they do? Why do they like what they like? Who is successful in school? Who is less successful? And so forth. So, there are a number of questions that can be asked and answered by this data set. And I'm really fortunate to have some excellent collaborators abroad. 

But, of course, I've also been active locally. We collected data not too far from the UK in Bourbon County. We collected data there in a couple of school districts from both middle schoolers and high schoolers. This study was focused on understanding internet behavior; both risk factors as well as protective factors. Because youths spend a lot of time on their devices - they call them. Their phone, their tablets, their laptops if they even have one. But mostly their phones. And so we, as society, have had to grapple with and deal with understanding is this a good thing, is it a bad thing, is there a threshold when it becomes a bad thing. And so we asked a number of questions that focused on how much kids spend on these devices. What platforms are they active on? Have they been bullied online? Do they bully online? Does it affect their mental health in any way? So, again, it's a broad project, and it's provided us with some very interesting insights. 

Nathe: One of the things of being a professor; you're not only studying and working with colleagues around the country and around the world on certain projects, but you're bringing that both to your graduate students - you're mentoring graduate students. You're trying to develop experts in the field for their future careers. But also in terms of in the classroom, whether it's an undergraduate or graduate. You're staying, if you will, on the cutting edge by being an active researcher. 

Vazsonyi: I try to. Yes. It's- you have to be very well rounded as an academic. You have to teach. I enjoy teaching very much. I enjoy teaching undergraduates and graduate students both. Both get - I teach classes for both age groups focused on adolescent development. So there are courses called Adolescent Development that focus on the very things that we were talking about before related to the development of teenagers today. My research also informs what I teach in the classroom, of course. So there's a synergistic relationship in effect. Of course, you cannot always translate cutting-edge research into the classroom, but certainly, as a researcher and teacher, you have to stay well informed on the cutting edge, yes. 

Nathe: You're widely published as a researcher, but then you take that a step forward. You've been honored to serve, as I mentioned earlier. You're editor-in-chief of the Journal of Early Adolescence. And you're a member of a number of editorial boards. And here, just recently, we had the news that the second edition of the Cambridge Handbook of Violence Behavior and Aggression was published. And that's available across the United States. And I understand that becomes not only a guide for professionals in the field, but gets used in a lot of classrooms for graduate students across the country. 

Vazsonyi: Absolutely. That is - that was a labor of love. It took about two to three years to do this. I feel very honored to have served as the senior editor of that book. It's interdisciplinary in focus and brings together experts from a number of social sciences. Importantly, as you mentioned, this book - the audience of this book are graduate students in social sciences, as well as allied fields; health sciences included. The book brings together experts from across the world, and focuses on what leads to violence and aggression, not just among youths but also young adults and adults. Treatment methods, interventions that work, and what does the future hold. Because, as you know, violence, unfortunately, is part and partial of human beings everywhere. In every society. 

Nathe: It can get, I imagine, studying the things that you do - It seems like these are some tough topics. Can it get - does it every get - get you down or depressed? That might be a strange question to ask a researcher. But - there's always good that comes out about finding out why people do what they do. There's always a good side to it. Is that what keeps you interested? 

Vazsonyi: It is what keeps me interested. Learning more, understanding better, and providing solutions. Absolutely. I mean, that's the ultimate goal of this kind of research. Yes. 

Nathe: Now, when you have mentored students - because I think you've probably - I know of a couple you had here in your time at the University of Kentucky that had major awards that they've earned while they've been mentored by you. And many go on, not only to earn their Ph.D., but have tenure track positions at major universities. That is - when you're a teacher, one of the great rewards that a lot of other people don't get, is you have - you almost have created, with many of those cases, a lifelong mentoring relationship. It's not just while they're here at UK and you're maybe chairing their committee. It's - they're at another university, but I'm sure you still hear from them. 

Vazsonyi: I do. Mentoring is probably the most rewarding thing that I do as a professor. I've finished three Ph.D.s so far here at the UK. It's a lengthy process. It takes anywhere from four to five years, and I've been fortunate to have recruited excellent students who have worked very hard. Because it requires that they work very hard. And then, at the end, they have the opportunity to go on professionally to other universities. Mentoring the students is, in many ways, a labor of love. It goes far beyond the classroom and it is a lifelong commitment. I just received an email from one of my Auburn Ph.D.s, who is now applying for a job in Texas and wants a letter. And what do I think about her letter that she has written; could I give her feedback? So, yes. It is a lifelong commitment in most cases. And, again, it's highly rewarding. It's also, at times, frustrating. Just like with any teaching that you do, there are good days and bad days. But in the end, it's a very highly rewarding thing that I do. And that is not very well understood necessarily by people external to academia. 

Nathe: Okay. Now, Alex - our guest is Alexander Vazsonyi, and he is in his eighth year at the University of Kentucky. The John I. and Patricia J. Buster Endowed Professor of Family Sciences. Also has an appointment as Professor of Psychology and Professor of Sociology. Which means that he's been vetted by those departments and, obviously, has the credentials to have that role. And he's our guest here on the podcast. I want to ask you, if I might, because I got a chance to met your son, who now is a Ph.D. student himself, but an entirely different field. Talk a little bit, if you will, you are a professor of family sciences, but if you don't mind, let's talk a little bit about your own family and so forth. 

Vazsonyi: Sure. My oldest son is a graduate of the University of Kentucky. He was fortunate to be able to come here shortly after I arrived here. He was supported by a prestigious award due to his aptitude. And I feel that he was exceptionally fortunate to get that. And he capitalized on all the opportunities that the University afforded to him, I think. Made many connections while he was here. Worked for NASA Kentucky. Worked for a number of faculty members, learning about research as a young adult - as an undergraduate. It took him a year or two to get warmed up, but then the third and forth year, he really engaged. 

