My research utilizes multicultural perspectives to study how trauma affects parenting, child/youth outcomes, and overall couple and family relationship functioning in underserved communities in the USA and in Sub-Saharan Africa. I am driven to discover how using culturally responsive systemic interventions can support families in underserved communities, negotiate crises, improve parenting, relationship functioning, and overall mental health.
Dr. Ron Asiimwe is a trained couple and family therapist and seasoned prevention/intervention researcher with a global perspective on mental and relational health. Originally from Uganda, Ron embarked on his academic journey with a BA in Community Psychology from Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda in 2013. Following his passion for therapeutic practices, he pursued a master's in Marriage and Family Therapy at Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee, Oklahoma, graduating in 2018. He went on to earn his Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies with a specialization in Couple and Family Therapy from Michigan State University in 2023.
Ron's expertise extends across both research and clinical domains, spanning the United States (Michigan and Oklahoma) and in East Africa. His research, employing mixed methods and multicultural perspectives, focuses on the intricate intersections of trauma, parenting, child/youth outcomes, and overall couple and family relationship functioning in underserved communities in the USA and Sub-Saharan Africa. Committed to culturally responsive systemic interventions, Ron explores ways to support families in underserved communities, enhance parenting skills, and improve relationships, and overall mental health.
A prolific academic, Ron boasts publications in esteemed journals like Family Process and the Journal of Marriage and Family Therapy. His accolades include the New Writers’ Fellowship award from the Family Process Institute, and the John Douglas EFT Award for pioneering initiatives in East Africa. Ron, a former Spartan now embracing his Gopher spirit, brings his rich, diverse, international, and cross-cultural scholarship to Family Social Science department and their CFT program.
Beyond academia, Ron is a multifaceted individual. An avid sports enthusiast, he likes running, tennis, soccer, and college basketball. His culinary skills shine through Afro meal preparations, complemented by a love for music, stand-up comedy, and meeting new people. Recently, he has taken up skiing, proudly identifying as a "baby skier."