Christine Barrett Whelan (born July 5, 1977) is an American writer, journalist, and clinical professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She has authored two books about marriage, two self-help books for young adults, and an Audible series about purpose.
Christine B. Whelan | |
|---|---|
| Born | Christine Barrett Whelan July 5, 1977 New York City, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Princeton University University of Oxford |
| Employer | University of Wisconsin-Madison |
| Title | Clinical Professor of Consumer Science |
| Parent(s) | Stephen Whelan, Elizabeth Whelan |
| Website | http://www.christinewhelan.com |
Early life
editWhelan was born in New York City to attorney Stephen T. Whelan and Elizabeth Whelan, an author and public health specialist.[1]
Education
editWhelan earned her undergraduate degree from Princeton University, graduating magna cum laude with a degree in politics. She subsequently was awarded the 1999 Daniel M. Sachs scholarship,[2] granting her direct acceptance to Worcester College within the University of Oxford,[3] where she studied Economic and Social History for her masters and doctorate.[4][5]
Academic and consulting roles
editWhelan has taught in the Sociology department at the University of Iowa, the Sociology and Politics departments at Princeton University,[6] and the Sociology department at the University of Pittsburgh. In 2013, she then moved to the Consumer Science department at the School of Human Ecology at University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she currently teaches and directs the Money, Relationships, and Equality (MORE) initiative.[7]
Journalism
editFrom 1997 through 2000, Whelan interned at The Wall Street Journal in its New York and Washington bureaus, and afterwards interned at The Washington Post.[4] In 2008, Whelan was awarded a Templeton-Cambridge Journalism Fellowship.[8]
Whelan's writing has also appeared in The New York Times, USA Today, National Review Online,[9] and The Huffington Post,[10] among other publications.
Publishing
editWhelan's first book, Why Smart Men Marry Smart Women, was published by Simon & Schuster in October 2006. In the book, Whelan coined the term SWANS, which stands for Strong Women Achievers, No Spouse.
Intended in part as a response to Maureen Dowd's 2005 book Are Men Necessary? When Sexes Collide,[11] Whelan presented evidence contrary to the belief that an elite education and high income among women correlate with lower marriage rates.[12] Using Census Bureau statistics, a commissioned poll of 3,700 men and women ages 25 to 40[13] and personal interviews, Whelan showed that while the stereotype was valid among previous generations, today a higher income and education in fact increases a woman's marriage chances, and that high-achieving women simply marry later in life.[14]
Prior to conducting the research, Whelan originally intended for the book to be a pessimistic take on the marriage prospects of professional women, drawn from popular studies and personal experience. The book was initially conceived with the title Overqualified for Love.[15]
Whelan's second book, Marry Smart: The Intelligent Woman's Guide to True Love, was published by Simon & Schuster on December 30, 2008.[6] Whelan's third book, Generation WTF: From “What the #%$&” to a Wise, Tenacious, and Fearless You, was published by Templeton Press in February 2011.[16] Whelan's fourth book, The Big Picture: A Guide to Finding Your Purpose in Life, was published in May 2016.[17] In 2021, Whelan recorded an Audible Original lecture series, "Finding Your Purpose," which made the Associated Press Bestseller list for Audible books that March.[18]
Public appearances
editWhelan has frequently appeared as an expert commentator on television news programs, including The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, Good Morning America, and on national radio programs, including Iowa Public Radio,[19][20][21] Wisconsin Public Radio,[22] and the BBC[23] Whelan is a frequent featured speaker at public events and academic conferences.[24][25][26]
Personal
editWhelan has three children.[27]
References
edit- ^ "Christine Whelan, Peter Moyers". The New York Times. 2007-06-17. Retrieved 2008-12-26.
- ^ "Former Prince editor wins Sachs". Princeton Weekly Bulletin. 2006-09-26. Retrieved 2008-12-26.
- ^ "Sachs Scholarship at Worcester College, University of Oxford".
- ^ a b "2000 Intern Bios". WashPost.com. Archived from the original on 2008-12-05. Retrieved 2008-12-26.
- ^ Clayton, Rachel (2006-09-26). "Marrying Up, Guys?". Today's Chicago Woman.
- ^ a b "Dr. Christine B. Whelan". ChristineWhelan.com. Retrieved 2010-10-28.
- ^ "About - Money+Relationships+Equality". Money+Relationships+Equality. Retrieved 2016-02-28.
- ^ "2008 Fellows". Templeton-Cambridge Journalism Fellowship in Science & Religion. University of Cambridge. Retrieved 2008-12-26.
- ^ Whelan, Christine (2007-11-16). "Gentlemen Prefer Brains". National Review Online. Archived from the original on 2007-12-19. Retrieved 2008-12-26.
- ^ "Christine Whelan". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 2008-12-26.
- ^ "Fear not, smart women". The Washington Times. 2006-11-15. Retrieved 2008-12-26.
- ^ Allison, Julia (2006-10-23). "Gentlemen prefer brains?". amNew York.
- ^ "It Might be True That 'Men Marry Their Mothers'" (Press release). University of Iowa News Services. 2008-05-05. Archived from the original on 2008-06-09. Retrieved 2008-12-26.
- ^ Elliott, Tom (2006-11-12). "When Smart Equals Sexy". New York Post. Archived from the original on April 19, 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-26.
- ^ Hobson, Katherine (2006-11-22). "Smart women do wed". Princeton Alumni Weekly. Princeton University. Retrieved 2008-12-26.
- ^ Whelan, Christine B. (2011-02-04). Generation WTF: From What the #$%&! to a Wise, Tenacious, and Fearless You: Advice on How to Get There from Experts and WTFers Just Like You. West Conshohocken, PA: Templeton Press. ISBN 9781599473475.
- ^ Whelan, Christine B. (2016-05-23). The Big Picture: A guide to Finding Your Purpose in Life. S.l.: Templeton Press. ISBN 9781599474243.
- ^ "The top 10 audiobooks on Audible.com". AP NEWS. 2021-04-20. Retrieved 2023-06-21.
- ^ Smith, Terence (1999-01-18). "Beyond the Beltway". The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer. PBS. Retrieved 2008-12-26.
- ^ "Dr. Christine B. Whelan". Good Morning America. 3 December 2007. Retrieved 2008-12-26.
- ^ "KUNI: The Exchange". Iowa Public Radio. 2008-11-25. Retrieved 2008-12-26.
- ^ "In A Barbie World: Barbie's New Look | Wisconsin Public Radio". www.wpr.org. Retrieved 2016-02-28.
- ^ "Self-help and Self-improvement, Thinking Allowed - BBC Radio 4". BBC. Retrieved 2016-02-28.
- ^ "Upcoming Events". Hudson Union Club. Archived from the original on 2016-03-17. Retrieved 2008-12-26.
- ^ "Christine B. Whelan". Fox Speakers Forum. University of Pennsylvania. Archived from the original on May 13, 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-26.
- ^ "Impact of the Individual, Power of the Network". Columbia Women in Business. Columbia University. 2007-02-23. Archived from the original on July 3, 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-26.
- ^ "About | Christine B. Whelan". www.christinewhelan.com. Retrieved 2016-02-28.