That ultimately led to great opportunities where he could apply for doctoral programs around the country. He - Although he had his degree in mechanical engineering from here, he was interested in aerospace engineering. Which is partially my fault, I guessing. I'm fascinated by space, and I'm sure my son suffered accordingly. And, based on a number of offers he had around the country, even though he did not want to move to the Midwest, he went to the University of Michigan, where he's in aerospace engineering now in his third year. He's interested in propulsion of spacecraft. So his dissertation will focus on mathematical modules of specific propulsion question. 

Nathe: Any other children? 

Vazsonyi: I have three more children. 

Nathe: Okay. 

Vazsonyi: I have a 16 year old son, a 14 year old son, and a 10 year old daughter. 

Nathe: Very good. And all in school here locally? 

Vazsonyi: All in school in Madison County. Yes. 

Nathe: Very good. Now, in terms of space, you mentioned you were - I wasn't aware before we had this interview that- I understood that your sons was studying aerospace engineering and propulsion and so forth. You had mentioned that to me in a conversation leading up to this interview. But how about yourself? So, you've been one of those where when you were a kid you watched them go up into space and so forth? 

Vazsonyi: Oh, yes. I was always fascinated in science fiction. As a late teen, I had to complete compulsory military service in Switzerland. Was interested in becoming a fighter pilot. So I was very interested in flying and space. Did - Nothing much happened with that, for a number of reasons. But, it looks like I might have influenced my son, yes. 

Nathe: So you fancied yourself maybe as Tom Cruise in 'Top Gun' for a while? 

Vazsonyi: I'm not quite sure if I would go that far. But I was just very interested in flying, yes. 

Nathe: Very good. Very good. Now, what do you do away from teaching - in terms teaching and being a professor and research. Everybody needs outlets to relax and do other things. What do you do when you get away from work? 

Vazsonyi: One thing that I do, and that I have done for decades, and that I was able to pick up again in Lexington when I moved here, is play volleyball. So, I still play volleyball. I'm on leagues with teams of usually five or six, if it's indoor. Currently I'm not playing for about four or five weeks because our team captain missed the sign up for the next season. But I really love playing volleyball, and I had done so for a long, long time. 

Nathe: Well volleyball certainly has become a popular game, not only here in Kentucky, but across the nation for men and women. And now our volleyball team - they were in the Elite 8 of the NCAA last year. They've got another great season going this year. So... And volleyball, which was - there was just a big story in our local newspaper in Lexington - how it was in it's infancy in high schools in the 1990s, and now perennially have teams that - at least one of the teams from Lexington makes the state tournament. And they're developing future collegiate players and so forth. 

Vazsonyi: Right. Right. It's very exciting times. 

Nathe: Very good. Now, in terms of - in terms of your future, you are - you're in a position now where you're obviously very well regarded. You edit these professional journals. You are the senior editor, as we said, on this Cambridge Handbook of Violent Behavior and Aggression. What is there - you still want to be a professor, I'm sure, for many years, but what's you - Do you have any next challenges, or whatever? What? 

Vazsonyi: So, you know, as a professor, you - or for myself, I should say. I should not generalize. I continue to have new ideas related to research. I like to generate new challenges, learn new things. So, for instance, currently a brand new thing that I'm working on is a study which we would do pilot data collection here on campus, that used functional magnetic resonance imaging - fMRI. And the reason for that is to understand the extent to which there are differences, when individuals are being scanned, in their decision making. This decision making is instrumental for both understanding why people engage in violence and aggression, why they do well in school, they don't do well in school. And so this is a project where, with collaborators at Texas Tech, we hope to collect data, and then ultimately to pursue for a federal grant to study this among teenagers. So, we're just using a young college population to get these pilot data. And then, if there's enough promise, then we will pursue federal funding for that. 

Nathe: Very good. Well we wish you continued success. We're very happy that decided to come to the University of Kentucky. Now in your eighth year. We've been talking with Professor Alexander Vazsonyi. And he is the John I. and Patricia J. Buster Endowed Professor of Family Sciences, editor of national and international journals. Studies what happens with - as children go into their teenage years and go on and see what is the good side. Why they achieve what they achieve, problem behaviors, things that might compromise their health, violence and deviance. All sorts of very interesting - I guess you'd call them socialization processes? 

Vazsonyi: Correct. My research is all about how children and adolescents are socialized, which, of course, principally features the family. But not exclusively so. There are influences from the school, where you grow up. The neighborhood you grow up in, the culture you grow up in, and so forth. And we now are able to model these things effectively to tease out what is important and developing a better understanding of what makes kids tick. As you put it earlier. 

Nathe: The one thing, I'll say this as we get ready to close our interview, that is that you picked a field that I dare say you will not run out of things to study anytime soon. 

Vazsonyi: That's right. I mean, you were saying "What's next?" But that's the answer partially. There's always going to be material for that, yes. 

Nathe: Alright. Alex, thank you so much. Alexander Vazsonyi has been our guest on the 'Behind the Blue' podcast. We'll see you next time. 

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Thank you for joining us on this edition of 'Behind the Blue'. For more information on this episode, or any other episode, visit us online at uky.edu/behindtheblue. You can send questions or comments via email to behindtheblue@uky.edu. Or tweet your questions using #BehindTheBlue. 'Behind the Blue' is a joint production of University of Kentucky Public Relations and Marketing and UK Healthcare. 

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