Dr. Axton E. Betz-Hamilton
Assistant Professor Fax: 217-581-6090INTRODUCTION
Axton Betz-Hamilton, Ph.D., AFC, CPFFE, is an Assistant Professor of Consumer Studies. Her current research is focused on the topics of child identity theft and financial abuse within families. Her research, which is currently funded by the USDA, Phi Upsilon Omicron, and Kappa Omicron Nu, has received recognition from the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences, the Iowa State University Alumni Association, and the Iowa Association of Family and Consumer Sciences. Her professional expertise on and personal experiences with child identity theft have been shared with numerous national media outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, TIME Money, Good Morning America, CBS News, CNBC, Fox Business News, and The Hallmark Channel.
My EIU Story
Select Awards and Recognition:
Eastern Illinois University Office of Minority Affairs TRiO Faculty Mentor of the Year, 2015
Illinois Jump$tart Coalition Educator Scholarship, 2014
National Council on Family Relations Affiliate Councils Board Meritorious Service Award, 2014
Illinois Council on Family Relations Outstanding Service Award, 2013
Iowa State University Alumni Association STATEment Maker, Scholarship Category, 2013
Recognized as an Outstanding Instructor by the Eastern Illinois University Office of Student Disability Services, 2013
American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences New Achievers Award, 2012
Education & Training
Ph.D., 2012, Iowa State University (Human Development and Family Studies)M.S., 2007, Purdue University (Consumer Sciences and Retailing)
Conference Presentations
Betz-Hamilton, A. (2016, May). Could you be contributing to elder financial exploitation? A preliminary look at professionals’ attitudes and actions. Poster session at the 2016 Financial Therapy Association conference. Asheville, NC.Betz-Hamilton, A. (2016, May). Who the #$%& are you? A case vignette of life after experiencing familial identity theft. Oral session presented at the 2016 Financial Therapy Association conference. Asheville, NC.
Betz-Hamilton, A. (2016, March). Workplace bullying: What it is and what you can do about it. Oral session at the 2016 Illinois Association of Family and Consumer Sciences conference. Springfield, IL.
Betz-Hamilton, A. (2016, February). Teaching online: Strategies and tools for post-secondary personal finance and financial counseling courses. Peer-reviewed webinar presentation for the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences Virtual Professional Development Program.
Vincenti, V., Betz-Hamilton, A., Rudisuhle, D., Jasper, C., & Goebel, K. (2015, June). Risk factors within families associated with elder financial exploitation (EFE) by relatives with powers of attorney (POA). Community of Colleges, Universities, and Research Oral Research Presentation at the 106th American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences Conference. Jacksonville, FL.
Publications
Betz-Hamilton, A.E. (2016). Crime and families. In C. Shehan (Ed.), The Wiley Blackwell encyclopedia of family studies (pp.473-477). Malden, MA: Wiley Blackwell.
Betz-Hamilton, A.E. & Nagarajan, A. (2016). Economic distress. In C. Shehan (Ed.), The Wiley Blackwell encyclopedia of family studies (pp. 615-619). Malden, MA: Wiley Blackwell.
McGuire, M. & Betz-Hamilton, A.E. Engagement. In C. Shehan (Ed.), The Wiley Blackwell encyclopedia of family studies (pp. 647-648). Malden, MA: Wiley Blackwell.
Betz-Hamilton, A. (2015). Researcher profile: An interview with Axton Betz-Hamilton. Journal of Financial Therapy, 6 (1), 64-65.
Betz-Hamilton, A., Vincenti, V., Jasper, C., & Rudisuhle, D. (2015). Elder financial exploitation via power of attorney abuse: What family members’ experiences preliminarily reveal about family member perpetrators. Consumer Interests Annual, 61.
Funding & Grants
Vincenti, V.B.; Betz-Hamilton, A., Schatz, M.C.S.; Goebel, K.P., & Rudisuhle, D.P. (2014). Understanding elder financial exploitation in the family: Identifying relational complexities. National Kappa Omicron Nu Honor Society. National Alumni Chapter Grant ($1,000.00) and the New Initiatives Grant ($3,000.00). Total: $4,000.00.Vincenti, V.B. Rudishule, D., Browne, L.B., Jasper, C., Goebel, K.P., & Betz-Hamilton, A. E. (2013). Elder financial exploitation by family members with power of attorney: What family members’ experiences reveal about this problem, its causes, and consequences. Phi Upsilon Omicron Alumni Research Grant. ($2,500.00).
Betz-Hamilton, A.E. (2013, Fall). Eastern Illinois University Faculty Development Support Grant. ($500.00).
Frequently Taught Courses
FCS 2270: HousingFCS 3300: Personal and Family Finance
FCS 3750: Undergraduate Independent Study
FCS 4770: Family Budgeting and Debt Management
FCS 5901: Statistical Analysis in Family and Consumer Sciences
FCS 5990: Graduate Independent Study
Research & Creative Interests
Child identity theftFinancial abuse within families
Psychopathy and it's potential role in the perpetration of financial crimes
Professional Affiliations
American Council on Consumer InterestsAssociation for Financial Counseling and Planning Education
Housing Education and Research Association
Family Economics and Resource Management Association
Financial Therapy Association
Association of Certified Fraud Examiners
National Council on Family Relations
Phi Upsilon Omicron
Illinois Consumer Education Association
Illinois Council on Family Relations