April 1, 2019
Australian Fulbright scholar working with K-Staters to research prison environments
Submitted by Stephanie Jacques
Kate Dolan, professor at the University of New South Wales, will visit Kansas State University as part of the Australian Fulbright Visiting Scholars Program from July through December. Dolan will work with K-State's Lisa Melander in the sociology, anthropology and social work department on conditions in women's prisons.
Dolan and K-State researchers will visit an area prison and drug rehabilitation centers to study how physical environment influences inmates' stress and behavior. Based on this research, Dolan expects to produce a guide that will outline characteristics of physical environment that can reduce stress and promote good behavior.
"Working with my U.S. colleagues will give me a broad understanding of the issues and from different perspectives," Dolan said. "This project is a natural follow on from my previous work and has strong potential to significantly change the approach in our prison setting."
In addition to Dolan's position at the University of New South Wales, she has consulted for the United Nations, World Health Organization and other international organizations. She has served the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre and National Health and Medical Research Council in Australia and Charing Cross and Westminster Medical School in the U.K.
Dolan received a best scientific paper award from the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction and the Winston Churchill Fellowship in addition to several awards from her home institution and country.