Rene  Gratz, Ph.D. 

Professor 

Interests and Expertise
Professor Gratz's research has focused on areas of children's health and health care. Her current areas of interest deal with health promotion and disease prevention in child care settings, particularly the occupational health of adult staff and directors. Both accidental (unintentional) injury and infectious disease in day care centers have been investigated as well as the role of violence in the lives of young children, and its' effects on child care teachers. Professor Gratz has won the university-sponsored Amoco Award for Teaching Excellence in 1983 and the College of Health Science's Golden Apple Award for Distinguished Teaching in 1987, 1993, and 1998 and the Student Accessibility Above and Beyond Award in 1999.

Recent Publications
Calder, J. & Gratz, R. (In press). Health issues for the child care professional (Chapter 20) in Health in Day Care: A Manual for Professionals, Second Edition edited by Trudy Murph, M.D. to be published by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Gratz, R., Calder, J., & Shipp, M. (1999). Occupational health and safety for childcare workers in Bowler, R. and Cone J. (Eds.). Occupational Medicine, Philadelphia: Hawley & Belfus, 27, 171-180.

Dykstra, J., Duval, J., DiMilo, R. W., & Gratz, R. (1997). It's hard going to two schools: Helping children adjust to before- and after-school care. Early Child Development and Care, 135, 79-87.

Gratz, R., & Boulton, P. (1996). Erikson and early childhood educators: Looking at ourselves and our profession developmentally. Young Children, 51 (5), 74-78.

King, P., Gratz, R., Scheuer, G., & Claffey, A. (1996). The ergonomics of child care: Conducting worksite analyses. Work: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment, and Rehabilitation, 6, 25-32.

Gratz, R., & Claffey, A. (1996). Adult health in child care: Health status, behaviors, and concerns of directors, teachers, and family child care providers. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 11, 243-267.

Gratz, R. (1996). Violence in the Lives of Urban Children: Determining the Training and Support Needs of Teachers of Young Children. Final report for the UWM Urban Research Center.

Claffey, A., Gratz, R., & Boulton, P. (1995). When child care teachers become parents. Day Care and Early Education, 22(5),4-7.

Gratz, R., & Boulton, P. (1995). Pregnant staff and parental leave: Policies and procedures. Young Children, 50(5), 79-83.

Gratz, R. (1994). Epidemiology in early childhood education. Early Child Development and Care, 102, 71-80.

Claffey, A., Kucharski, L., & Gratz, R. (1994). Managing the biting child. Early Child Development and Care, 99, 93-101.

Gratz, R., & Boulton, P. (1994). Health considerations for pregnant child care staff. Journal of Pediatric Health Care, 8(1), 18-26.

Gratz, R. & Boulton, P. (1993). Environmental hazards in the child care center. Early Child Development and Care, 87, 29-38.

Gratz, R. (1992). Health and safety for campus child care, Volume I, Member Resource Series, National Collation for Campus Child Care.

Gratz, R. (1992). School accidents: What we know, what we need. Journal of Pediatric Health Care, 6(5), 256-262.

Gratz, R. (1992).
Unintentional injury in early childhood group settings. Children's Health Care, 21(4), 239-249.

Gratz, R. (1992). Respiratory tract illness in young children. Early Child Development and Care, 83, 55-65.

Speaker Topics 
Child Care Workers' Health
Children's Health Care
Health, Women's

Education
Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison, Human Development/Preventive Medicine, 1977