Karin Coyle Receives Award from TeenNow California
By Kay Todd, MSW | November 18, 2014
ETR Senior Research Scientist Karin Coyle, PhD, was presented with the Doug Kirby/Barbara Huberman Award by TeenNow California at their recent conference in Fresno. The award is given to someone who has made a significant impact in the fields of teen pregnancy prevention, adolescent reproductive health and youth development.
This is the first time TeenNow has presented an award on behalf of Dr. Kirby and Dr. Huberman, two giants in the field.
I cannot think of anyone better suited to receive this award than Karin. She worked with Doug for many years, and she brings the same level of dedication and integrity to her research on adolescent sexual and reproductive health.
Remembering to Mull and Ponder
In accepting this award, Karin graciously thanked TeenNow. She shared one of her favorite memories of Doug—the “walking meetings” they used to have. As they walked, they would take the time to think, imagine, and wonder about the “what else” and “what if” of their work. They would ponder things like new determinants we might address to reduce teen births, ways to impact poverty and strategies to turn around negative health outcomes in youth.
Karin reminded us that Doug loved to mull and ponder ideas. He also loved to banter with others to further the conversation and deepen the thinking. She observed that many of us get so busy “doing” that we don’t allow ourselves this time to reflect and think about the bigger picture.
Give It a Try
She encouraged everyone to use this conference, and other opportunities, to reflect with colleagues, refine their ideas and try out new approaches.
In addition to her commitment to the field, Karin also has the same generous and loving spirit that were hallmarks of Doug and Barbara’s work and lives. How appropriate that she received this recognition.
About Teen Now
TeenNow California is a state-wide organization that provides training, technical assistance, advocacy, and professional development opportunities to those working with adolescents.
Kay Todd, MSW, is a trainer and project coordinator at ETR. She can be reached at kayt@etr.org.
