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Biography

Dr. Willis is engaged in a number of teaching, service, and scholarship activities that contribute to her professional expertise. She has been teaching undergraduate courses since 2008. At Towson, she teaches FMST 101, FMST 201, FMST 301, FMST 302, FMST 303, FMST 415, FMST 485, and FMST 490, several in both face-to-face and online formats.

Dr. Willis' experience instructing is not limited to the classroom environment. She has worked with students and colleagues in international service-learning fieldwork in Eastern Europe, Latin America, and Central Asia and has coordinated applied human service field-work experiences for graduate and undergraduate students. A number of different human service experiences have diversified her skill set. For example, she worked for three years as a leadership trainer for human service professionals in the field of disabilities and four years as a parent educator, conducting in-home, one-on-one and group counseling and educational programs for families at risk. Collecting and analyzing both quantitative and qualitative data have furthered her understanding of research methodology and application, including needs assessments and program evaluation. She has parlayed several of these research activities into publications for community and academic use.

Selected Publications 

Selected Publications

Hrapczynski, K.M., & Willis, B. (2025). Who’s around (and who’s not)? Racial mirroring and transracial adoptee racial-ethnic identity. Adoption Quarterly, 1-24. 

Willis, B., & DiGregorio, N. (2025). Contexts and concepts: Thoughts on the paradigmatic framework. Journal of Family Theory & Review, 17(2), 1-8.  

Willis, B., DiGregorio, N., Greiving, J. E., Dutton, C., & Payne, P. B. (2025). What are students reading? An exploratory study of bookstore acquisitions for introductory Family Science courses. Marriage and Family Review, 61(1), 6-29. 

Willis, B., Hrapczynski, K., & Fortner, C. (2024). Understanding decision-making processes of prospective adoptive parents: A mixed-methods study. Family Relations, 73(5), 2961-2980. 

Willis Hepp, B., & Ashcraft, R. (2021). Trauma across the lifespan and Family Systems Theory. In A. Lynch, R. Ashcraft, & L. Tekell (Eds.), Trauma, occupation, and participation: Foundations and population considerations in occupational therapy. American Occupational Therapy Association Press.

Willis Hepp, B., Hrapczynski, K., & Fortner-Wood, C. (2019). Using Symbolic Interactionism to model transitions to adoptive parenthood. Journal of Family Theory and Review, 11, 243-261. 

Willis Hepp, B., and Moinolmolki, N. (2019). Perspectives of foreign-born undergraduates on campus community life. Family Science Review, 23(2), 20-39.

Doneker, K.L., Willis Hepp, B., Berke, D, and Settles, B. (2016). Massive open online courses: Potential implications for human service, family scholarship, and family life education. Family Science Review, 21(3), 57-76.

Willis Hepp, B., Sturm, M.R., & Doneker, K. (2015) Using music to teach theories in an introductory family studies course. Family Science Review, 20(3), 3-20.

Quach, A., Todd, M., Willis Hepp, B., and Mancini, K.D. (2013). Conceptualizing sexual identity development: Implications for Chinese international students. Journal of LGBT Family Studies, 9(3), 254-272.

Willis Hepp, B. (2014). Grandparent adoption. In L. Ganong, M. Coleman, & G. Golson (Eds.), The social history of the American family: An Encyclopedia (pp. 23-25). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Willis Hepp, B. (2014). Greencard marriages. In L. Ganong, M. Coleman, & G. Golson (Eds.), The social history of the American family: An Encyclopedia (pp. 651 – 653). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Willis Hepp, B. (2014). Paternity testing. In L. Ganong, M. Coleman, & G. Golson (Eds.), The social history of the American family: An Encyclopedia (pp.1023 – 1024). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Ohannessian, C.M., Bradley, J., Waninger, K., Ruddy, K., Willis Hepp, B., & Hesselbrock, V. (2010). An examination of adolescent coping typologies and young adult alcohol use in a high risk sample. Vulnerable Children and Youth Studies, 5(1), 52-65.

Trask, B., Willis Hepp, B.., Settles, B., & Shabo, L. (2009). Culturally diverse elders and their families: Examining the need for culturally competent services. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 40(2), 180-192.

Memberships/Affiliations

The Family Science Association

The National Council on Family Relations

Courses Taught

• FMST 102 - Honors Introduction to Family Studies
• FMST 201 - Family Resources
• FMST 301 - Family Relationships
• FMST 302 - Family Theories
• FMST 485 - Research Methods in Family Studies
• FMST 490 - Family and Human Service Capstone: Methods in Family Life Education