Christine Whelan
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Christine Barrett Whelan (born July 5, 1977) is an American writer, journalist, and
clinical professor Clinical professor, sometimes known as professor of practice, is an academic appointment made to a member of a profession who is associated with a university or other academic body, and engages in practical (clinical) instruction of students (e ...
at the
University of Wisconsin-Madison A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Uni ...
. She has authored two books about marriage, two self-help books for young adults, and an
Audible Audible may refer to: * Audible (service), an online audiobook store * Audible (American football), a tactic used by quarterbacks * ''Audible'' (film), a short documentary film featuring a deaf high school football player * Audible finish or ru ...
series about purpose.


Early life

Whelan was born in
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
to attorney Stephen T. Whelan and
Elizabeth Whelan Elizabeth M. Whelan (; December 4, 1943 – September 11, 2014) was an American epidemiologist best known for promoting science that was favorable to industry and for challenging government regulations of consumer products, food, and pharmaceutic ...
, an author and public health specialist.


Education

Whelan earned her undergraduate degree from
Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial ...
, graduating ''magna cum laude'' with a degree in politics. She subsequently was awarded the 1999 Daniel M. Sachs scholarship, granting her direct acceptance to
Worcester College Worcester College ( ) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. The college was founded in 1714 by the benefaction of Sir Thomas Cookes, 2nd Baronet (1648–1701) of Norgrove, Worcestershire, whose coat of arms was ad ...
within the
University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...
, where she studied Economic and Social History for her masters and doctorate.


Academic and consulting roles

Whelan has taught in the Sociology department at the University of Iowa, the Sociology and Politics departments at Princeton University, 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.


Journalism

From 1997 through 2000, Whelan interned at ''
The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' (''WSJ''), also referred to simply as the ''Journal,'' is an American newspaper based in New York City. The newspaper provides extensive coverage of news, especially business and finance. It operates on a subscriptio ...
'' in its New York and Washington bureaus, and afterwards interned at ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
.'' In 2008, Whelan was awarded a Templeton-Cambridge Journalism Fellowship. Whelan's writing has also appeared in ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'', ''
USA Today ''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...
'', ''
National Review Online ''National Review'' is an American conservative editorial magazine, focusing on news and commentary pieces on political, social, and cultural affairs. The magazine was founded by William F. Buckley Jr. in 1955. Its editor-in-chief is Rich Lo ...
'', and ''
The Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (''The Huffington Post'' until 2017, itself often abbreviated as ''HPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and covers p ...
'', among other publications.


Publishing

Whelan's first book, ''Why Smart Men Marry Smart Women'', was published by
Simon & Schuster Simon & Schuster LLC (, ) is an American publishing house owned by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts since 2023. It was founded in New York City in 1924, by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. Along with Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group US ...
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 Maureen Brigid Dowd (; born January 14, 1952) is an American columnist for ''The New York Times'' and an author. During the 1970s and early 1980s, Dowd worked for ''The Washington Star'' and ''Time'', writing news, sports and feature articles. ...
's 2005 book '' Are Men Necessary? When Sexes Collide'', Whelan presented evidence contrary to the belief that an elite education and high income among women correlate with lower marriage rates. Using Census Bureau statistics, a commissioned poll of 3,700 men and women ages 25 to 40 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. 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''. Whelan's second book, ''Marry Smart: The Intelligent Woman's Guide to True Love'', was published by Simon & Schuster on December 30, 2008. Whelan's third book, ''Generation WTF: From “What the #%$&” to a Wise, Tenacious, and Fearless You'', was published by Templeton Press in February 2011. Whelan's fourth book, ''The Big Picture: A Guide to Finding Your Purpose in Life'', was published in May 2016. In 2021, Whelan recorded an Audible Original lecture series, "Finding Your Purpose," which made the Associated Press Bestseller list for Audible books that March.


Public appearances

Whelan has frequently appeared as an expert commentator on television news programs, including ''
The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer ''PBS News Hour'', previously stylized as ''PBS NewsHour'', is the news division of PBS and an American daily evening television news program broadcast on over 350 PBS member stations since October 20, 1975. It airs seven nights a week, and ...
'', ''
Good Morning America ''Good Morning America'', often abbreviated as ''GMA'', is an American breakfast television, morning television program that is broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC. It debuted on November 3, 1975, and first expanded to weekends wit ...
'', and on national radio programs, including
Iowa Public Radio Iowa Public Radio is a public radio network in the U.S. state of Iowa that combines the operations of most National Public Radio member stations in the state. Its three program streams air programming from NPR, Public Radio Exchange and Ameri ...
, Wisconsin Public Radio, and the BBC Whelan is a frequent featured speaker at public events and academic conferences.


Personal

Whelan has three children.


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Whelan, Christine 1977 births Living people Princeton University alumni Alumni of Worcester College, Oxford Writers from New York City University of Pittsburgh faculty