Faculty

Fern Kaley Willits (Bunny)

Distinguished Professor of Rural Sociology
PhD., Rural Sociology, Penn State, 1964

Fern K. (Bunny) Willits

 

Email address: fkw@psu.edu

Telephone:1-814-863-8647

Fax: 1-814-865-3746

Office address: 113 Armsby Building

University Park, PA  16802

Current C.V. in PDF format

Research Interests

My research activities focus largely on assessing, through opinion surveys, public perceptions of current social issues and the nature of changes in citizens’ views across time. Related to this work I have been involved in studies concerned with improving the quality of survey data by exploring issues related to response rates and measurement validity.  In addition, I serve as principal investigator for an ongoing 50+ year longitudinal study of continuity and change in attitudes and behavior of individuals across the lifespan.  

 

Outreach/Extension Interests

Although I have no formal extension appointment, as part of my research output I seek to share my research findings with decision-makers, educators, and interested citizens with the goals of increasing understanding of and contributing to public discourse on issues related to state and community social concerns.

 

Current/Recent Courses

  • Ag 400:  Statistics in the Life Sciences

  • RSoc 573: Survey Data Analysis

  • RSoc 597A: Issues in Data Analysis

 

Recent Selected Publications

Dillman, D. A., V. Lesser, R. Mason, J Carlson, F. Willits, R. Robertson, B. Burke. Personalization of Mail Surveys for General Public and Populations with a Group Identity: Results from Nine Studies, Rural Sociology  72 (4): 632-646. (2007).

Ryan, A. K.  and F. K. Willits. Family Ties, Physical Health and Psychological Well-Being, Journal of Aging and Health 19(6): 907-945 (2007). 

Willits, F. K., A. E. Luloff, and J. S. James. Pennsylvanians’ Knowledge of Agriculture. University Park, PA: Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology, The Pennsylvania State University.(2006).

Elmendorf, W., F.K. Willits, V. Sasidharan, and G. Godbey.Urban Park and Forest Participation and Landscape Preference: A Comparison between Blacks and Whites in Philadelphia, Journal of Aboriculture 31 (6):318-325 (2005).

Sasidharan, V., F. K. Willits, G. Godbey. Cultural Differences in Urban Recreation Patterns: An Examination of Park Usage and Activity Participation Across Six Population Subgroups. Managing Leisure, 10:10-38 (2005).

Willits, F. K., A.E. Luloff, and F.X. Higdon. 2003 Attitudinal Survey of Pennsylvania Rural Residents.  Harrisburg, PA: The Center for Rural Pennsylvania (2004).