Terri Combs-Orme, Ph.D.
Professor

Personal Statement:

All of my courses and personal mentoring relationships with students are grounded in my intentions to teach critical thinking and scholarly writing skills. I believe that when challenged with demanding work and high expectations, students rise to levels that they never would have believed they could. Students who have the desire to learn and the willingness to work hard will find that I will give them as much as they ask of me.

Courses Taught:

Human Behavior in the Social Environment (SW 514-515)
Programs and Legislation for Children and Families (SW 650)
Critical Literature Reviews (SW 670)

Research Interests:

Broadly, Dr. Combs-Orme is interested in the needs of disadvantaged children and families. In recent years she has focused on parenting, especially the parenting of infants and toddlers.

Selected Publications:

Miller, J.W. & Combs-Orme, T. How big is your world? An examination of environmental racial composition on the racial identity of African American adolescents. Under review.

Combs-Orme, T. & Renkert, L.E. Fathers and their infants: Caregiving and affection in the modern family. In Press, Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment.

Combs-Orme, T. & Cain, D.S. Predictors of mothers’ use of spanking with their infants. In press, Child Abuse & Neglect.

Travis, W. & Combs-Orme, T. (2007). Resilient parenting: Overcoming poor parental bonding. Social Work Research, 31(3), 135-149.

Page, T., Combs-Orme, T. & Cain, D.S. (2007). New mothers’ psychological experience and behavioral interactions with their Infants in the first 12 Months. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 16, 155-167.

Combs-Orme, T. & Cain, D.S. (2006). The daily lives of poor infants: Consistent disadvantage. Journal of Children & Poverty, 12(1), 1-20.

Luther, C., Kennedy, D. & Combs-Orme, T (2006). Intertwining of poverty, gender, and race: A critical analysis of welfare news coverage from 1993-2000. Race, Gender & Class, 12(2), 10-35.

Cain, D.S. & Combs-Orme, T. (2005). Family structure effects on parenting stress and practices in the African-American family. Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare, XXXII (2), 19-40.

204 Henson Hall
1618 Cumberland Ave.
Knoxville, TN 37996-3333
Phone: (865) 974-3704
Fax: (865) 974-6437
tcombs-orme@utk.edu

B.A., Baylor University
M.S.S.W., University of Texas, Arlington
Ph.D., Washington University

Vita (pdf)